Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1865-10-06
Appointment for Representa-
ton,

Some discussion has arisen in relation
to a proposed change to regulate by the
oumber of voters the ratio of State rep
resentation in the National House Of
Representatives. AS the subject is one
of some interest. We give the views of
writer in the Boston Advertiser in oppo-
sition to the proposition. He says:
This a great and sudden innovation,
and runs counter to the settled habits Of
the country. Very few, even of the free
States, would tolerate its introduction into
their ordinary elections. Take, for in.
stance, manufacturing town in Massa-
chusetts. You may find there large
number of female operatives and good
proportion of males who are either not
naturalized citizen or are otherwise un-
qualified to vote. But it would not be
deemed wise or just to reduce the weight
of the town in the Legislature to the
measure of the voting population. The
.propcrtionate active energy and product
i've power of town or county-and
equally so of Statc--is not so well as
certaned by Its voting strength as by its
total population. Or course. no standard
of measure is infalibe. But that of
population is the least unsteady; it is
natural: that of the voting list is arti.
fetal. The former, being more nearly
uniform, can be applied to regions far re-
mote from each other. Take for exam.
pie, Massachusetts, and Wi consin. Their
lelatiye moment is, in an approximate
degree, expressib.c in the census OF the
inhabitants. With much less exactness
could it be exhibited in the catalogue Of
voters. IL Massachusetts, females are in
the majority in Wisconsin, in the mi.
norty. La the former no man votes who
is not citizen of the United States or
who cannot re d ana write. In the lat
ter stranger to the speech aud habits Of
the country may in one year, merely by
signiiying in due form his intention to
become a citizen of the United States,
fnd himself to be full voter In prac-
tice, as things now are, this diversity
causes no grert Inconvenience. Each
Safe applies IA peculiar system to pecu.
liar circumstances. And in national az
fairs each fluids substantially its just place.
But it may be said that there is no
need of these territorial discrepancies
Auy State, may, when it pleases, stretch
its voting force to the utmost limit. As
If it were desirable to mould the States
after one pattern, and as if democracy
must be all Of one cut. Where's the
very essence and virtue of federal gov
ernmeut is local hexibility under central
uniformity. To be sure, this sectional
variety must not 90 SO far as to mar the
central action, but to certain extcxt it
is conducive to Indigenous life and po-
litical originality. IT you say that the
congressional weight of State snail be
determined by It's uumbor of male voters
of certain age, you simply drive every
; tate into unlimited manhood ge.-
No one will be left behind in the race.
Down goes every barrier Of citizenship
t x-paying, or intelligence, that has been
so deliberately set up. Massachusetts
must overtake Wisconsin. And there s
no retreat from this. Done once, it is
! done forever. The uudiscriminating boon
will not be surrendered by the hands that
have grasped 1t. The Constitution will
leave the several States show Of indie
pendence. but in fact dictate an ineyita-
BILE rue to all