[510] plantea. The subject is democracia.
[511] haciendo que los representantes lo sean en común de las grandes divisiones políticas, lit., bringing it about that the representatives be so in common from the great political divisions; trans., electing their representatives at large from the great political divisions, i.e., the representatives represent a province and not a district.
[512] se pretendía hacerle desempeñar, they (la gente culta de las ciudades) intended to have it (the people) play.
[513] exteriorizando los cuales, upon manifesting which.
[514] Aunque figuras menores. The verb son is understood.
[515] habiendo algunos, there being some.
[516] o sea el voto secreto, that is, the secret ballot. Mr. Hipólito Irigoyen, the present incumbent of the presidency, is the first Argentina president to have been elected by the secret or Australian ballot.
[517] esa ley, i.e., of the Australian ballot.
[518] su refers to poder.
[519] inhibiendo, trans., to prevent.