The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-01-24

oppWtuHlt1 is Az 'TueQ Tor unWdfrAnLa-
bic combination among aspirant> and their
p rtizans; the people are disabled from
informing them>e YES thoroughly as to
the charac ,cr ani qualifications of candi-
dates; and the decisions of the M ajority of
n delegation, coniormed TO the interests
of par are apt to be substituted, AS guides
OF repres naIve action, for the will of
the constituency, determined 10y. true
regard Tor the intcre is of the people.
La the Convention which framed our
present s'Laie Const ution, the subject of
representa-. i'm WAS much discussed. By
many ot the most enlightened and most
resp cted members of that body. of all
pnh ical par les, the division OF the State
mto single districts for the choice OF Sena.
tors ani Representatives was earnestly
detended ani >treT la>ly urged. A ma
/ llty OF The Con. non. however, prefer
red and adopted the existing system.
q 1t will hardly be insisted, that this
system has proved satisfactory to the
peupl+. aa
1t is founded upon no consistent princi-
pie. In much the largest part Of the
State it establishes single districts while
1t creates dual and plural districts in the
remaining paris. For the choice of Sena-
tors, the whole State is divided into single
districts except Hamilton county. That
conn y is made a plural district, with
Senators. For the choice of Representa-
tlves, fifty counties are arranged as single
| istrcis Of one or more counties each;
thirty counties are made single district S
lor some, and dual districts for other rep
re>entatIve terms; four counties are con-
>titu;ed permanent dual districts; two
coun:ies are made sometimes dual; and
sometimes plural districts; and one coun-
ty. Fl lmliton, is constituted a permanent
pllral dl>trict, with eight Representatives
for each OF the first four Representative
'ermS, and seven for the fifth.
While thus defective IN principle, the
system fails t" commend its Ii oy lis prac-
tic.l operation. -.a-.
Let the largest plural district, Hamil-
ION county, be compated Tor example,
with Morrow county, a sngle district
Hamilton county has eight Repre- en- a
ilves, while orrow county has but one.
Each eiector in Hamilton. t ereiore, votes
for and is represented by eight delegates.
Each elector in Morrow votes for and is
r. presented by bat one. Each eiector in
Hamilton coun,y may appeal as a consti-
tu nt to eight dltfer,n members of the
tiou<e OF -prcsentatives. wnIlc each e.
lector in Morrow county can appeal 10 one
only. The cleo or IN tiamliton is thus
preferred in political con n~iJrralion. to the
eleetor in Morrow. The inequality is ag
yravatcd 10y the reflection that the m, jori-
ly by which lheei5ntR presentativesIrom
Hamilton are elrc ed may be less than
that which Fl CTS the single Representa-
live from Morrow.
Let the same plural dis rcs be com
pared also, with Il number of sin sle DIS
trlcls, having the same aggregate repre-
>enta'l n In th.. more numerous bra ch of
the 6 neral Assembly. II milton county
occupies the Southwestern part of the
State. Fifteen Counties, IN the North
We tern part OF the State, constitute eight
sin. e districts. Tue Representatives OF
these districts, separately elected aud rr,
>pon>ibe. are often divided; while the
K pre>en;atives from Hamilton, elected
together, Al comparatively irresponsible
act together AMI in concert. While, there
fore. ia the ct..ice of Senator of the u
nj ed States, AMI upon many other ques-
lions, Htmlfun couney, with her undvi
Ied representation, will have, practically
eight votes, the II teen north western coun-
lies. their represrn' atives being equally
divided. may have practically, none.
For the sake Of persplcuity. limit this
omparlson to, the arrangement of the
RI presrntive Districts. Your Reflections
will extend it to the arrangement of Dis
tricts for the choice Of Senators
1t hardly needs % be remarked that the
existing system. while thus unjust to the
counties arranged in single districts, is
pr judicial to the interests, of the more
populous counties themselves It's neces,
sary tendency is to excite jealousies in
porli ms of The State against other portions
which must prove hurtful. 1t fails, also,
o secure, in The plural districts, salts
factory representation of the various in
erests and sentiments of the people. In
the cou Iy OF Hamilton for example, the
political minority, however considerable
and respect bic. can have no, adequate
representa- ion. Townships and Wards,
with popuI ttions which, with system of
single dis rlcls, would entitle them to sep
arale representatives., are liable 20 have
their pa.ticuIar interests and views over
looked AMI disregarled under the press
ure of political cxigencies. Constituents
cam tw II know their representatives, and
representatives are abSulvcd, in great
measure, from the r in iividual responsible
tiles to their cons i'ucnrs. The demands
of the people. under such circumstances.
will necessarily be subordinated TO the de
manIs of polilc organic llions and the
public good must . ten yield to party ne
ceSSititS.
That Il system of single districts will
prove an ab>o e remedy for all these po
ltical evils, no one. perhaps, will venture
to expect. am fully persuaded, howev
er, that i, woul secure a much more per
feet popular representation than we have
at present and therefore recommend
that an amendment to the Constitution
providing such Il system. be submitted 70
the people for their adoption or rtjec
ton.
While the true principles Of popular
government thus require the most com
plete ani perfect representation of the peo
pie which is attrinable, they require also,
and no less imprra lively. rrqlrnt meet
ing Of T. e representative Legislature. for
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