Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-07-04

9 Is 1865
10 Is 10
1t will be seen that the constitutional rule will
work with peculiar injustice against the fourth
cless OF counties, as we'll as against the largest.
deprving them, respectively, Of one third OF their
legitimate strength in the Legislature. The rule
bears, also, with enormous injustice, on many in
the second class Of counties.
The foregoing tables and observations are suf.
c;ent TO illustrate the outrageous character Of the
permanent rule Of apportionment embodied in the
new Constitution. Although the calculations are
based on the present population OF the State and
counties referred to, the injustice cannot be re-.
moved by any change in the amount Of popua
ton, but will only be shifted from the people Of
one county to those OF another. The outrage,
however, goes even further
The new Constitution provides for the separa.
ton Of cities from the other parts Of the county
in which they are situated, and for the division
Of said cities into single election districts. The
single district system is applied only to large cit
les, and not to the large counties. Thus the
weight Of the city population is impaired
The new Constitution provides. also. that coun.
ties having less than threefif Of the ratio quo
tient) --that is less than 1851 white nhabianis--
shall be united nto districts containing two>thrds
W VIC ioho \fuSsiCupJ Ni1s OsoA@, obo CoCu VI
said districts shall have one representative. By
this arrangement the smaller counties will re-.
ceive one third more than their due weight, with.
Eout reckoning the fractions thus saved. The
small counties formed into districts. in the Seized.
ule. are generally sparsely populated county
and a new county carved out OF it at the last SEES.
sion Of The Legislature: thus, Wright and Texas
counties, having population Of about 8, 622, form
ne district, and will have representative; Rip.
ley and Oregon together will have one representa-.
tive for about 1866 inhabitants. So with other
districts.
There is still another source Of inequality. 1t
provides that when any county having less than
three ilhs of said ratio (quotient) shall not be
contiguous 10 any other county with less than three
ilhs thereof, such county shall, nevertheless,
be entitled to one representative" This provis.
ion takes no account OF population whatever. A
representative will be given, under this feature
to a county, not having 1000 inhabitants; thus
placing it on level in political power with
another county having 1000 inhabitants. Not.
withstandng the provision thus made for giving
10 one man in some new counties the same
political weight with seven in large county, it
is graveiy urged that the new constitution approx
iInales nearly to equal representation One, it
is commended, is equal to seven in some cases, to
five in Others 10 three in others, and to two in
others! There should be no further efforts to
humbug the people on this point.
As we have no means Of estimating the popu
lation Of the new counties, we are unable to give
the population OF those which. under the provis.
ion last examined, will probably receive one
representative each. II we had such list. we
could show the practical operation of the last
named clause, or the probable operation. by ex.
aiming what the Convention did on the subject
We have the population Of CALDWELL q .470) which
is given one representative by the Convention,
and that county is not Of those newly organized.
In the Schedule. the rule OF spportonment
as laid down in the body Of the Constitution, has
not been followed; and hence those who look
only to the Schedule are apt to be deceived. In
the Schedule, Clay county is allowed two repre-.
sentatives, for instance, whilst by the rule il is
entitled to only one; for no provision is made
for heavy surplus fractions in large counties. If
the constitution be ratified, the Legislature will
have no dscrelion-it must apply mathematical
that il county fall short Of the required number
only one inhabitant, it must lose the additional
We have proceeded far enough to give our
readers some idea OF the outrageous provisions
VI 'h's NC" VI CANT law IL proposes 10 IamPle
upon the basis Of popular rghts-to give the min
GRITTY the power to govern the majority--to meas
ure frseman's political power by the county
in which he resides--to make man in one
county politically the equal OF two and in some
cases, OF even seven in other counties-in
word, to establish in Missouri Government,
denying in its very frame work, the principle that
sail men are free and EQUAL" Ii was an easy
matter to equalze representation, as it is equalized
in most other States in the Union. Each county
should have been given a representation in pro.
portion 10 its population; said representation to
have been adjusted according to an equal rule.
II it were advisable and right, as we admit, to
provide for large fractions. floats might have been
allowed. In this way Democratic Govern.
ment would have been formed. The proposed
constitution is at war with the first element OF
Dsmocracy-the chief principle Of representative
governments. ".he sovereignty Of the people"