The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-02-16
m..., Hi, S.. S Bef.asea II the
Neuate.

Senate.
The House Bill, providing that actions
nj law. OF suits in equity, with certain
specified exceptions, msy be- prosecnted
in the county where the defendant re-
sides, or where the cause OF action
arose, was defeated in the Senate yes
terday, by a vote of II to 10. The char
acter ! I, r of this measure, allowing plain
tiss in causes no matter how frivolous,
TO drag defendants into distant Courts
IN defend cases that perhaps could not
be sustained against them ut home, was
TOO odious to receive the approval which
the House, evidently withoats due
saw fit to give. ?
The Senate seems to have considered,
that the passage Of this law would only
multiply litigation without being pro
ductive off, any corresponding good.
Many persons would institute proceed
ings against the residents Of distant
counties, upon the slightest prete1ts,
and even if they ultimately failed,
would feel compensated for their pains
could they but subject defendants to tho
ANNOYANCE and expense Of appearing
in courts other than their own, to
make defense in the suits brought
against them. 1t was also remembered
that if unfortunately there were
any courts which could De
corrupted or unduly influenced,
there might these actions be
brought, and the contemplated law
instead of serving the ends of justice,
would only promote the purposes OF
dishonest plaintiffs and utterly deprive
defendants vi that fairness and Impair
tiality of trial to which they are enti-
tied. p
Ii was to be expected that upon its
aupearance before the Senate-a body
which, from the mode of its organiza-
tion and general character of it's MEM
bership, would be more apt than the
other branch Of the Legislature to act
with calmness and circumspection-any
unjust provisions of the Bill, which in
the somewhat hasty action OF the
House had escaped attention, would
be detected and pointed out.
That expectation has not been
disappointed, and the Senate in refus-
ing to pass this exceedingly unwise and
measure, has given the pub
lie reason to hope that ro amount OF
passionate, appeal or respect for the au-
thority of prominent names, can secure
its concurrence in legislation which
is unjust in itself and!prejudicial to tho
harmony and general interests of the
community.
shuII the Missrity be Represented =
Public attention is being very gener-
ally attracted to the Radical practice of
"gerrymandering" the various Congress
slonal and State Senatorial Districts, so
rs almost entirely TO deprive the minor
ity of any representation, either in State
or National councils. The inquiry seems
TO he for some Legislative cure for
this abominable evil. A prominent
Democratic journal, the Cincinnati
Enquirer, states the case at some
length, and proves very clearly,
that nliuorities so large Is TO be liable,
upon the slightest revolution, to become
maiorities, have few or no representa-
tives in Congress. the Electoral Col
leges, or the Legislatures ofthe various
States. Thus 2l5,0O0 Democrats in
Ohio have hut three Congressman,
while 2l5,OO0 Republicans have six
teen members. In 1862, 10000 Demo-
Gratis in Ohio elected fourteen
members of Congress, while l72,0O0
had but FIVE members
When President LINCOLN was
chosen in lS60, he had lS0
electoral votes on q popular
poll of l,sOO0O0. STEPHEN A. DOUG-
LAS, on the contrary, got but II elector-
al votes, with 100000 popular votes.
Almost as enormous an inequality existed
at the last Presidential election, when
MCCLELLAN and PENDLEToN were the
candidates for President and Vice Pres
ident against LINCOLN and JOHNSON.
In the present House Of Representa-
tives, 2,2OO,000 Republican votes have
llO members while l, ,6O0,0 900 Democrats
have only 40 members" 1t may be said
that the same state of facts exists in all
the States which the Radicals control.
They seem to deny entirely, that the
minority is at all entitled to represen-
tItion.
The method by which the Enquirer
proposes TO secure representation to the
minority may DE worthy of considera-
lion, IL Is rs follows:
Lot each party, for instance, in Ohio,
nominate and vote for nineteen men OH
a general ticket to represent the State
III the House of Representatives of the
United States. When the votes are
counted, let the law require of the Sec
retary of State to make an average of
the vote given for each ticket. The
proportion that that average bears to
the whole number of votes cast will in
dicate how many members are to be as
signed to each ticket. Ifone ticket has
25O, 900 votes, and the other has 2O0, GOO,
the proportion of members would be as
eleven to eight. The eleven highest on
the majority ticket would receive their
certificates of election, and the eight
highest on the minority ticket. by
this means each party would have its
due share of representatives in proper
lion to its votes, and the whole State OF
Ohio, and not n part of it, would he rep
resented in Congress.
III there were more than two parties,
it would not affect in the least the
workings of the rule. II there should
lie q fraction over in each case. let the
largest one have the benefit of II. In
the Presidential elections this rule
would be admirable, and give to the
minority and majority in each State
L.. 4 n. ~ n