First let me say that I really enjoy your paper. As a person who has recently moved to Peachtree City, I am impressed by how much of your paper is devoted to the presentation of intelligent editorials.

I have been involved in various ballot access law suits through the years. As you may be aware, Georgia law was structured by the Democrats and is still sustained by Republicans who do not wish competition at the ballot box and, in fact, often oppose any measures that would allow the voters more choices.

One of the leading experts in ballot access matters, Richard Winger of San Francisco, recently wrote a letter to Kathy Cox about her expressed opposition to ballot access freedom, and was kind enough to provide me a copy, which I enclose. Would you be so kind as to reprint it so that the good people of Fayette County can be better informed about her and James Madison's respective positions?

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Walker Chandler

Dear Representative Cox:

I read your letter about ballot access, political parties, factionalism and Federalist Paper #10, in the newsletter of the Georgia Libertarian Party.

Federalist Paper #10 says the exact opposite of what your letter says. It says we are better off with a great variety of parties than with just two parties. I quote:

“Hence it clearly appears, that the same advantage, which a Republic has over a Democracy, in controlling the effects of faction, is enjoyed by a large over a small Republic - is enjoyed by the union over the states comprising it. Does this advantage consist in the substitution of representatives, whose enlightened views and virtuous sentiments render them superior to local prejudices, and to schemes of injustice? It will not be denied, that the representation of the union will be most likely to possess these requisite endowments. Does it consist in the greater security afforded by a greater variety of parties, against the vent of any one party being able to outnumber and oppress the rest? In an equal degree does the increased variety of parties, comprised within the union, increase this security.”

Furthermore, Federalist Paper #10 also says that, even though factionalism is dangerous, even more dangerous are attempts made to use the law to restrict factions. It says, “There are two methods of removing the causes of factionalism: the one by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests. It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it is worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an ailment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be a less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.”

Richard Winger

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