Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-05-20

trot, whose memory will ever be embalmeJ ~ the
recolleciiOns Of the lovers of liberty, embodied tie
true principles Of representative government in the
following resolutions offered in the late Conven.
lion:
LIST ResOlred. That the elective franchise should
be uniform; that that throughout the State SIM
lar qualifications should confer a similar right OF
suffrage.
ID: Resolved. That to those entitled by the con.
stitution exercise the elective franchise there
should be entire equality Of suffrage ofone qualified
voter, whatever may he the disparity Of their res
pective iOrlunes.
Sd. ResOlued. That representation should be uni.
form IN roughout the State.
Alb. ResOlUed. I hat as individual suffage should
be equal without respect To the disparity of indi-
vdua! fortune, TO equal number Of qualifed vo-
tiers ealed To equal representation. w thoLtte
gard TO the disparity of their aggregate fortunes
These principles so smple-they are so ubv:.
ously Jnst-they appeal SO d reclly 10 common sense
that they need ne ILLUSTRATION ampli6cntion, "a,
re ommenl Them to the understanding aud afIecli n
OF frecmen. No rue republican will gainsay them
none who are not in favor OF srsIocracy will
deny their correctness, no man will oppose them who
IL not. willing. nj the hazard Of liberty. TO subject
the ciIlzeus the wealth of the country Lei IN
hiring our constitution TO the further test of those
cardinal principles Of popular representative gov.
ernmenL The result OF his poll. in the animated
Presiden iul canvass of 8i0 IN Virginia, show ed
MAJORITY at voters east of the bue ridge OF S2S,-
This ijorty Of voters according To the mi Icples
just laid down would not ente the east TO quite q
majority OF three re resenlatves; for the average
number OF voters which elcn delegate would rep
resent II representation was equaIzed according 10
tbs numbers Of v.Iers throughout the State would
be Oh. which multiplied by 3 would be 1882
larger number Than the mliurily OF eastern voters
But when we take into consideration the fact that
The western division Of the State has maturity of
while PnpulntIon. scarcely doubt that not
wHhsianding tho exhibit made b. The poll Of 1910
That The west hos in ruth 4 majority Of the voter,
likewise.
have no doubt but that white population aud
the number OF v1ers, are pretty nearly equivalent
a. a basis Of representation IhruughDui the Comn,n.
weaih-and in fact, the very slight seeming reIa.
tive differences between them, ia tho two grand
divisions OF the Safe. shown by the vote alluded 10
prove lhem sufficiently So. for all practical purpo-
srs TINS seeming contradiction, too, OF the hypo.
thesis. that population and the number of voters
are equivalents, rs basis Of representation, may
tie fully explained by reference TO the different
conditions and circumstances Of the two grand iIyi.
sions of the Slate. f 81 Of the Blue Ridge. The
counties are mpIrhtively small their population
dense an IN mes Of excitement their political can
vases are animated I'd all Iher voters are brough
Il the polls. while IN the wesle rn division of The
SHE the counties are large the population IL spase
there Ia conDa raively much less excitement and
|
whole vote Is seldrm, if ever given. Under these
circumstances II IL cnly remarkable supposing the
number ot voters equal in the two diVisun, Of The
olaie-t hai The great and exciting vaSs Of 1910
n'u MOI SHOWN larger maJry OF oiers ia the
East and The very lean mlJ1riiy exhibited by that
erection must convince every candid mind that
there Is not only majority Of white popuaion but
mat there Is IN reality mnjuriry Of VOTERS 81
So west Of the Ridge Upon what rrincin q
Z" republican government them is the Eas entitled
20 20 representatives more Than the Wear What
ul''H.e :" reason or comm III sense has snch nequa-
lIiy Tor iIs suppo This is urisiocrgry of the ran
Se'' k"u. No man can justify 1t, unless he prove
Iha' mere 10 soIGe imbecy IN the suffrage Of The
"es' which ImpLlrs lis eiliracy, tAe consequence
OF which. that It requires twice as many yoIer, in
me Wesi TO elevate rerresenisive 10 the dignity
OF legislator. MS It does in the East. In cpr,tem.
plaon OF such ridiculous fnllacy. wo cannnt but CT
cam. IN The language Of The poer "Oh jud men,
'nou mast He'd 10 british beasts. aud men have lost
their season "
Let now take brief review orthe org,r,o,,.
IN support of thuse principles upon which 1 have
hhiuadveried. and which. in my hum Die Judgment.
are ho'iIle 10 The genius Of free government
Ihey mainian' that The eastern division Of the
sale possesses much the lar ger amount Of the prop
cry OF The COmmonw ealIh, boih in value and eI.
'eh,, ana mat properly ought TO be represented as
wei as population. The gst uf their argument in
i1or 81 their position is that property can only bs
SAFE under any form Of politics, whom the powers
OF he Government are in the hands of the prope-tv
holsters. This argument evidently denies the ca.
paNiliiy OF man for self government. IL implies d.
,ecy 'hot the people are not safe repository OF DO
li'ical power. and Il a majority Of the people can he
trusted with the admins raiicn ul public ufairs il
must be IN consequence ola want Of mental capaci.
yIOr moral honesty, her of which units them Cr
! NE high preroga' Rvs Of self government The 20.
S''on ans arguments OF our opponents precisely
'ho'e WI ! have been used IN Of age by branis
and desr0'E IN jus,fcao Of the slavery Of mankiu
Ihe iaci -, property is pcweifGl-t tends 90 give
fs Possessors an overwhelming weight ~ the body
polite, withoutc onfeung upon them an undue qua
ium OF political power liekevis All history aad
experience prove that she people have much more
10 lear from The OvershadowIng influence OF pSopcr.
~ Than properly has 10 appfehend fOm The people
Contemplate fora m1ment the unreasonnbieness o {
"ur eastern brethren. They cannot trust the Yves
tsfi people with the management Of their property
ana yet they eIPecf the western people 10 co ifde
TO their con troll their lives their ber rites add Cor.
tunes aud ell those rights, interests aud relations
WE'ch 9H,ci most Intimately the happiness Of man
DO eastern men value property more highly lhan
persnuS d. they weigh dollars and cents against
lhe drops Of blood "a a mans veinsf Do they CON.
pare lie ripping waller eOurse with the purpIe eur.
rene OF ihe. Do they estimate their farms more
highly than the theWs aud sinsSs Of the human bo
/ dy aud the aiin"st divine power uf the immoral
mnds Yes, sIr, "a the estimation Uf our opuoDeuts
ell these must sucCumb 20 the clods ofthe valley
u these are the doctrines Of Republican govern.
ment--ii these are The seutmeus of fsedom-l
would my friends would 90 10 Turkey, ia future. 10
study the geius Of free institutions OF 70 kneel hero
alter 81 h oOtsiou Of the auOcrai Of Russia, and
imb'be sabiimaied ideas Of liberty from this head.
| spring Of Democracy.
must protest sgaiusi the necessary inference C,o
The argument Of gentlemen. that wealth is necessary
/ 70 patriotism and Virtue The love Of cosnt,y 4,
I fnfr aHH IN h. Efsra arf4N L. -