The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-30
REFORM IN CONNECTICUT
Mr. Walsh's Timely Appeal to the Demo.
cratic State Commlttee.

cratic state COMMITTEE.
BRrDaEPoRT. Oct. 29.-James e Walsh OF
Danbury. a former member Of the Democratic
State Central Committee. makes an appeal to
the present committee showing that the party
must reform its system OF representation In
State conventions az step toward just and
fair representation in the Legislature. At the
last State Convention resolution was adopted
giving the State Committee power to fix the
basis Of representation in the next Convcn-
ton. Mr. Walsh says:
You now have tho power to bring glory and
honor upon yourself and peace to the Demo-
cratic party by acting under that resolution.
Every Democrat who believes in popular SOW
ereignty must necessarily acquiesce in the
proposed system OF representation as q step
toward the final requirement OF fair and equal
representation In our Legislature, and the
election OF our State officers by o plurality
vote. Heretofore tho province Of the State
Committee has been very meagre but now they
have opportunity to further and increase the
power Of their position bv acting at once.
What a spectacle our State presents to-day to
the other States Of tho Union! A law-makinR
body that refuses to make laws a Governor
who was never nominated. much less elected to
the Office he holds: a judiciary in great part
made up Of the partisans OF the minority party:
county Commissioners made up entirely OF
members Of the minority party: cities that
are deprived Of homo rule. and all because Of
the unequal repr ,sentation provided for By
our Constitution. The trainers Of that
Constitution never expected that these things
would be the results of their work and had no
knowledge OF what the future would be. Atthat
time the representation was nearly equal.
Large and thriving cities have sprung up all
over the State. with largo populations and vast
wealth. There are not as many people in the
town Of Redding to-day as there were sixty
years ago. and the grand list is not half as
large: yet Reddinc. with its few hundred
population. has tho same representation
In the Legislature as Danbury. with its
10000 people. The comparison between other
hs Giye prs aee
sert u plank in the party platform declaring in
sentaton in the, Legislature and for consti.
the next state election Then shall We have !"
government Of the people. for the people. and
=, There are many who would be- content with
the edoption q a constltutonal amendment
%oa &c
People at large who these State officers areI
peSe e ts Be- 3
ASIDE Dy majority vote inc same
as Is required to pass the law he may see 1T
to veto. The Legislature 10 tho power In this
State. and the Democratic party may put
themselves on record now as In favor OF chang
ing the present System OF representation. The
Democrats Of rural towns must SEQ that those
same towns have too large Q proportionate
representation. and they will probably not OPP
pose o reform movement They have had q
practical lesson during the, Gast year OF The un:;
political system. and It Is believed that they
will devote their energies more TO the seeur-
ing OF q Legislative reform than to the nomins-
ton OF favorite candidates"
ACTION OF TEE STATE COMMITTEE.
NEW HAVEN Oct 29.-The Democratic State
Committee met here this afternoon. and every
member but one was present. The question
OF Increased representation In the State and
other conventions. which has been asked in
behalf OF the cities and which has agitated
the Democracy OF the State for two years, came
up and was voted on. At present each town Is
entitled TO twice as many delegates as 1t has
representatives 10 the Legislature. which gives
small town OF 200 voters as many delegates
as a city Of 10000 voters. The committee met
to-day behind closed doors. and the following
was passed:
Resoipd Thst st the next Democratic state Convsn.
ton the system Of shall 6s a. seiowsi
gates 1t e now entitled TO-, Each town In which the
one thousand shall DO entitled 70 additional dele
rate each additional thousand votes then