158 WISCONSIN ACADEMY SCIENCES, ARTS, AND LETTERS. 



other which could not be so pervertefl. but which would be equally 

 likel}' to prevent cuiy vote from being lost. 



Til! tra3 pi 111 s'l ):ild ahv ays uii'.ci as exist an apportionment as 

 H ire's can ever d), vvjrk a^ simply as the cum.ilative method, and 

 nave the additional advantage over both these plans of always ap- 

 pointing in advance, for every vacancy during the term of office, a 

 substitute representing the same constituency. Such a plan was 

 actually invented in 1866, by M. Morin, of Switzerland, in which 

 country it is termed the the "free list," though American writers 

 call it the indepeu lent or list system. It is really Hare's pi m sim- 

 plified. The ballots are very similar, namely, lists of names ar- 

 ranged in order of preference, but marked list number one, two, i e, 

 according to the order in which they have been recorded. The 

 quota is obtained in the same wa}', but there is only one counting 

 of the vote, of which the number cast for each list is ascertained, 

 at the same time as the whole numbers of votes polled. It is then 

 only necessary to divide the number cast foi each list by the quota, 

 to know how many of the candidates on that list are elected, the 

 names being taken in order as they stand. 



By this system, if the list containi^ig three names headed by Miss 

 Garrett had obtaine 1 three tim3s the quota, all three would have been 

 elected. In the States of Kentucky atil Tennessee, each of which 

 now has ten repi'esentatives in C digress, the quota would be ten 

 per cent, of the vote pol'ed. Any party would have three, four or 

 five representatives according as it had thirty, forty or fifty per 

 cent, of the vote, and any independent candidate would be elected 

 who got his ten per cent. This way of reckoning would give the 

 Republicans three from the former and four from the latter State, 

 instcitd of one msmberin each actu illy elected to the forty-fourth 

 Congress. 



This method favors independent candid ites even more than the 

 cumulative, for there is much less danger of votes being thrown 

 away. There is the same probability as under Hare's plan, that 

 every ballot will count, but not the same possibilil-y ol the inter- 

 ference of chance or fraud. The imaginary votes for Brown, Jones 

 and Robinson vrould be classed as so many for list one, Brown and 

 Jones, and so many for list two. Brown and Robinson, and the sec- 

 ond man would be taken from the list best supported, while the few 

 Ccises of an exact tie could safely be referred to the legislature. 



