The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-07-08
ELECT THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
ANYWAY.

The Chicago Tribune takes the ground
in regard to the extra members of Con-
gress which we advocated in first dis
cussing this question, more than year
ago. It SAYS if Congress fails TO pass
an apportionment law, it is the duty of
the Western States to elect the extra
members. We have no doubt that this
will be done. We showed at that time
the precedent of Minnesota, at her first
election, and that she was unsuccessful.
The ITi6ape says:
t'The reference of the Apportionment
bill to the Judiciary Committee of the
House of Representative, with the eX-
pectation that the committee will not be
called again during this session, and
with intent to kill the bill, is one of the
most despicable, cowardly, and unjust
acts of legislation ever perpetrated by
one section of the Union, with the help
of handful of traitors, against another.
We use these strong words advisedly,
and because this event devolves upon
the Western States the necessity of tax
ing action in this matter in their indie
pendent capacity as States which, if re-
sisted, may entail important conse-
quences to both parties. We can never
have re-apportionmet by the operation
of the constitution alone. 1t requires a
law of Congress to carry it out in its
details. If Congress can refuse such a
law for two years, it can postpone reap
pOrtionment indefinitely.
We are not disposed to see this refusal
of Congress to enact legislation which it
is expressly commanded by the consti-
tuition to enact, tamely submitted to.
We believe that, with proper unanimity
and energy on the part of the States
wronged by this action, who constitute
more than half the Union, and especially
on the part of the Northwest, the wrong
can be righted by the States themselves,
without asking the consent of the pres
ent Congress. We know, nearly enough
for all practical purposes, to how many
members the constitution entities each
State, as compared with its present ratio,
if as may be assumed, the number of the
next Congress be fixed at 300 members.
Let the Governors of those States order
| the provisional election of the number
of additional members, to which the
States are entitled; let the people OF
each State vote for them, Professionally,
on general ticket, and elect them, and
! then let the members so elected present
themselves, and demand admittance as
a right belonging to their constituents.
Here is "Western policy" that all can
unite upon-a policy bottomed upon
democratic equality and immutable JUS
tice. Having declared, as the next Con
gress will be obliged to, that we are
entitled to those seats, they will not
dare to refuse admittance to the mem
| bers elected to fill them. To refuse to
admit them would be a deliberate at.
| tempt by transient majority in Con.
gress to retain for themselves, repre-
senting a minority of the people by
unconstitutional usurpation, q power
which, under the constitution, they had
lost. If such a prolOngation of minori
ty rule is to be connived at, or submit
| ted to, then we are fast bound under the
chains of a rotten borough system
The States of the Northwest are to-day
entitled to 81 new members, which thu
States of the Northeast propose to tak'
from us by stratagem. They have dis
played the desire, but we deny that they
possess the courage to consummate Thu
fraud. 1t is for the States that are in
| jured by it alone to decide whether the!
will submit to this jugglery. We be
lieve they will not be long in maxim.
their voice heard and their power felt
and in teaching that section which ha
now six times as many Senators, in pro
portion to her population, as Illinois
that she cannot also retain and usurJ
twice as many members in the House
/ There, at least, the constitution intend
that the people shall be represented il
proportion to their numbers, and tina
the readjustmcIIt shall take place as sool
as practicable after the decennial census