Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-05-06
For the Enquirer.
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VIZ -. a., S,,r d.rtcnM~rm i|'"'''y, ami Tie P06H'

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u,,. yru he other incidental and yet important
,,rtts 10 the society. growing out oi the Adoption ut
I'm, representative system. Since the time when the
snriorv frat attained high position, aud excited the
rrrn and abiding int crest Of the community aud M
tracted crowds os visitors TO the annual meetings aud
fairs the public interest and excitement have been OF
periodical growth aud temporary animation. Tho
tim. Of excitement has been for but few weeks pre-
re,liug. and through The continuance of each annual
fair. Afterwards for some ten months Or longer ev-
cry thing still, or dorlnant-and, to the public
view, there scarcely any visible sign ut life in
the society, except in tile continued and arduou5,
thnu.h quis aud silent iabnrs of the Executive Com
mttee, scarcely noticed by the public by the
cety at large. In all these long Intervals or vara
tiuus nothing done for the scce,ys obicrts other
than in the routine duties performed By the Executive
Committeeman nothing for the increase of the
bcrs or of the strength of the society. In these much
the largest portions Of each Year there WAS rnrey
new member added To the number. or new conlribu'
ZION TO the funds o the society Now, there is every
reason to anticipate TINT these long continued times
of iuacton and cthargy, will DO animated by more or
less of new interest and useful excitement. The ne
cessary enumeration and publication of the members
Names with the objects thereof the arrangement aud
designating OF electoral dIsrics-thu action Of the
electoral conmis,ioners--a will arouse and keep
awake the public interest in the society. In every
county, of which the present number Ut members APP
proachrs, but falls short of fifty, 1.-THE number
required TO constitute one electoral district, and
10 send representative We may expect
that there will be eiTnrts made to reach that
Number, previous To the arranging of the dis
:ics. Sumo nf the larger towns, and many nt
our most public.spirited counties, have already
enough members &c constitute each rs a separate
electoral district sending severay, from one to 1--WE
representatives, aud the City Of Richmond fifteen
representatives. Most of these towns aud counties
which may have a large fraction of numbers sur
plus, each will endeavor to make that fraction grow
to 100 VOTES, to send another representative 10
the Farmers Assembly Even in the thirty or more
counties which have not yet furnished II ssle mem
Der to the society may be supposed that thi, gem
eral movement will not he without some stimulating
and beneficial elect. ,
Further-when these motives shall have operated
as much rs may be, to increase the number oil eec-
tural Districts there will arise other Inducements 10
add still more to the number of individual members
In every district where there more than enc can
didate for the Farmers Assembly, the friends Z" eac
one will be anxuus recruit aids 10 their ranks and
their efforts In this way, many persons VINO "ther
wise would have done nothing Tor Inc society, VIII
b.. induced TO become members, anu mus 10 au lhe
cause of agriculture though prompted al hrst mere
IL by the wish 10 give vote III HI interesting eiecto.
Tins bub good and selfish motives wall concur III
adding 10 the numbers aud fund. VI the society," and
in increasing the public interest in its proceedings
and objects
MANY persons who entirely approve the design and
the desired action of the representative system, still
are fearful that the machinery required, will be too
complicated Ia work well. Others think that there
will be not enough interest felt by The members
of the society, 10 make them attend the cleo.
tions in their respective counties. l have al
ready offered sG ien reaSOuS, i'll the existence OF
naw and strong Interests which, ii alone operating.
will cause the elections Ia be held and usually Ia be
we'll attended,. But suppose the contrary, aud To the
greatest extent that any one can conceive possible
The elections to DO held on iul previous nn,ice,
at the county Court House, anl on stated Court
day With all these facilities. suppose, III county
having fifty members only five should attend end
VOC in the election. These few attendants will, at
least be- among, if not the most publcspirIied, zeal
ous active and useuLlenbers OF that county. They
tor any smaller number will elect delegate to the
Farmers Assembly. They will scarcely fail to select
a respectable and proper man for the place. Their
naglcctful ana absent fcllow.lnenberj whether ap.
proving the selection not will have no ground for
COMPLIANT. The county, even III this very mprOba-
bic case. will be represented, and probably more fully
and efficiently than could have been the case, ii any
supppsable number Of members OF that county should
have appeared i'll person. and nude part u the mass
meetings Of latter years, under the former system
n but the supposed five Jealous members only nj.
tended such MASS meeting, their few votes would
have been powerless among themselves, furnished
mainly from SINAI! portion Of the State. This would
have been the case necessarily, even II every indi-
v:Gual vote had had its due weight But, in the az
iuai case, and unavoidable procedure Of the mass
meetings. in latter years even If htty instead ot five
members from county had at;en,ed, their voices
and wishes would have been equally and totally with
ont power and weight because deliberate discussion,
election a:Il even designed action Of any KIND, were
all inp-sibl 10 br directed attained, in
bly, too for deliberate discussion or voting.
1t is much more probable than the extreme cases
OF neglect supposed, that the elections VIII generally
be well attended, at least in all the counties aud
towns, each OF winch wall constitute separate cleo
ton s,rct. Ii IL true that there may be failures to
attend IL: U the counties III which there are bur
very few members, and none of them very Jealous for
the objects of the society. Even IN such repre-
sen,atiy. Ior the district will be elected by the oiher
nearest c"mnlies having the sectional int rests
with the failing vote. And even II /. possibly
occur, that III every county OF widely extended cleo
tural district there shoul! bn failure To vote for u
representative, later election will be he'll tor such
d strict by the members present Oh the Far Grounds
Thus, even supp0sDg the worst ior such ihliures 10
attend ut ard 10 make elections IN the Counties the
deficiencies will bc but of limited extent and easy TO
be- repaired, and OF no practical disadvantage II action
aud results. even il moi repaired.
Evil and even disastTous results have bceu pre-
Licte by some perhpDs, from the system oil represent
tG,on, on other grounds. IL hes been alleged, that
when the miernbr OF the society ARE not empowered
to vote individually in the election Of officers and i'll
the euactmeuts of the sUclcty-or, III Other Torda
when longer acting III ano-inee'inSs, Id eject or
to enact, 10 debate on elections and enaGtments-
thai all interest of the private members III me meet
jncs and proceedings OF the society will cease that
the annual meetings and fairs will No longer attract
Visitors Snd the whole o: the former value OF the pro-
cedure will DC lost. In reply III this opinion, Ask
OF every man, Tb3 is a useful or worthy niembri
0: the society, Of every one whose presence
is desirable und not disadvantage 10 our
cause and ia5ors, iii not even GGsancc III TIE
metGgs,) whether lie has aiicudcG ti' anuHi lars
aud meetings ot the society tor the qualification C ~"
ting in election; 6 enactnris, or tor other purpose
al benefits Small RDQ poor indeed Ia e Dccu iht
benefits and privileges 10 nc,;;5ers uf voting individu
ally the last two years; aud ns snil and poor would
they BIZ, all future time, il continued forraaSons and
facts already stated, the privilege ut Vriu5 ma Dc
come merely unmiua and the power which that pr
y..c ought tn have maintained 10 individual In;In
h.s sh especially 10 those of all remote localities
had bccnI,c nu!lIty. Ana while 1t HAD ceased to he
possible properly lcE~lac ar t" elect III thcs,: IN et
ings, tue VAIN attempts 3" IT, net produced and man
tanned merely disur.!erly aa: Cooperative dcbates
leadii,. to no fair just conclusion Vi good eud.-
These futile and fruiIiess debates aud their nIideni2
drub!. 81 afforded amusement 10 many OF the specta
turs aud promoters of disorder. But most If not all
o; such persons were boys and other lntrudcrs from
the streets ue E;rhuIond Few members of the
~ could have witnessed these SCENES without regret
aud sorrow, who will deem such powers and such
procedure as constituting til. esDecal great privilege
qualification and beueft which would most operate to
attract members 10 attend the general meetings.
The yielding the legislative and electoral puwera c
the former mass meetings OF the society tn repre-
sentative body, yields only theoretical powers, which
could not pusslbiy be practically exercised, and
never. failing source OF disorder and dlscord
which, if not prevented, you'd have ruined the
society and frustrated all liz ot;ccts. After re.
nurncing the exercise Of these unavailable priv.
leges and huriful rights con!erring power to be eT
errscd for evil oniy,l there will still remain to these
annual meetings. Of the society every attraction that
ever hud bcfrrc existed and tn which may be added
every other beneI. of greet aescmbiages of the besi
possible materials All the charms and benefits OF
uur earlier meetings will remain, and 20 more to be OBJ
scured or driven off by Introducing causes Of dlssen
sion and disorder. The meetings will he still re-
snf oil ma cd n.