Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-03-25
nAsrs or RsPREsEsrArfy

discussing the DasiSOi fePieScna~"
deem it important to lay before our readers
the arguments on bah sides Of "the ques-
tion,D we have selected this week and shall
continue so to do, from time TO time, extrscts
from the most able speeches delivered upon
the subject in The Convention We begin
With Mr.. SHErrY, of augusta. upon the White
Basis. Mr., SHEFFY aid |:
| The doctrine that property ought TO have
power TO control government, cannot be said
to find its origin either in nature or in the o.
riginal institution Of society. But did}not
design to speak on these abstract quertions.
may refer to them tomorrow. My chief
purpose. however, is ts address to this COM
mittee arguments founded ON facts Taking
the principle, which gentlemen ON the other
SIDE win concede, thatif We. as people be
'omogenous, and possess identity ofinterests,
representation should be so based as to give
equal power to equal numbers of voters.
wish to show that We may safely and proper
| " adopt the suffrage basis. ! desire to
prove, BY the statistics that have been laid
before us, what will be the legitimate effect
| Of the principle that Representation should be
apportioned according = the number Of quail
lied voterssf / wish to satisfy my friend
from Fauquier (Mr. ScoE) that if this prin-
ciple be carried out--the principle Of equali
ity, not only in regard v suffrage. but repre-
sentation--his apprehensions Of danger are
wholly unfounded and that If there Is to be
any plundering-ifthereis to be any marau-
ding-if there is to be any foray from the
mountains down on the lowlands Gas in
former times was the case in Scotland, the
lowlanders themselves must invite the foray
---must open the way for the incursion.--
| And will eadeayor TO show that my friend
from Fauquier (Mr. Scott) has, in days gone
by, been heard sounding the bugle charge.
at the head Of the mountaineers, in their rush
to plumber the Treasury daughter
wish, also, to intimate to tide water, that she
has, perhaps, as much to fear from the Pied
mont district as from the Valley and the
West wish to show that. if expressions
are anticipated, they have already been in
aicted' and that If tide water has any right,
to complain Of burdens on its purse, those
complaints must be directed against the Pi-
edmontees as well as the Western men.
beg leave to give rapid sketch Of the
history of representation in this Common.
wealth; this history, l think, will establish
two facts--first, that the people of Virginia
as people, have never had an opportunity
to vote upon and determine for themselye.
the just principle Of representation and Sc.
cond, that property has never been recogni.
zed as an element in representation, excep,
in the case of the bill calling this convention
the precedents, SO far as they Co. being q.
gainst such doctrine.
There were twenty four Senatorial dis.
tricts named in the Constitution :. twent,
East and four West of the Blue Ridge; a!
nearly as we can judge, this was at the time
fair apportionment of representation &C.
cording to white population. But in l79(
each Eastern Senator represented 1919
and each Western Senator 81, 1913 white per
sons in 1900 the numbers were 1855
East and 1860 West; in 1910 there wer,
1894 East, and SO, lSl West; in 1915 il
was estimated that the four Western Sena
tors represented two ffths Of the white pop
ulation of the State. These development.
aroused the West, and they began to vex th,
ears vi lL6StClu uCu sWito tuclI Cl6Ul0T6 IO
equal representation.
Then, as now, the demand for equal rep.
reseutation was regarded as selfish clamol
for power on account of its emoluments, ant
not as the assertion Of a right to the loss o
which freemen cannot tamely submit. II
this reluctance to give up the power the Eas
had been wont to WELD, and to certain o.
pinion given by constitutional lawyers, tn,
bill was rejected That opinion was, tina
the constitution having defined the limits o
the Senatorial districts, the General Assem-
bly, could not alter them. This repulse ere.
ated profound excitement in the West, ant
led to the great convention at Staunton il
1916. That convention preferred petition
to the General Assembly, praying for th,
call of convention to equalize representa-
ton, and for other purposes.
| Accordingly, to avoid the imminent peri
of convention, a bill was prepared and PAS
sed, February, 1917, re-apportioning repre-
sentation in the Senate on the basis of whit,
population and for re- assessing the lands.--
Nine Senators were given to the West, eacl
representing 1886 white persons. and IF
teen to the East. each representing 22,5S!
white persons as near an approximation t,
justice as could have been expected.
And now, what in such society as hav,
referred to, would be the rule Of decision il
matters of common concern? answer, tn
will of the majority-that in my opinion i
the natural law Of every body which ha
adopted no other and no other can be adop
ted except by universal consent or by the vii
Of a majority. 1t would require most cogen
arguments to prove that by universal consen
the members of society had agreed that
minority should govern the majority; and i
it is argued that rule differing from that o
the majority has beer established in certain
cases, by the consent Of the majority, tn,
very exceptions prove the rule to be as 1 hav,
indicated. In our State and Federal Con.
stitutions IL Is no where said that q maiorit,
may do certain acts !: that rule is not in tn,
lee scripta but belongs, to the unwritten
common, may I not say u natural law of as
ISOLATED bodies.
Iconcede that property may be impcrilled
FIRST. by attacking the right to hold it.; sec.
ond, by excessive taxation so as to impair
its value in the hands Of all who hold il; and
| third nv diacr;us nm tsous T., 1~y:r~ k.-.c =,