M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-01-24
IS TcArlur, Iml Co, 0, Thursday Jan. a. 1856

| The Constitution Of the State provides
for its own amendment, and assigns to
the LcgisIotpr the duty Of proporing
such notifications as experience s6gges,
Changes in the Fundamental law should
ever be made with caution; but amend,
ments which commend themselves by
their intrinsic merits to the judge met
of the Legislature, and seem to be de-,
manded.also by general opinion among
1 the people, have a just claim to be sub
mitted to the inal'test Of popular iecis
ion at the polls,
II That the people are the source Of all
political power is the principle OF dem,
ocfbtic Institutions. To secure true
aud complete expression Of the popular
will must therefore be a leading object
in every system Of representative gov.
eminent. And this object canuOl be at
tanned unless representation be so DIP
por.ioned among the different parts Of
State as to give to- each its jus. weight
! in legislation aud administration. 1t is
obvious that there can be no complete
expression Of tie popular will unless the
a Representatives, brought intothe closest
4 possible relation of sympathy and res
N possibility with his constituents; and
that .hete can be no just spportonmen;
4 here the epresehtbtion Of one part Of
State is 50 Arranged as TO give TO its
delegation ia the Lr gisIature a gpeater
share Of poiIical Puwe' than is gwen TO
the delegation Of other parts OF equal
(; population. .r.
1t cannat well be denied that uni.
form system Of single distric's will best
secure proper choice Ct representa-.
lives, and their due responsibility to the
, people and fair distribution of polit.
ical power. ......
, Where one is chosen TO represent. one
ldistricl, there will necessarily be the
most careful scrutiny Of qusIiiicut on;
! ,hs least libILity TO dmisinlormtiOn aud
e mistake; the IN Isl yigilant observation
OF representative action; and the live
D lest sense OF repfeSe NATIVE response
\ bility, Where moe representa- lives
n than one are chosen from the same dis
+. ipct all these securities are sensibIy
D .ipparlcd. Opportunity is alfOred for
UHwarrsDiablr combination amung as
talmnts and their Paftiznans the penple
| tais d :ss He'd from informing the emsslyes
Thoroughly as 10 the character and
qualifications Of candidates; and the
sssisions Of the majortyof delegas.
. zion, CONFIRMED TO the interests Of par,
81, are apt to he substituted. as guides nj
d Representative Sctfon for the will OF
n ine constituency, determined By true
q regatd clor lbe.interssl Of Ihe-pe eoFls. =.
1t will hardly be insisted, that this
system has proved Satisfactory to the
people.
;, 1t is founded upon no consistent
prnciple, In much the largest part Of
ihs State il establishes Single districts,
while it creates dual and plural district
The remaining parts, For the choice
| of StGa tors, the whole State Is divided
, in TO siogIelistric,s except Ha milton
/ county, That county is made plural
district with three Senators.
, For the choice OF Represep tativss,
fifty counties are ARIA nged ss single dis
, tricts ol one or more counties each;
thirty counties are made Siugle dis.
tricts for some ,and dual districts for OF.
her representative terms: four ,counties
are constituted permanent dual dis
tricis; two counties are made sOmelim es
dual, aud sOme;im plural districts,
? and one -eonuty, Hamilton, is consl:tu.
; ted a permanent plural district, With
5 eight Representative for each of the
, first foul Re9fesesta:ive terms, and Sc
ven for the fifth
While thus defective ia principle,
the system fsis 10 commend ilself by its
pra ciital oPe.at ion,
Let large plural districts, be composed
Hamilton county, be com posed for exam.
rleswi'hMorrow couuty,a single distici.
Hamilton county has eight Representa-
ves,while Morrow county has, but one -
Eath eIector in Hamilton, therefore
votes for and is representen by each
delegate, Each eiector in Morrow
, votes lor and is represen ted by but one
Each electoT in hami llUu county maj
appeal, tsa cOpstituCBt, 10 eight dit
lerrnt mrmbeis of the House OF Repre-
teniati ISs. hi!e each elec!or III Morrow
county can appeal to one only. The
. eiettCr in Hamilton is thus preferred il
political consideration, 20 the elecicr /,
Morrow. The intQuality is aggrsva
ted by the reflection that the moIorit,
by which the eight Representative.
from hamilton are el lected may be les.
than that which elects the single Repre-.
sentative iGom Morrow.
Let the same plural di strict be com.
pared dlso. with nutn Der Of si3gle dis.
tricts' having the same ggregate repre-
seniauOn III Ih5 mUie numervus branch
oi ihe General Assembly. Hamilton
count! occupies the Sou:hwrstern part
OF The State. Fifteen connties, in the
NorIhwestern part OF the Stale, consti.
tuIulcs eight single districts. The Rep.
fssento.i,es OF ,hese districts, sc perate.
| 'y' elected and separately responsible
gre cfleu divldea. while the Represen.
tallre from Hamilton, elected together,
ana mpsIanesly irresponsible, act
lugs lher ana ~ concert. While, there
lose, in the cboire OF Senatut OF the
United States. aud uQsa many other
Questions, HamiIton coma ty. With her
undivided representation. VIII ha, e,prdc.
ucally eight votes the fifteen norihwes
tern counties. their repres sntauves be.