New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-28
THE. eoyERKnEYT OF NUMBERS.

eAc AeLf Z o-AOAN Las pei pelIhleu ele ioeoOA
incongruous ofense of 'a pure and disin.
genuous fabrication" of its position When
| a writer undertakes to show that ma
jority may be a1judged corrupt and in
competent by minority of its own mem
bers, if he designs to escape from this
position it will behoove him to use some
thing more forcible than epithets leyeled
against those Republicans who controvert
alike his facts and his doctrines. In re-
ferring to the files of the Pieay,tne, we
| find this:
| That the sad experience" OF these South
| ern States since the acts of reconstruction
SHOULD satisfy all honest and intelligent
| minds, of the peril and impracticabllity OF
all permanent republican institutions
| which rest on the bare force Of numbers,
| and concede to all men without regard to
| education, character, intelligence or condi.
| ton like share in the making of laws and
in the direction of government.
1t also adds that s'every politician from
jefferson down has confessed that the
political equality of all men is fallacy,
and claims that 'the principle of numer-
ical strength has been but tolerated in this
government, and is expressly repudiated
in the organization of the Senate
From these quotations may be elimi-
mated two propositions which we attribute
to the Picdylne:
l. That all statesmen from Jefferson
down denied the electoral equality Of
man.
2. That all republican governments
which rest on the bare force of numbers,
without qualification of property or intel
ligence, are perilous and impracticable.
The first proposition is disproved by
facts. We believe there is no State gov
eminent in the Union in which the prin-
ciple of electoral equality is not made the
basis Of representation. There is law
DISTINGUISHING the individual citizen from
suffrage on account of felony, but no law
which deprives him Of representation.
The constitution Of the United States
does not recognize numbers as the basis
"a ocudtOiAaA representation, Wv ~ uoeo
recognize numbers as the basis of repre-
sentation in the electoral college and in
the House of Representatives.
The State Of Louisiana has long recog-
nized the principle Of universal repre-
sentation. The constitution of 1912
awards the right of suffrage to all free
white male citizens twenty-one years Of
age, resident in the parish for the year
preceding election, and having paid
State tax. 1t ordains that representation
shall be equal and uniform, and forever as
certained and regulated by the number of
qualified electors. The same rule of APP
was preserved in the consti-
tuition of 1916. In 1852 the State constitu-
ton became more democratic. The voter
was relieved Of the years precedent resi-
dence, and the basis of representation
"ascertained by the total population of
the State" This basis is preserved in the
present constitution. 1t thus appears
that the principle of basing representa-
ton on numbers was adopted by Louis
lana before the war, and continues at |
present. 1t is the rule of most of the |
States in the Union. 1t becomes,
then, difficult to understand "the
peril and impracticability of all per-
nanent republican institutions which rest
On the bare force of numbers"
It will be seen that neither in this State |
nor in most others has there been suffrage
qualification of education, character
,ther than conviction of crime-'in-
diligence or condition" Representa-
ion in many States has long been based
IN numbers without any qualification.
In the federal constitution executive and
representative in one branch, have al
ways been based on the "bare force of
numbers once qualified as to the num-
Der Of slaves, but now based as to the de-
oartments named upon the 'tforce of num-
1ers" alone
2. The Picayuae entangles the basis of
representation with the right of suffrage.
Every soul is politically equal. 1t is,
without distinction of sex, color or char
4cter, entitled to be so represented, and
t is everywhere represented in this re-
,ublic-except in the United States Sen
tie. 1t is upon this principle that the
light Of the majority to govern itself and
he minority rests. 1t governs itself by
he conditions prescribed in its funda-
nendal constitution. The right to vote
II to hold Office is prescribed by this ma
GRITTY. 1t may limit the exercise of this
light by such qualifications as it may
The majority being an en-
,odiment of sovereignty, may impose
Constitutional conditions upon its govern
nent. 1t may err as other sovereigns
lave done. But we have shown reasons
Why it can not err, and has not erred, as
hose sovereigns have heretofore done
We can not pass from the only depar-
ure from majority rule known to our
governmental equal representation of
Unequal communities, named States.
The debates on the federal constitution
how the embarrassment produced by the
Institution of slavery then existing in
learly all the Confederated States. There
we're other delicate interests, such as the
and financial questions. At
hat day representation was based on
representing special in
erests, as i'll the rotten borough system
IF England, in which old Sarum with an