Telegram-herald., 1890-09-26


a. SURROUNDINGS are fzx trozn tas >un-
14y-sch0ol pattern. Nos sa4s dla NJ.
SoFrs s4y
speaking q ~our singis district
Basthed Of eleellon of msmbss u ths
Leg stature" he said "A IA original al-
terTiew
That method by dividing fhs more
populOus counties into d,stnets, some
Of ahlch are rural ADD others uro4a,
las seat % the Legislature men u VA
terror capacity from tie oackWoods.
If ksnt county could elect her repre-
ssntstlyes GA 3 single ticket, tiTaud
Rapids could bring enough influence
- bear 70 eiscs good men. A. Il -,
the leading men IA tAe country DIS
tEiess are the supeTyI sore, and since lsa0
the majority OF the members 0f the
Legislature have been supervisors. In
fact the majority Of the constitutional
conyenllon Of 1850 were supervisors =
Nov We submit that this 5 the argu-
mentation or the above paragraph re-
duced 20 syllOgistle form:
1. That method Of electing members
under tie constitution Of 1850 has sent
tO.the Legislature men Of inferior capA-
city from the baekwoods;
:. Supervisors, the leading men N
the country districts, have constituted
the majority OF the members Of the
Legislature since 1850;
3. Hence, supervisors, the leading
men IN the country districts, are men
of inferior capacity from the back
woods.
Now, II the ''leadng men IN the
country districts" are "men of inferior
capacity" according TO Mr.. Norris
logic, what must the rest of the men IN
the "backwoods" be- Why, they are so
incapable that ne would exclude them
from the Legislature altogether. by de-
vising a scheme TO give the cities
''enough influence TO elect good men,"
But We are not yet quite through
with the syllogistic reasoning of the
paragraph quoted. The syllogism
framed above proves supervisors 10 be
'men of inferior capacity from the
backwoods." Now let us take the
second syllog:sm in Mr.. Norris process
of reasoning. Here it is:
1. Supervisors are "men of inferior
capacity from the backwoods."
=. The majority of the constitutional
convention of 1880 were supervisors.
3. Hence, the majority of the men,
bers of the constitutional convention of
1850 were linen of inferior capacity
from the backwoods."
Now take in connection with Mr. Nor
ris' reasoning the further statement
made by him in reference TO the con-
stitutiOn of 1850, viz: 81 don't believe
100 men could be got together, who
could frame worse than the present
one." Then we have, in toto. the
opinion of Mr.. Norris as to the constitu-
tional convention of 1850 and It's work.
There are only two in which Mr..
Norris can avoid the conclusions to
winch his sylloglsms lead, but he Is
estopped from a resort to either. First
he might deny the truth of the prem
ises, but he can not do that without
stultifying himself, as he himself as
serted them. Second, he might cay
that the first term of the first syllogiSn
Is not general, that is, he meant to say
merely that "some" men of inferior ca
pacity had been sent to the Legislature
But he can not claim the benefit of thi,
meaning, for he himself considers tn,
presence of men Of inferior capacity II
the Legislature so general and so crying
an abuse as to require the most herol'
remedy, the practical disqualification
from membership of citizens of rura
districts. Mr.. Norris only recourse il
to own up, plead imbecility or give the
reporter the lie.
But he has, in fact, made his choice
He has determined to stand by his re
cord. He said in the second interview
IN reference to the first: Anything
the TELEGRAN-HERALD might say
couldn't alter the facts" One of tn,
assertions Of fact that he made is, tha
| the legislature. since 1850, has beer
principally composed of supervisors
"men of inferior capacity from tn,
back woods" According to Nj. Nor
rs that IS so solid a fact that the TELE
GRAN-HERALD cannot bulge IT, Tht
| TELEoRAM-HERALD doesn't believe II {,
be fact, however, and thinksits source
information fully as reliable as Mr
Norris. But he says ne spoke only "a
a private citizen" Well, thanks to
wsgglng tongue and a shrewd reporter
the people of the rural districts hav'
| found out what a Democratic lswve
really thinks OF them. Perhaps the-
may ask Peter Dorau a question or i've
on the subject, and Peter will have t,
20 about the rural districts, telling. thr
! people that Norris amt much Of
lawyer anyhow, and his opinions ol
/ constitutional questions don't count
FOFD's nomination s not Crestinl
the enthusiasm among thinking Demo
Gratis that some hoped It would The.
freely say that he is SIMPLY temptul
fate to run against Watkins.
"
/ THE Leader SAYS that this Congress