Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-06-18


Of l34 members (the present number would
be 50 diminished, upon the proposed basis, as
10 deprive it Of one Of its Delegates, or 70 at
tach it, in the apportionmenL 10 one Of the adj
jacent Counties
a. Regarding the general dila2idaiion Of the
State, some are apt 10 lose sight Of thai which,
as we think, is the source Of the evil. 1t IS an
Institution, which consumes the yitals Of the
State. Wherever IN any portion oil the I'M
ion. that dead organ has been eradicated, or is
not found, that region is bounding on in the
career Of prosperity. We do not understand
that il is proposed TO renew the efforts, made
twelve or fifteen years ago, 10 rid the Com
monwealth Of this rnalady. The advocates of
a Convention do not assume to effect that re-
form Ii is not part Of the plan--although we
are not unapprlsed, that, under the new order
of things, which would be eDgendered, many
secretly indulge the hope Of accomplishing
this all-important object, by hostile measures
Of Legislation, which have no precedent and
no sanction in the usages of any well ordered
system Of administration
Having, thus, merely adyerted 10 these top
les, we proceed to consider
L. What is the true legitimate basis Of Rsp-
reseniation
1t may, with entire confidence, be asserted,
f
that ii belongs to the very nature of Govern
ment, and connects Itself with the very torfna-
ton Of Society, 10 furnish adequate protection
10 property, as well as p provide, by means OF
such an organization, Tor the more sure and
successful prosecution Of the labors Of life, and
the attainment Of social happiness. The pfin-
ciple springs from the necessity Of guarding
the properly Of the weak from the cupidity of
the strong--that vice being an elefnen: OF man s
composition, in his collective as well as his
individual capacity. and the history of all ma
tons furnishing melancholy examples of its
indulgence, in defiance, even, of the restraints
Of Constitutions and laws. This proposition
we need not dwell upon. 1t addresses itself,
we are sure, TO every rghtihinking and sound
hearted man, as ,ntaaS,cerabte. We say I'M
answerable, because those refnements, which
soar in the clouds of abstraction, those argu-
ments which appeal TO bad impulses and pre-
iudices, and those dogmas and words Of cant,
which men, mischieyously, juggle with, can
not shake it from lis solid foundation.
Hence we look IN vain in the original Con-
stimtions of States, in like situation with our
own, and into the Constitution OF the Federal
Government, for any asserted principle or EN-
bodied provision at war with it. The Virgin
ia Declaration OF rights, where Containing,
however, as II does, high and noble political
truths) il might be supposed, such cruddy
would be found, contains nothing to sustain
the position, that property should not constl-
tute.t some extent, basis of Representation.
That there may be no mistake upon this point,
we quote from it that portion, which, alone,
bears upon the proposition
-"And that, when any Government shall
be found inadequate or contrary TO these pur-
poses, a majority of the community hath an
mdubllable, inaenabe, and ndeleasible right
to reform, alter or abolish 1t, in such manner,
as shall be judged most conducive to the pub
lie veal"
The clause, of which this Is part, declares
with some modification, the old principle,
which sanctiGes revolution-that a majority
hath right TO change their form OF Polity,
when it becomes subyersive ofthe purposes OF
Government II does not however, announce,
that it is the only just prlneiple--the Republi-
can priaeipie-that, in the disposition OF the
powers ola Government, the maj6riiy should
always retain the control in the Legislative
conduct ofafialrs. !; Is, on the contrary, OF
the very essence of the idea of the right of the
majority to alter, abolish and prescribe rules
and FORMS that il should be at liberty to depoS-
1t power, where, in IT'S discretion, it may think
Gt-even with the Minority if they find suili
cient reason to do SO, as is 10 fact the case noir,
by the act Of The People, IN The adoption q the
amended Constitution IN 1880.
Thegeneral principle, thatregard should had
toproperty, IN the arrangement of the Repre-
seniahon, il is true, is not entirely without eX-
cepaon There can be no principle of uniyer-
50 application to the infinitely varied and vary
inc circumstances and interests of societies.
If, for example, the City of Baltimore posses
sed property ofmore value than the entire resi-
DUE Of the State OF MARYLAND on u larger mint
bcrCf Inhabitants, il would strike any one as
absurd that it should control the Legislation OF
the State. Other cases will, readily, occur to
any man of reflection.
Taking these propositions for our guide, lei
US consider this case.
Eastern and Western Virginia, for all purposes
Of this examination, we repeat, may be assn
med 10 contain an equal number of white IN
hablnnts-the number in the two Eastern Dis
tlcte being 369, 598, and in the two Western
81 40, by the census of 1910,
In $50, the assessed calue Of lands IN Eas-
tern Virginia was Sl29, 756, 25i-in Western
Virginia ISL ,21S, 103.
In 1870 Eastern Virginia paid, of the entire
State Revenue Si26,554.95. Western Virgin
Ia paid SleS, 0926S.
The crcess ofthe value orlands in the East,
IN 1870, was thus foriy-eigh million four hun
tired and screlty-serea thousand eight han
dred and forty eight dollars. The ercess oil
State Revenue in the same year, paid by the
East, was S23S, 452,27.
Such being the dIsproportion of property,
and population being equal, il may well be
asked, with profound astonishment, tchy should
the Hest hare the PREpoMINAScE? We may
challenge an answer TO this question. We do
not assume. that power should be in proper
ton TO property alone, nor that ii should be ab-
'otdciy upon the basis Of property and mem
bers, Such was not the basis, adopted in the
amended Constitution. fit had been, taking
the statistics of 1890, in respect TO num-
berS Uli the amount Of State Revenue, derived
from every species of property the East would
have been entitled to IS delegates, out OF the
l3i, and the West to 46-whereas the East
has only, rs and the West Sc Indeed, some
diRAUiioa, in the House and Senate, Of the
reidire strength Of the East and West would
perhaps, not be Objectionable The danger,
howeyer,s that, ifa Convention be held, the
CONTROL will De taken from the East. We are
told Of guarantees to protect the property OF the
East Can any be provided2 The only. guarantee
Is u be found in a reservation TO the East OF the
poirer in one OF the other branches of the As
senbyy, or in both. The West does not, Of
~. III ON,