The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-02-10
FORTY.SlXTA CONGRESS.
CONGRESSIONAL APPoRTION-
MENT.
Sunset Cox Makes an Eloquent Speech in Sup
port Of His Bill.

Washington, Fen. SIN the House
yesterday 8. s. Cox called up his appor-
tionment bill and made what all concede
to have been the best speech of the ses.
sion in support of it. Cox is one of the
few members whose speeches are always
listened to with attention, and who al.
ways says something worth hearing
His effort yesterday was one Of his best
in serious line and ELECTED applause
from both sides Of the House. 1t was
both convincing and eloquent. The bill
in question provides for representation
of 30l members.
Mr.. Cox explained and advocated the
provisions Of his bill. Under it the old
slave States would gain eight and lose
two members; the Middle would lose
three and the New England States would
lose three and the Western States would
gain ten and lose two. The old slave
States woHld make net gain Of six Rep.
resentatives, while the rest of the States
made Iet gain of two. That is, the
West would gain eight while New Eng.
land, New York, Pennsylvania would
lose six. II any one comp aimed that
that was sectional or partizan he might
calculate the net gains North and South
from the numbers 200 to S19 and the
South had net gain over the North.
Under the last census the general in.
crease of the country had not differed
from the ante. bellum times more than
thirty per Cent. It might not be accu.
rate to say the Southern States had in
creased more than the Northern, though
practically they had done so, owing to
defective census of 1870 Whether true
or not, such divisions of the North and
South had lost their significance. In
any event, the North continued to ex.
Ceed the South in Congress, in the Eec.
toral College, in the Senate, and in pop
ulation. But the wonderful increase of
FIVE States west of the Mississippi was
the salient feature of the census. In
twenty years they had doubled their
numbers, leaping from one.tenth of the
entire population to one fifth. These
five States had increased eighty.seven
per cent No State east of the M ssissip-
pi had attained to fifty per cent. while
the Pacific States had gPined fifty eight
per cent. during ten years. The orb OF
power might be departing from the East,
but yet with Its radianLe full. 1t was the
star Of Empire holding its western way
with new corquestp. Along with It
arose above the horizon the Southern
cross to add its symbolic cluster to the
constellation. The Federal representa-.
ton of this country was in every sense
Republican in fact, form and spirit. II
might be said that with all that popular
basis and its results, the people Of the
United States had the same greed for
gain, ambition to excel, love of rule, de.
sire for intrigue and play of unruly pref.
udiCe, Jealousy and passion that had
made the history of other nations trag-
iCal, even to ther decline and fall. Still,
in spite Of that decentralization in its
worst aspect the answer might be made,
who shall compete with us in our abund.
ant harvest, our rich balances of trade,
our increase Of commerce and expansion
of labor, our influx of precious metals
and our inexhausible mines of coal, cop
per, gold and silver, our unexampled ex-
portstions and importations, our attrac.
tive forces, our stupen1ous inter commu-
nications and their incomes and outgoes
by rail, canal, lake, river and sea; our in.
ventive faculty, with its miracles of man.
ufaCture; and above all and beyond all,
what can rival the star which, as it
moves westward from the ever renewing
centers OF restless population has in
century added 100000 to its active en-.
ergiesp These extraordinary advances
in greatness and glory were due to the
representative system which struck no
name, however humble or dependent,
from its roster of nationality. France
and Spain might indulge in their revo.
lutions; Russia and Germany might
trsmhle before Communistic and Nihil.
istic terrors, and England might boast
her rule in Asia, Africa and Ireland and
proudly echo the praise which her poet
laureate lavished on her as
"A land Of settled government
N AahA vi JuDt ahA uAA A0hOWut
Where freedom broAdens alowly down
From precedent to precedent"
But she had no popular representation
in her Parliament founded on the peo.
pie. 1t was left for the people of Amer
lea, of her colonies a century ago, to
erect a high and splendid monument
around the temple Of liberty, and to
guard 1t with the unity and force which
division and variety made by mountain
and river and strong passion of hostile
armies, could not sever. By it society
was assured protection, stability, and
progress. In rearing this monument,
every one had builded over against hia
house as in days Of dismantled Jerusa
lem, 80 that by the whole mass of living
people of the United States freedom
brosdened deCennially, not from pre-.
Cedent to precedent" but expanding and
strengthening like the oak, by its inner
growth drawn from the soil, and sun,
and sky, into intense robust life which |
dehed storms of centuries.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Cox's speech,
which was loudly apflauded by both !
sides of the House, and for which he re.
CeiYed the congratulations of members,
the House without further action ad- |
iourned,