The Russellville Democrat., 1891-03-12

l COuiu always succeed honestly. I ut
 bill pending would not effect his
 county one way or the other,
 but he did not believe it would be in accordance
 with the principles of honesty for his
 county to have the same represents
 ton as larger and more populous
 counties. He remembered something
 of the time when the state constitu-
 ton was framed, and the men who
 framed it were honest men. He was
 willing to stand by them and support
 the constitution.
 MIR. wIMBERLY.
 MT. Wimbcrly thought the bill 1 subversive of the rights of the people, and he desired to enter
 his protest against measure that so defed the constitution. He was not
 willing to be led by the opinions | or bow to the dictates of l any class of men. He asserted l that representation was based upon l numbers, and the framers of the con | stitutiop were guided in making the 1 provision for representation with
 this principle in view. He as-
 serted that the gentleman from Boone had made unfair nse of the population of Boone and Conway counties, and read from political map the respective voting 1 population of both counties. The gentleman believed that Article 8 of the constitu ton was framed with a view that the number of representa- I lives should be increased and not de- I creased.
 l HON. LAWRENCE RUSSELL. Mr. Russell wanted to ask ofthose l who favored the bill what reasons were there for changing the present system of represe ntation. Not ? single valid reason had been given The framers of the constitution were good men. He was willing to stand by their work. He thought the , measure undemocratic in that it proposed to take away the greatest good to the greatest number. It would not be just or in conformity with general government that small counties should have equal representation to larger ones. The measure was unprecedented. No other state had ever taken such step, and he hoped the innovation would not be started i'll Arkansas. He was against the bill because it was against the constitution, against fairness and against common sense. HON. WM. MANNING.
 MT. Manning expected to vote for the bill and he desired to explain himself. He read from the political map in the house, showing that the apportionment had not been equally made according to the population of counties. He believed in equal. izing favois and he was going to support the bill.
 HON. A. s. MORGAN.
 
 MT. Morgan said he had set at the feet of some of these gomalians who had tried to instruct the house and he felt constrained to say that some of their versions were wide of the mark. He thought that much time had been needlcssly squandered in the discussion of the measure. He thought the constitution plain enough and he was opposed to the bill.
 HON J NJ. KING
 Mir. King, of Lonoke, said he rep resented as good class of people as there was anywhere in Arkansas. He hsd sworn to support the consti- tuition, and was on this floor to represent the people of the entire slate. If this bill was for economy, he desired to say he bad discussed the matter with his people, aud they were opposed to | 1t. Again, when he looked at the constitution, he was forced to oppose the pending bill He would not | violate the constitution even though | Grover Cleveland should desire it.
 HON. c. A. oTEY.
 MT. Otey said Le did not think it necessary to ailude to the constitu- tonal objection to this bill, as that point had already been clearly by Mr. Rector. He con cured in the opinion that not a single reason had baen given for the passage of the measure. If attempted to sap the very foundation of our government. It certainly was contrary to all spirit ard genius of republic. 1t had been said that Inc author of the bill had gotten the opinions of some of the best lawyers n its favor, but lawyers differed. md it was only through thor ougli consideration that intricate points were brought out. The constitution designed and intended that representation should 'e according to ratio of population. q | seemed senseless to say that the fr ounty containing the capital city ofI ] he state, should have no more ret esentatiou than an obscure county | Vith not one-hundredth of the popu- alton as the former county. T Mr. Short occupied the chair :. uring the part of the debate The sergeant -at-arms was granted t' two days leave of ahgenea fl