Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-10-11
Where the Responsibility Rests.

exception to the following statement
in the last message of the governor to
the assembly: "On the part of the
House Of Representatives it appears
that resolutions have been repeatedly
sent TO the senate requesting the APP
pointment of committees of conference
to adjust the differences existing be-
tween the two houses, which requests
the senate has refused to grant. More.
over, the house appears to have passed
number of new bills pending the
unreconciled differences upon the old
ones, ali of which new measures the
senate has refused to place upon its
calendar. From this it would appear
that one branch of the legislature Is
unwilling to make any further efforts
to meet the other for the purpose Of
reconciling the differences existing be.
tween them and passing the legislation
required by the Constitution
But since then il has become more
and more manifest that the Judgment
Of the conservative people Of the state
regardless of party, Is strictly IN ac-
cordauce with this view Of the matter.
That eminently iudicious and moderate
newspaper, the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, which never takes a partisan
view of any matter, has this to say in
n recent issue
The subject of apportionment goes
down to the very foundation Of lust
representation according to proper
touate numbers-to the fundamental
principle upon which American repre-
sentative government is built. To
compel continuance of the existing
apportionment is Il violation of the
republican principle of representation
in proportion to numbers as we'll as a
defiant refusal to obey the constitution.
Whatever the existing apportlonment
bill may have been when enacted land
it was never fair in one sense it is
grossly unequal now, and we do not
mean unequal in party sense, but As
a just apportionment, according to
population. As an illustration OF our
meaning we refer to one district, the
Twenty.fourth representative district
Of Philadelphia. Under the present
law it has one representative by the
growth of its population it Is entitled
to three on the existing basis. Such
growths and shiitings of population
are to be found elsewhere in the city
and throughout the state, wherever
there is a district that has been speCi.
ally attractive to population since the
census of 1870. The dIsproportion i.
getting greater in some places, ever
since the census Of 1880 only three
years ago. The scandaIous and cry.
ing injustice Is, by neglect or refusal
to obey the constitution to compel the
population under the census Of 1850
to accept representation according to
the census of 1870.
That there is danger of so gross an
injustice, so bold a violation of the
foundation principle of representative
government; so nagrant defiance Of
the state constitution, is an offence
shared By the controlling majoritIes in
both houses of the legislature in vary.
ing degree at the regular sessions, but
for which the heavy responsibility j.
on the senate majority at this session.
About tive months ago the majority
in the senate gave the majority IN the
house to understand that they must
accept the app0rtlonmcnts the senate
expressed n willingncss 20 concede, or
get no new apportionment atall. This
is what Is frequently referred to as the
'ultimatum the language Of a soyer-
eign power at war or seeking n pre-
text for war. The course of the ma
jority of the senate has been steadily
pursued on that line ever since, and
on last Thursday week it was followed
by a resolution to meet thereafter hut
twice a week. Three such semi-weckly
meetings have been held since-assem.
bling on the appointed Thursday or
Friday. doing nothing, and adjourn.
ing. The meeting appointed for to-
day is the fourth that for next Fri.
day will be the fifth, and it should be
the last of that sort
This is the attitude of the senate. 1t
has been called revolutionary and,
strong "a that word ia, it is the right
word. Revolution does not always
require force Of arms. Government
can be overthrow or paraly7ed in
other ways than by cannon, rifles and
bayonets and refusal to obey the
organic law is one of them. If any
one command of the constitution can
be disobeyed with impunity, another
and another can-any and all that a
contumacious branch of the govern.
ment sees fit to disregard. This is the
serious and threatening side Of their
affairs at Harrisburg, which the peo.
pie will have to consider.
Know-Nothing "Reminiscences.
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