The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-02
LARGE AND SMALL STATES.

Whenever the question OF the admission
congress for the last generation the news
papers Of the larger cities in the East have
taken it as text for harping on the un-
fairness of that provision Of the constitu-
ton of the United States which gives
equal representation 10 all states alike in
the upper house OF congress. There are
always sneering references being made to
the pocket boroughs' of the West.
From the tenor of these remarks it
might well be thought that the new states
had an unfair share of influence in The
legislation which passes the national con-
gross. and that the country is under the
control of the minority.
A writer in the June Political Science
Quarterly discusses the question of repre-
sentation in the senate, and the compare
tive influence exerted over legislation by
the large and small states. and has sue
ceeded in bringing out some very interest
ing data He shows that while 1t is true
that combination OF twenty-three states
representing a population OF only Il. 4ol 74s
could outvote in the senate twenty-one
states with population Of 40 507. 15s. 1t is
also true that no such combination has
ever been or is ever likely to be made. AS
a matter of fact, on nearly every division
In the senate on great questions OF ma
tional import for the last 100 years. 1t will
be found that the votes cast were very
20 a fiop
resented There has never been a trace
anywhere of that combination of small
states against large ones which was looked
on as one of the possible dangers of our
political system.
The writer shows further that II each
state had been allowed but ope vote in the
electoral college for president and had
cast that vote as the electoral votes Of the
state really were cast. the result OF all the
presidential elections except two would
have been precisely the same. In 1S4s there
would have been a tie, instead of the cleo
ton OF Taylor. and in 1880 a tie instead OF
the election of Garfield. How equally the
balance is preserved by the electoral col
lege system is shown in the election OF
Issb. when nineteen states voted FOR Gar
field and nineteen for Hancock, while the
popular vote was nearly evenly divided
4.i4a. 05s for Garfield and 4.442,035 for Han
cock.
So far the system has worked very salts
factorily. a change may come In the fu-
ture with the further development and
settlement OF the West. When the great
states OF the West have reached their full
growth. when they each have populations
in the millions. they in turn may feel inn
patient and wax wrothy over the fact
that the little pocket borough" states OF
the Atlantic seaboard should have as
large a representation in the senate as the
young giants OF the Sest II viii be some
what Irritating to the residents OF the
state Of Washington few years from now
to think that this state will have no more
votes in the senate than Rhode Island.
Delaware. Vermont or Connecticut. But
an amendment 10 the constitution to
change this system OF representation Is in
the last degree unlikely. and unless revo-
luton occurs. the states will continue TO
be equal in power in the senate. whatever
their representation may be in the lower
| house.