Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1870-07-27
Minority CaIenuoV.

a
h A convention of delegates from thu
seversl counties af the etatssf tsnnsyl
Il rapia If such pe,sor only az are favor
/ able to the movemeas to- secure minority
Il reprf rfsentatiorswill b held in fhe city
of Reading, on Wedpesday, the 3lst da.
of August, next, at 1ko..elocksa.m.
The convention will consist of two del
Iegates for each representation in the lowe
House of State Legislature, provided tha
each county shall be represented by o
least one delegate. 49, 'f~ u y
By Order of the Ccmmittee. e.rsss's'
| .2ss u. ). MORE, Chairman.
| j. W. WOOD, Srere'ary.
%. ALLENTOWN, Pa, July II, 1870.
10 sfnr siiisde: --1-Gh ae-'.s 9sG
70 Me Repnblicdns IF Pennsylvania
In calling the attention of the Repub
licans of Pennsylvania to the convention
to meet at hecily of Reading on the Sis
of August, next, We desire to present th'
following considerations, concerning it.
purposes: .,,. t.f ., adm, ,'..;.t
The Republicans Of Pennsylvania wht
live in counties in which they are in the
minority, number one hundred and TWEEN
ty-6ve thousand voters more than, one
third of the whole republican vote. They
own and control very large and varied
material interests. requiring the care aud
protection afforded by w;se and salutary
laws se.g -,,.. .t--s. ,4t Co. ...,,l.iI
That these people are wholly excluded
from parlicipationin the management and
control of their respective county govern
men,s does not in the least estranse their
devotion to republican principles or cause
! them to abate their efforts in behalf of the
success oil, the republican party. They
have just cause of complaint however in
the fact that. while their political brcth-
ren areaud tor many years have been in
the ascendency, in the State Legislature,
they are entirely unrepresented, and by an
unjust rule established by republican
majority, they are continually subject to
unjust and oppressive laws, while they
arr. persisteptly denied such legislation as
the material interests require. ESQ .a
(. That so large . body Of the people should
fnd themselves unrepresented in the law
making power is evidence of a defective
fundamental organization, A republican
or democratic form of government must of
necessity be representative, and to fulfil
the requirements of a representative gov
ernment it should be so framed that all
the people, ~ nearly, as practically can
be, should have VOICE in the enactment
of the lava which govern them. If the
government is so shaped that majority
of the people only are to be represented,
then It cannot be free, and republican
state but mere despotism Of one portion
of the people over the other. Such a
government is despotic in principle as
well as in practice, for it can be of very
little consequence to the minorit;es wheth-
er the laws which govern them are made
by particular class of men or by a sin-
Gle potentate, the minorities, who are ex-
cluded from all voice or hearing in the
lawmaking branch Of the government,
bearing about the same relation to the
majoFities as do auhjccts to an absolute
monarchy. .-. sg, a5a a
According 70 the mode of representa-
tlon as established by the Constitution
and law. of Pennsylyani. more than one
third of her voting and tax-paying citi-
zens are excluded from any voice or power
in tie law making department Of the
State, and the same remark will hold
trnc IS to the general government.
We meet respectfully and earnestly
presen. this subject TO the candid and
attention of the voters of
Pennsylvania, confidently relying on their
intelligence and sense of justice for re,
form in uatter 30 vital to the welfare
and prosperity Of the whole people and !
the safety and pcypetuity of the govern
men.. I
1t is gratifying TO observe that this |
is not without precedent in our t
own county for the people of Illinois /
nave quite recently amended the organic .
aw Of that state 80 that lninorities will /
hereafter be, fairly represented, not only |
n the State Legislature but also in all |
authorized by law. In other
states the question has been favorably
and even in some of the /
European governments it is discussed by
he people and, in one instance, partially
adopted, while learned political writers
have commended it to public
attention. e., E-.f4-.,f .at
In view of this subject, and because
be republican minorities have suffered
ong and much for want of a proper and
,qual representation, the members of the
State Central Committee held
meeting in the city of Philadelphia on
he 18th inst, when If was resolved that
/ State Convention of delegates from
minority counties be held at the City of
Reading on Wednesday, the 3ist day