File No. 4359/1.
Minister Graves to the Secretary of State.
Stockholm, May 25, 1907.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the proposed reform of the franchise, which has been the most important and absorbing political question in Sweden since the dissolution of the union with Norway, has now been settled by the adoption of a compromise measure by both the houses of the Riksdag. As it is an amendment of the constitution, the measure must be adopted also by the Riksdag of 1909, and if so adopted, will take effect at the autumn elections of 1911.
I append the following brief resume of its provisions, as they may be of interest to the students of the progress toward democracy in Europe, and also of interest because they are still so far from the franchise liberty of our own Republic.
There are two houses in the Swedish Riksdag, called the First and Second Chambers, and the new law prescribes as to the First Chamber that members shall be elected by the assize courts and by the city councils, who in their turn shall be elected by those who have “community suffrage rights according to the 40-degree scale” (restricted franchise).
To be eligible for election to the First Chamber, one must be 35 years of age, have property, for the three years previous, of real estate value of 50,000 crowns (formerly 80,000), or have paid the State, for three years previous, income taxes on 3,000 crowns of income (formerly 4,000) per annum.
The salary shall be 1,200 crowns per session (both houses) and traveling expenses. Term of office for First Chamber, six years (formerly nine), but an election will take place each year in some districts, so that the First Chamber shall be a continuous body.
The manner of election of members of the assize courts and the city councils shall be “proportional,” as will be that of elections of members in the Second Chamber.
In rural communities the franchise shall be as follows:
For an income up to 1,000 crowns per annum, a man shall be entitled to cast one vote for each 100 crowns; with income above 1,000 crowns he shall have 11 votes, and one vote for each 500 crowns in excess of 1,500. So that if a voter has an income of over 1,500 crowns and not over 2,000, he shall have 12 votes, and so on for higher amounts except that no one person shall have suffrage rights of more than 40 votes, and in no case of a larger number of votes than one-tenth of the whole number of votes of the community in which he votes.
[Page 1023]In cities the franchise shall be:
For an annual income up to 2,000 crowns a person shall be entitled to cast one vote for each 100. With a higher income than 2,000 crowns, 21 votes, and one vote additional for each 500 crowns in excess of the 2,500 crowns; so that an income of over 2,500 but not exceeding 3,000 crowns will give the person 22 votes, and so on, except that no person shall have more than 40 votes.
In “communal decisions” two-thirds majority is required (disposition of real property and questions connected therewith, appropriating money for new purposes, or borrowing money).
Eligibility to office in communities is extended to women, but not as to the assize court.
Term of service in assize court, four years (formerly two).
Manner of election in communities to be the “proportional.”
Second Chamber—Suffrage.—The right to vote for members belongs to every man who has civic rights and is 24 years of age.
Exceptions.—A. He who stands under guardianship or is in a state of bankruptcy.
B. He who is in debt for support, which, during the current or next preceding calendar year, has been given by the pauper board to him, his wife, or minor children.
C. He who has not paid the taxes levied upon him and payable to the State or the community, which taxes have fallen due during the three last past calendar years.
D. A conscript who has not performed military service which he was obliged to do, to and including the last past calendar year.
Eligibility for election as member of the Second Chamber is identical with the qualifications for a voter, but the candidate must be a resident of the electoral district, or in a city composed of several districts, of one of them.
The method of election to the Second Chamber is the “proportional one” according to the Phragmá method, which was presented by the cabinet, with the amendments by the committee which refer to counteracting decapitation.
Electoral circuits (districts) are 56 in number (the largest elects 11, the smallest 2). City of Stockholm has 2 districts, electing 7 members each.
I understand that the “proportional system” is practically what we know as “minority representation,” the minority of voters having a right to concentrate their votes on a minority of the allotted number, and so have representation.
I have, etc.,