Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-05-24

ron THE SPECTATOR.
TO THE PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS.
No. 3.
Il is often asserted, by the advocates Of
the convention that slavery is not con.
nected with 1t that their opponents deal
unfairly in identifying the two questions !;
that after convention shall have been
resolved on, il vii be, and not Till then ,
aud that we stride slavery now as a mere
hobby, to prevent tair expression of
publ, senlimenion the convention ques-
ton. On the other hand, it is urged,
that 1t convention Is cow ordered, you
cannot be represented in convention /;
that owing to the inequality Of represen-
tation OF the several counties in the PEE
neral assembly, which cannot be made
7 equal, until after the census of 1925,
you viii have no opportunity Of being
beard Oh the question Of slavery, but al
the polls in 1894; because the ratio OF
representation will be the same in con-
venllon, that il now is y the general as
sembly. The conventionists fatty deny
this, and insist that you will be fairly re-
presented In contention, and press YOU to
rust the decision Of this ration rendine
question to agents. On this OCCASION,
Why nay not he people do their own
business |, is just as easy, and more
safe, to decide this question yourselves.
II you do SO, intrigue may be disappoin,
cd of It's expected reward, bnt not of a
just one. III you zvant your business
done, send your man but if you want
ii qveH dgne go yourself"
propose 10 shew, first, That large
majority OF the population of Illinois,
would nave a frghltul minority Of re-
presentation in convention. Secondly,
that SHOULD the people OF Illinois order a
convention for other purposes, confding
in that convention, for the perpetual in
hlbltion OF slavery, it may SO happen that
a majority of tina, convention may be
elected by less than one fourth of the
whole number OF votes in he state +;
and that the ma ority SO elected will, in
all probability, be in favor of the extern
sion of slavery, These propositions
mean to prove, by displaying few facts
to public view.
The best data for this purpose would
be the precise number of vnters in each
county. This cannot now be Obtained.
In 1920 me census disclosed the nun
Der OF votes in the l9 counties, INFO which
the state was then divided; but the ge-
neral assembly having made | add-
tlonal counties since that period, ana
population having increased much faster
IN some than In other counties, that cen
sus no longer furnishes data for correct
calculation. shall assume as the best
atlainable data, the whole number of
votes given at the general election in
1922, TOR Congressman. 1t is true, that
the number ofvo,es given tor member
OF Congress, does not shew the whole
number of votes in the state; because
each citizen entitled does not always
vote; nor does every man who votes,
always vote for representative in Con-
gress; but, as 1t is believed that the num-
Der in each county who are unable to at
sS'H ~ Wv pms ~ give lnClT WHY'S, Ut
who dentsne, through Indifference, to ex-
ercise the right, bear nearly an equal
proportion it is conceived that the diff
ference if any exists, cannot materially
vary the calculation. l shall assign to
Pike and Fulton counties, the IS disput-
ed votes that the House of Representa-
lives declared legal; and to Clark and
Edgar 1873 votes, which it is understood,
were rejected for informally; and TO
Union, from which no returns were made,
400, although the whole number given
for Governor, does not quite equal 400.
For the first point. A large majority
Of population, must be represented by
minority in convection. The wholeI
number Of votes given for member tc
Congress, at the las, election, in all the
counties, 8,736-the half Of the Whole
number is 1868. The votes in all the
counties stood thus. Pike and Fulton,
1877; Sangamo, 5l2; Greene and Nor
gan, 500; Madison III; Bond, SOY;
Fayette, 1884: Montgomery, ll2; ST.
Clair, 678; Monroe, 500; Edwards,