The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-17
Senatorial Renresentation.

senatorial representation.
THE INDIANAPOLIS SENTINEL is opposed
to any change in the present method of
senatorial representation. 1t prefers that
Indiana with population of two
and quarter millions and in
creasing rapidly in numbers should
have no greater voting power in the senate
than Nevada with population of $4,000,
and with no present probability of
greater number. THE SENTINEL wishes
that for all time to come New York. Penn
sylvania, Illinois aad Ohio should be neu-
tralized in the senate by Rhode Island.
Delaware, Idaho and Florida.-Ch Chicago
Tribune.
Well, what Of it? Why should not
Nevada have as great power in the sem
ate as any other state in the Union? She
is a sovereign state-a unit of the Union.
1t is true that Nevada should not have
been admitted as a state, and so perhaps of
two or three others, which like it were
taken in to strengthen the failing grasp OF
the republican party on the national gov
eminent; but now that they are admitted
they stand just the same as ony other
states. There is no population representa-
ton in the senate, and we think there
should be none. While we remember that
this is a government of the people we
should not forget that it is also q
union of sovereign and indie
pendent states. And 1t is adyan-
tageous that the states should have repre-
sentation as states. We do not desire to
rehash the Federdlist for the edifcation OF
the Tribune, but it will find in that yalu-
able work very ample reason for the pres
ent system. Our forefathers were thor
roughly convinced as to that matter, so
much so that they not only established
this system but also added to the article
concerning amendments to the constitu-
ton the provisO that mo state, without its
consent shall be deprived of its equal
suffrage in the senate" This provision
makes the Iribune's proposed amendment
matter for abstract speculation only. and
therefore Of little importance. We desire,
however, to correct the following state
ment:
THE SENTINEL seems to think that the
small states are more to be trusted than the
| large Ones-that they have more virtue.
more true republicanism, and therefore
ought to have disDroportionate strength
In the senate. 1t does not, however, give
any facts to support its contention.
We cannot say certainly what "THE
SENTINEL seems to think" but it did not
say anything of the kind. As matter Of
fact, senators represent ajorities rather
than total population, so far as political
matters are concerned, and congress is
:
matters. We do not consider that it would
be well to let a 5000 majority elect SIX sem
ators in New York while it would elect
three in Indiana and two in Minnesota.
| We think that the East has all the pre-
dominance now from wealth and popula-
ton that it ought to have. We believe
that the time is coming when the West
will assert itself and make itself more
adequately felt in the affairs of the nation.
When that time comes the equal represen-
tation OF the states in the senate will be
an important factor in the struggle. We
believe also that it will be an important
factor in the resistance to federal en-
croachments, not because small states are
more virtuous, but because they give ex-
| preston more freely to local feeling and
because they have more power under the
present system than they would under
| population representation. Federal en-
croachments have usually been party
measures, and while large state yields as
readiiy-if not more soto party COM
pulsion than a small state, there can be
no reason for giving it more power than a
small state. Our proposition was that the
states should be equal in the senate, not
because they are large or small, but be-
cause they are states.