Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1862-02-05
+. CESSNA VS. G. W. HOUSEHOLDER
From the Somerset Herald and Whie

J. CESSNA VS. G. W. HOUSEHOLDER.
From the Somerset Herald and Whig.
On January 10th the select committee of
the House, chosen to try the case of Cessna
vs.. Householder, reported adversely to the
latter, and accordingly Mr.. Cessna was sworn
as a member and admitted to "a seat.
IL we rightly apprebend the argument of Mr..
Cessna his claim was based on the position,
that Bedford county having been entitled TO a
single representation under the Constitution
of 1890. she never can thereafter be deprived
of it, or in his own language, "that this right
GO OF separate representation should remain
&c with the county, without any regard to any
" change that might be made in the erient Of
SO its territory, the number of its f7lhabi-
sc tants." Further, Mr.. Cessna argues that
not only the twenty-one counties, existing
at the time of the adoption of the Consttu-
tion of 1890 were ever thereafter entitled to a
separate represention, without regard to the
extent OF their territory or number of their in
habitants, but that sEevery new county there
ts after erected, on attaining the then existing
&c ratio of population, and thus acquiring the
50 right of separate representation can never
&c thereafter be deprived OF it, notwithstanding
she may retrogade ever after, in the same pro.
portion as the votes emitting her to separate
representation may be increasing. And again
he contended that the right of representation
was ssGtdched 10 the corporot or franchise and
+.
Cessna was entitled to the seat, the committee
directly affirmed his positions, and decided
them to be the law of this Comm onwealtb
thereby declaring that the sold rotten borough
system" of Great Britain is a Constitutional
institution of this State-that equality of rep
resentation is unknown to our Constitution
that one hundred or a less number of citizens
of Bedford or any of the original twenty one
counties, are equal-(in point of representa-
tloD)-to i've Thousand or more citizens of this
or any other county-and that it is the county
corporation or franchise-and not the people
that is invested with the right of representa-
ton. Is not this monstrous2 Will it be be-
lieyed that the trainers of our Constitution
either the first or last, ever contemplated, or
intended, TO introduce into our State, that
most oppressive and unjust relic of a corrupt
aristocracy; that condemned ,derided and fout-
ed, by democrats all the world over, srotten
borough system" OF England Will it be be-
lieved that they were false to our much vaun-
ted system of ssequality of taxation and rep
resentation 2" VIII it be believed that they
intended to invest mere fgment of legisla-
tive creation, instead of ssthe SOUereigR peOpIe"
with the right of representation And final
ly, will it be believed that they, in determin-
ing that the House should be composed of not
more than one hundred members, and arrang-
ing for the ratio of representation, con templa-
ted following Mr.. CesSna's argument, and
the decision of this committee to its legImate
end) that when hundred counties had
once legtimately attained the right of sepa-
rate representation, and cannot thereafter be
deprived of it. that the residue of the State
must go unrepresented And yet such is the
solemn decision of our iap makers at Harris
burg.
A word as to the contestants. Mr.. Cessna
came before the voters of Bedford and Somer-
set as a democrt par excellent, breathing
nothing but devotion to his country ,and an anx-
ious desire to see all her laws and institutions
sustained unimpaired. The people preferredMr.
Householder and so decided through the ballot
box, although many Republicans crediting Mr..
Cessna's professions, cast their sutfrages for
him. Defeated by the people, Mr.. Cessna
set at naught the very first principle of de-
that a majority shall rule. He for
gets his devotion to the fixed institutions of
his country, and falsifies all his professions by
perverting the Constitution of his native
State, and having solicited the sufrages of
the people of both counties, and been denied
by majority of them, he, by a quibblc, now
holds seat which they had declared another
more worthy to fill. 1t may be matter of
honor, or merely OF taste, but we would rather
grub for livelihood, than thus hold an office
in defiance of the will of majority of the
people, whose votes we had solicited. There
in consists the difference between Mr.. Cess
mas democracy and that of ourself
We would rather be George W. Household
er in his retirement, with the proud concious-
ness that he was honorably and fairly elected.
beating his opponent on full poll, than Hon.
] ohm Cessna occupying seat with the unen-
vabe feeling, that it is held against the ex-
pressed will of a majority of the people to
whom his pretensions, were subm itted. The
,ne is shielded with the pure panoply of truth
md Justice, the other has stain on his polit- |
cal scutcheon that will forever corrode its
brightness.