Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-06-23
For the Eastern Times
The State Convention.

Nomination TO office, has, under party
usage enforced by party discipline, assumed
the force of an election. 1t has to an alarm
ing extent converted the constitutional duty
of the citizen to resort to the polls and exer-
else the right Of suffrage, into a matter of
mere ceremony The caucus and the conven-
ton gotten up not always with due regard to
the rights Of the citizen the spirit of our in
situations, and but too often packed for SIMS
ter purposes, have in a fearful degree assumed
the reins of government. They will ere long,
unless properly controlled and duly regulated,
extinguish whatever of vitality remains to our
Constitution.
1t stands us in hand, then, would we MAIN
tain our equal rights as citizens, and make
ours a government ofthe people and not of the
few, to see that the nominating power, in
whatever form vested, be the fair exponent of
the wishes of the people. Any nominating
convention or body, majority of whose mem
bers shall represent less than majority of the
whole people interested in the nomination,
must be vitiated in character and subversive
of every principle Of true democracy
In the selection Of State officers, every citi-
zen has an interest, and an equal right to be
consulted Every section of the State should
therefore be represented, in a convention as
sembled for such purpose, in just proportion
to its population, if men, and not mere corpo-
rate territory, be the government. A conven-
ton based equally upon the population would
meet this requirement. Based upon the vote
of the dominant party, it will meet it just in
proportion as that vote may, in the several
subdivisions of the State, respectively bear an
equal ratio to the population of such subdivi-
sions.
Does the democratic vote of the several coun-
ties of this State bear an equal ratio to their
respective population If not, then State
Convention apportioned to that vote must de-
part from equality of representation and vio-
late the equal rights of our citizens. The on
ly defence for apportioning such convention to
party vote, is, that such vote is equally dis
tributed amongst the population of the several
sections of the State, and will therefore rep
resent the whole people. Any other SUPPOSE
ton or defence must assume that majority
may of right rule for its own exclusive bene-
fit, or that portion Of the State through a
majority, however obtained, may rule the
whole without regard to the rights of the
minority.
The Convention which met at Portland in
I849, for the nomination Of Governor, decided
that the next Convention should be appor-
toned to the democratic vote of the State
This was the strongest ground that could pos
sibly be then taken, as supposed consistently
with any regard to right. The State Com
mittee, appointed by that very Convention to
carry out their views, have seen fit to depart
from that rule and to adopt one of their own.
Upon what authority have they done SO L
Have they made the apportionment more equal
and just This might, if so, afford some
apology for the procedure If not by what
principle have they been governedl The fol-
lowing tabular view will show what their ap-
portionment is-others must Judge what the
principle and governing motive