If such a scheme of government does not break the malign influence of an extra-legal government founded upon a vote-directing machine, then such a power cannot be broken. If the scheme of government which has been outlined does not give the electorate a real opportunity to express its will through its representatives and to make that will into law and then enforce the law through those same representatives, then our attempt to achieve representative government will have failed and we shall have been unsuccessful in securing that which other nations, even though in form at least still governed by kings, have been able to achieve. FOOTNOTES: [15] The Illinois plan of minority representation in the legislature provides for the election of three representatives from each district and allows each voter to cast three votes as he pleases, one for each candidate or three for one candidate or one and a half for each of two candidates. Where extra-legal government by politocrats is strong, this has for years resulted in members of the legislature being appointed by the extra-legal government. The electorate has been wholly and palpably disfranchised. If there are two political machines in the district, one dominant and the other with a fair strength, they have by agreement between them arranged that the dominant machine should nominate only two candidates and the other only one. Thus the voter is given no choice whatever and the nominations are an appointment. If there are three equally strong political machines, each by agreement will nominate one candidate. As a matter of fact without agreement the number of candidates nominated will usually be as above indicated under the circumstances named. Thus the electorate in very many Illinois districts has had comparatively little or no real representation in the lower house of the legislature for years. The worst elements in the house have under this system been returned again and again. See editorial in the _Chicago Tribune_ for December 22, 1912, on “Minority Representation.” [16] This assumes the existence of a second chamber as suggested in chap. xvi. [17] See _ante_, p. 153. CHAPTER XV CONTEMPORARY PLANS LOOKING TOWARD THE UNION OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF STATE GOVERNMENTS