Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-04-15

that these views were sound and correct -
And II, IN making the attempt, | shall deyel
ope advantages in the proposed plan Of rep
resentaGon which | did not disclose while
supporting that plan in the convention. and
IT shall occur TO any one to ask me srhV |, a
Jealous friend OF the compromise, did moi
there disclose them, Twill frankly answer, that
l thought the compromise SO favorable a one
to western interests, that 1t might well he an.
pretended that full discussion OF its merits
would make it distasteful TO some OF the
eastern delegates. For let rue tell you, tina,
whatever some y you think of this compromise.
u was regarded, BY some OF the most saga
elous OF the eastern and southern delegation.
as one eminently unfavorable to their sec lions
of the siate--tliat not few OF them who yo-
ted for IT, on the 10th December, when the
question was between itand the ,ceste,l. plan
were. at that time, fully determined TO vote
against ITS .fiaGl adoption--that, m alto ring
that determination, which they did slowly,
with many mlsEiYings, and bitter rcuctane e
they were manly actuated by generous
and patriotic desire 10 restore peace and har-
moHy I" distracted commonwealth
'nat they were so equally balanced between
accepting ana REJECTING the plan II represen
tauoh proposed, that feather would have
turned Tue scale, and caused them 10 REJECT il.
but TO return | have said that The plan
oil representation, or distribution of v.ver.
contained IN tie amended Constitution is so
near an approximations 10 the .swmte bas,s p
as il is iamIiarly called. as 10 be com, alent
to 1t, at present, ia practi, al results. You
VIII perceive. in the very terms al this pro
position, a tac,t admission thai il ga,, moi he
equally favorable al some future period. -
A"u 10 ms may not is involved the vexed
question of the probable future relative Ia
crease oipopulation in the east and the west
Tn that question | shall. by aud by, say
something Suffice it TO say, Al present, that,
concedins hypofhetc lily, the correctness of
the most sanSllne calculations as TO the com
paritNeiy rapid increase Of western popula.
tioh' w iu.ure, ana admitting the importance
o. ehSraiting on the constitution plan for
future superintendent, which this constitution
wants, II was found, after MANY trials. utter
" impossible to carry, in the convention. any
plan Tor future apportionment WHICH would
not nave been worse than none AT all The
alternative was, Of course, presented of ia
KING constitution destitute of this valuable
feature, or none.@ | could not hesitate in my
choice between these alternatives. And do
ho' know That can better express my view
OF the subject than by adopting familiar
Illustration suggested by a shrewd ard saga
cious friend Suppose that, being very hun
CRY, you were asked to partake Of an excel.
lent dinner. You reply to this inviting prom
ositon, ''Sir, / viii cheerlully dine with YOU
TO day. provided you will agree to give me as
good dinner whenever call on YOU abo,a
dinner time, hereafter" Your host replies.
'iou are exceedingly welcome, sir, 70 par
take Of the dinner before you, but reali, |
cannot undertake TO bind myself as you pro
pose" Would il be wise in you to go away
hungry because the promise Of future good
cheer was withheld? |, iorone, am clear for
partak.ng OF good cheer to-day II will in.
vIsoraie my system, and enable rue, the bet
ter, to procure good dinner to morrow
bni Is the repast you are ,oae invited to
partake of. really good onep Is the propo-
SEQ constitution, in its actual and present dis
triouuon OF political power, such an one AS
you ought to accept? Is it, in practical re
suits, nearly or quite as good, at present, as
the basis of white population Is it not, al
present, 10 The people Of TIE Ialley. white pop
ulation in disguise' These are the questions
propose to consider.
You will perceive, at once, that these
questions cannot be answered without first
ascertaining what IL The actual white popu
latlon OF the different sections of the state in
1880. If the census of 1920 were adopted as
the standard by which To measure the iairness
OF the distribution of power made by the
amended constitution, or, if il could be Justly
inferred that the rate Of increase has been
uniform, in tho last 10 years, throughout the
state, the representation allotted, by the new
constitution, to the country west Of the Blue
Ridge, woult be abundantly satisfactory
For according to the relative numbers of the
white people east and west OF the Ridge in
1870, the west is entitled to SIS members on
ly, out OF l54 on the 'swhite basis;n and the
new constitution allows it precisely thai num-
bert But 1t is admitted, on all hands, that
the white population OF the country west OF
the Blue Ridge has increased faster, since
1920, than the same description of population
east OF the Ridge. The difficulty is to ascer-
tain hotc much faster. And this is really
question OF great difficulty But as it is iinpos-
sibe to arrive at correct opinion Of the
merits of the new constitution without form
ing some opinion on this previous question, I
VIII endeavor to throw or the subject all the
light which | have myself been able to OBJ
tain.
1t is a subject to which have been com
PEELED, by a sense Of duty, 10 devote, during
That a majority of the house could not be
united IN favor OF any plan of future spportlon'
ment, was distinctly ascertained At,er this
rejection OF many plans, moved, on the 28sb
of December, by way Of testing the sense ol
the house, aud ascertsining.. whether the major