Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-04-25

! five counties, and they might be considered as
exceptions to the general rule. Under the
next census, in all probability these five coun
} ties would be relieved from this seeming hard
} ship, and it would fall upon others who feel il
; not under the present census, and in this way
the "hard cases" as they are called, would al.
ways be changing whenever new census was
taken. OF the fifteen large counties, the great
est difference existed between the counties OF
Boone and Monroe. Boone has population Of
l0,998; Monroe 1877. The variation is near
ly fifty per cent. Here was the plan of pre-
senlaton he had supported, in full form before
them. lie knew it had some defects /; every
thing human had lis mperlections He be-
iieved however, taken as a whole, that no plan
could be presented with fewer defects. 1t
would be seen that the whole number Of repre-
sentatives would be one hundred. The egh>
teen members from The thirty eight smallest
counties, would average a population TO each
member Of 4,322. The fortytwo members
from that number of the next smallest size
counties would average 1856. The thirty
one members from the largest class OF coun>
ties would average 1897, and the members
from ST. Louis 4,72o. The ratio is 1869. 1t
would DE seen that the small coun,es-,he
',cogscalp" counties, as some gentlemen sneer>
| lngly denomnate them, out compared the large
and populous counties, and still he was to be
| told that he had wronged Old Howard. l, was
false and the facts and figures proved i, to be
SO. He had voted for a system which gave
Howard two members, and Charlton one.--
Could either Of them honestly ask more Look
at the facts as they stand. The ratio was t.
800. Howard has o,235. Into this number
the ratio goes twice according to his arilhme,
~ Il:
could only make the ratio 60 once, but if his
information was correct, there were some gen
tlemen in Charlton county, that could make it
60 twice. For his part he could not.
But, say some gentlemen, why have three>
flths or two.thrds Of a man about the matter
at all? Why no. use whole men? II had al
ready said that the two-thrds pincipe benefited
the large as we'll as the small counties, and
about in an equal proportion. Examine the
tables and it would be found tina! it was only by
the ;wo-,hrds principle that the counties Of
Cooper, Franklin, Green, Jackson, Marion,
Monroe, Ray and Saint Charles, got two mem
bers each. But III order to satisfy those gem
tlemen who scorned the use Of any thing bu,
,rhole men, he had prepared some tables for
their especial benefit, which he would presently
read to his audience; and he would take 1t up
on himself 10 d" show up some of the beauties,
the excellencies, and bes. of ALL the equity and
Justice Of this ,chole man scheme He would do
this too, by comparison, Cor he held that TO be
the best rule Of reasoning. Those who oppos.
ed the two"thirds system say, "gipe US ,rh0le
numbers-away avih your tractionS--gire the
old counties justice" This whole number sys>
tenn with all its beauties had been presented to
the convention, and had been duly considered
1t had been offered by Mr.. Stone Of Boone a
man who honestly believed al the time he offered
il. that i. was the only fair system, but who he
believed afterwards became convinced that it
was not the thing he had taken it TO be. 1t
would be found on page 10 Of the journals o.
the convention and was in the following words
"Sec. 6. In making an apportionmenI under
this constitution, the ratio shall be ascertaned
by dividing the whole number OF free white in
habllan;s in the state by one hundred. Coun-
lies having TIE ratio, shall elect one represen.
tatlve ; counties having twice the ratio, shall
eject two representatives; and so on, in Inc same
manner. Counties having less than the ratio,
shall be put into compact districts, to make the
ratio; and such districts shall elect one repre-
sentative. And when a county having less than
the ratio, connot be put into compact district
with some other county or counties having less
than the ratio, such county shall be added 10
some adjoining county having more than the
ratio; and The district thus formed shall, elect
many members as it will be entitled 10 under
the ratio" This is the system which some Of
the learned men OF Howard, say he should have
supported. II is according to their notions,
the only fair system, and some Of them say, the
only honest one. WE'LL he was willing 10 adj
nit that it looked fair. In theory it might be
fair; in practice, it you'd be erery thing but fair;
and he would prove il by the facts and figures
He cared not for all the theory in the world !;
the practical effect Of the thing, was what he
was after. Now, he admitted, that |, seemed
altogether equitable and just 10 say, that coun-
ty having 1000, should have one member
county having 5000, two members ; a county
having l2 900, three members and so on with
an additional member for each increase of the
ratio; and it pould be fair, prorided, tho county
was Distracted and each member elected from
single district. But 10 proceed upon this prin'
cpe Of regular ari,hmelical progression, and
then permit the popuIous counties 10 vote by
the general ticket system, he held 10 be most
unjus, and unequal, and he would now read his
tables 10 prove il. That he might not be charg>
ed with selecting counties, and making case
for tho occasion, he would take the first lour>
teen counties in their regular alphabetical order,
that were entitled, under this fair rule, TO one
member each, and he would then take the only
seven counties in the state that would, under
this same rule, DO entitled 10 two members each,
and would compare them The first fourteen
counties, arc the following
Benton 5,ll4 Jackson 8,O66
Charlton ,905 Jefferson 4,804
| Clay 1865 Johnson $3.50
Colo 4,446 Lafayette 6,65i
Cooper 6,446 Lincoln 6,54i