The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-15
! TELEPHONE SunsErI
Editorial Room,.. coua,lag Room.
THE iNTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, FEBRUARY Is. 1893.
Future or the senate.

Mr. A. j. Galloway. OF Chicago. has
some views concerning the public well
fare. which, although they present no
: new question, II they are asitated. may
i possibly furnish political economists and
4 theorists with an issue on which to 20
before the country. Mr.. Galloway
writes to the Chicago Times Herald to
{ call attention to his fear that the present
constitutional arrangement OF Congress,
4 and particularly the senate branch Of
the body, IS such that It Is dangerous to
the public welfare. He believes that the
constitutional Requirement. that the
states shall have an equal representa-
ton In the senate has brought about an
unjust state of affairs that the trainers
OF the system governing the legislative
branch Of the government did not fore
see. Conditions have grown to be such
that the representation in the senate
should be based upon population. This
he argues will do away with the an
equality and injustice OF states OF small
population and Importance having an
equal number OF votes In the senate with
the greatest states Of the Union. such as,
for instance, the state OK Nevada, with
a total population less than many OF
our cities, having an equal vote in the
senate with that OF New York or Penn
eylvania, in the smallest county OF either
Of which there are more people than in
the entire state OF Nevada.
Mr. Galloway, Of course, Is fully
aware that this reform would require
constitutional amendment, which he is
firmly convinced the people would adopt.
Z He explains that the present provision
/ I'm the constitution for equal representa-
tion was adopted by the convention OF
1857, that framed the document, in order
tosecure the votes OF nine smaller states
to'put the, constitution into effect. This
is historically correct, and Mr.. Galloway
has made a strong point. Now that the
little pocket boroughs OF Nevada and
I few other states, small In population.
are enabled to neutralize in the senate
the power OF states like Pennsylvania
and New York, with from twenty-five
/ to fifty times their population, and de-
feat the will Of the vast majority OF the
people, Mr.. Galloway thinks It is time
to abolish the evil, which is one OF the
chief causes OF the complaint against the
senate. and may yet result: in demand
for the wiping out of that. body alto
gether-producing a similar feeling as
that existing against the house OF lords
in the English parliament.
II aIr. Galloway succeeds In stirring
up public sentiment in behalf Of his
plan, 1t cannot be carried out until after
the census OF 1900 when the congressional
red!stricting in the the states occurs.
In order that his readers may see how
the senate will stand with this new plan
3 carried into effect. Mr.. Galloway has
estimated the population OF the states,
as 1t win be shown by the 1900 census.
and has prepared the following table
i showing the new senate and house.
the senate constituted in the new way of
Just representation instead OF the old
plan. designed to be equal representa-
stlon, but grown to be unequal: