The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-12-16
Harrisburg Correspondence.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 1O

HARRISBURG, Dec. 10, 1871.
1Er. Editor Talking it for granted
that the next Legislature will be hon
est enough and, therefore, wise enough
to legislate in strict obedience to the
voice of the people, who now demand
q convention to revise and amend their
State Constitution, it is to be hoped
that the apportionmeut of members to
| that convention will secure a fair and
equitable representation to each of the
great political parties which divide the
State; and that the rights of minorities
will be respected as well as those which
majorities never fail to assert.
The reform convention being thus
organized, on principles Of justice, will
of moderation and fairness, indispensi-
bly, necessary to the wise solution of the
important and grave matters submitted
| to its consideration and will not fail
to command the pablic respect, always
| cheerfully awarded to honest men la
boring for the good of their country.
The great and absorbing question
which will first present Itself to the at
tention of the conven ton, will be Elec-
torol Reform! 80 loudly in voked from
every quarter.
| In treating this most important sub
ject, l would beg leave to suggest to the
convention, the great importance of
going back to a critical analysis of the
great fundamental principles Of popular
representation. In the various forms of
representative governments which have
left their trace on the records of ancient
and modern history, the idea of popu-
lar representation was more or less de-
veloped. But it is an astonishing fact
that, down to the present day, the the.
ory of popular representation has not
been ,fuiiy carried out. The Law makers
of the past never went beyond the rep
resentation of majorities, which seemed
to them sufficient to carry out the great
purpose of free government; and
which, indeed, under the restraint of a
general sense of high moral obligations,
bridged over the inherent defects Of the
organic law. But when the eXaggera-
tion of partisan heat paralyZed the
promptings of conscience, the tyranny
of majOrities became more intOlerable
than the worst imperial despotism. One
great wrong followed another, in rapid
succession, and the political condition
of oppressed minorities became less
bearable in points of helple55nes5 and
degradation, than that of the Unfortu-
nate HelOts, among the stern and un,
relenting Spartans.
The iron rule of majorities, both, in
our Federal and State Legislatures, i,
no longer in harmony with the spirit OF
free republican government. 1t has de
generated into the lawless practice o.
freebooters, associated together to plum
. der, on the principle that might male,
right; and thus our Legislators indulge
; in the preparation of crimes which
committed elsewhere, would surely in
! troduce them to a long indulgence in
'he sober second hOughr iu the cool
ing seclusiOn of a Penitentiary
These atrocious examples of brazer
lawlesness, on the part Of id,O makers
b, necessarily tells upon the actions o
their political adherents; and it is NJ
I wonder that the most ingenious swim
8 dies, frauds, and, sometimes, open VIC
lence are resorted to, at the elections, tC
3 pervert and falsiiy the true will of thu
> people. These deadly evils, being then
traceable to the defect in our organic
law, which ignores the representation
Of minorities, / know of no radica
a cure for those evils, other than the tru'
} Republican system of cumulative o
free voting, so ably and forcibly advo
= Gated by Senator BUCKALEW, who late
: ly succeeded in introducing the appli
cation Of it, with such happy results, il
/ several municipalities of his Senatoria
dictrict.
1t is then to be hoped that upon tn,
g due consideration of this grave subject
# the reform convention will see the ne
d cessity of carrying out the principles o
i popular representation to the fullest ex
tent Of its meaning, giving to minori