The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-13
evening State go,traat.
FRIDAY EVENING, JAN. 10, 1871.
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS.


having devoted much of its space to tn
argument in the great railroad nvestiga
ton, giving Mr.. Daniels speech Eat large,
has little room for the humorous specula
tions of its chief-of-staff. lie, however
gets off joke or two on the subject of til
re-apportioament of the State for mem
bers of the General Assembly, which h
took up yesterday, so seriously. He take
the substance of the report Of the com
mittee as given. in the Wing, II
which it is contended that th,
legislature under the constitution ha!
no right to increase or diminish the
number Of Representatives and Senators
for if it could do that it might do any other
act forbidden by the organic law, such as
abolishing the Legislature, or changing the
very form of the government itself The
Dispatch of course admits that the Legisa-
ture has not the power to set aside constitu-
tional limitations, and if it cannot dimin-
ish the number of senators and delegates,
it can see no good reason for going to the
expense, annoyance and trouble of reap
Forthcoming the State and changing the dis
tricts. We agree with the Dispatch but,
nevertheless, would like to see them GER
rymander little, for we have an abiding
faith in the efficacy of partisan APP
portionments. The constitutional conven-
ton worked for months to apportion
the State in manner to secure every
member of Congress, and working ma
tba sc Al.
State,-and we have all seen how we'll
they succeeded. Now, if we can only get
the present Legislature to shuttle the cards
and give us another deal, in the hope of
winning by stocked hand, we are will
ing to "trust to luck" to beat them at
their own game, as they beat us. But the
Dispatch does not admit the force of the
committees argument, that they cannot
unseat the four-year Senators or reduce the
number of members of the General AS
sembly. 1t says:
The assertion that the Legislature has no
power to redistrict the State because if it has
it might reduce the number of Senators or
delegates to ten, is just such an argument as
would be the declaration that Governor Wal
ker has no power to pardon penitentiary con-
vict because if be has he can pardon every one
don every convict, but he will not and the
Legislature could perhaps reduce the number
of Senators to ten, but it will not. Whether
1t can or not, it can certainly unseat the Sena-
tors elected for four years. Who would not
laugh at the lawyer who should say that
State Convention has no power to fix the num-
Der of representatives because if ii has it could
reduce the number to next to nothing :? Every
man knows that no convention would thus
abuse its power. No more will the General
Assembly so long as there are SO many men
anxious to secure and hold on to seats in that
body. To argue that power does not exist
because it might be abused is to argue that the
Legislature has no powers.
We fully agree with the Dispatch that a
opens the whole ques-
ton, and certainly gives power to the
Legislature to change the districts and |
alter the number. If it did not give this |
authority, what. indeed, would be the use
of re-apportioning Let US consider for
q moment. The constitution which we |
have adopted, is to last twenty years. In |
these twenty years our population may be
increased to three or four millions, and yet |
we would be compelled to content our
selves with the same number of senators
and representatives that we have now.
Richmond might grow to the size of Balti-
more, and contain one-third of the popula-
tion and wealth of the State, but she could
have no more representatives to take
care of her interests than she now has.
Surely the constitution never contem-
plated any such thing. The difficulty
seems to be that the constitution provides
that there shall be an apportionment made
by this Legislature, but it cannot be made
without unseating the four-year Senators,
and this the General Assembly does not
wish to do-and, it is probable, will not
do--seeing that these same four-year men
will have to vote themselves out of Office,
if they 60 at all; and so great sacrifice
cannot be expected even from their un-
selfish patriotism. There are two horns
to the dilemma, and we think the safest is
the constitutional horn. If another Legis-
lature meets without this re-apportion-
ment, it will certainly be an unconstitu-
tional body, and there will be no end to
the litigation that circumstance would give
rise to--it not in our State, why perhaps
in our Federal courts. The order for the
re apportionment is imperative, and should
be obeyed to the letter.
The Enquirer thinks there must be
very "fat job in the San Domingo annex
tion business, for, on no other theory can
it account for the unusual interest taken
in SO apparently Insignificant matter 1t
concludes leading article on this subject
as follows:
This matter, of little national Importance, is
exciting the greatest possible interest. Some
body must be making more out of it than the |
nation makes.
Motley and Sumner think it occasioned a
change of the American Minister to England. |
1t occasions all these extraordinary exhibitions |
at home. 1t brings Cabinet Minister, the
confidential Secretary of the President, and |
his leading Senatorial friends as lobbyists in the
House. 1t even wakes up old Ben Butler, |
gorged with what he has already, yet arou sed |
by the smell of fresh prey. This, indeed, must
be q "fat job.".
But for individual interests connected with |
it, all this display of extraordinary and CEN
surable influence would present fine example |
of "much ado about nothing" As it is, itmay
present fine illustration of the morals of our |
modern Republican rulers.
The Enquirer has become so used to the |
corrupt practices of the Democrats when |
in power, that it measures all Republican |
corn in their swindling bushel. 1t cannot |
realize that there may be an honest and |
patriotic enthusiasm enlisted in behalf |
of great measure In which pecuniary |
profit has no part.
In another article the Enquirer wastes