Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-26

The New Hampshire legislative mud
die Ia just now attracting very general
attention. The Journal placed the
facts in this controversy before its read
ers Immediately after the election. How
ever as the Governor Of that state has
decided to call an extra session of the
legislature, TO convene next week.
brief review OF these facts may not be
out Of place. When the New Hamp-
shire Constitutional convention met, two
years ago this coming January, II was
tive representation. At that time every
town was entitled to a representative.
The result was "A House Of
Representatives Of unwieldy pro-
portions entailing a heavy bill Of
expense upon the state. To remedy
this the convention decided that all
towns having less than 600 inhabitants
were to be classed with other towns In
the matter OF representation. This work
Of classification, however. has not been
performed by the legislature and
as result such towns elected
representatives on the old plan, although
this was In plain violation of the revised
constitution. There were thirty five
representatives., twenty-three Of whom
were Democrats, thus elected represent
ing only l0,06s inhabitants. The last
New Hampshire legislature passed a law
permitting additional representation to
cities and towns shown by the census of
1880 to be entitled to 1t. In
conformity with this act forty members
Of the legislature, representing 33,303
inhabitants were elected. OF these q
are Republicans. If the representatives
from the small towns, and the additional
ones from the cities and large towns
elected upon the last census, were all
entered upon the roll Of the House the
membership would stand ISIS Democrats
to 100 Republicans. If the members
from the small towns, whose election
was clearly unconstitutional, are not
included in making up the roll
OF the House the Republicans would
have majority of thirteen, If, on
the other hand, these thirty-tiye repre-
seEtauves are put upon the roll and
the forty elected in the cities and large
towns upon the census of 1890 are
excluded the Democrats will have
a majority of twelve. This Is the
extraordinary and revolutionary pro-
gramme that the New Hampshire
Bourbou7 have laid out. They object
to the leaving off of both sets of repre-
sentatyes since that would leave the
Republicans in the majority. They also
object to the putting of both upon the
roll since the result would he the
the same. They insist that the thirty
five representatives elected from the
small towns, in plain violation of the
constitutlon,go on, and the forty elected
on the new census from the cities and
large towns stay OFF, thus enabling them
to control the legislature and elect the
Governor and the successor to Senator
Il air.
The leader Of the Democratic party
in this matter is Judge Harry Bingham
who aspires to the Uni:ed States senator
ship. Mr.. Bingham has undergone a
great change on this very subject in the
last decade for in 1851 he was member
reported unanimously that Representa-
ton in the present house Is based on the
census of the United States taken in the
year 1880" If that position was correct
in lssl 1t will be in order
for Mr.. Bingham and his asso-
ciates to explain why it is not equally as
correct in 1901. Another complication
has arisen through the Democratic
claim that Mr.. Dickey, the clerk of the
roll because he has become resident
of iaine since the adjournment of the
legislature This point will be settled at
the coming special session by the election
Of a new clerk upon the resignation OF
Mr.. Dickey- probably Mr.. Jewett, the
assistant clerk of the old House and the
present secretary of the Republican
state Committee. There can be no doubt
as to the final outcome of this contest.
The Republicans will organize the legis-
lature as they have their legal right to do.
They will then elect Mr.. futile, who had
y plurality on the popular vote, Cover
nor, and send Mr.. Blair back to the
nited States Senate where he has
served SO long and so we'll.