Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-07-07
Representation Again.

contemporary nenews a suggestion II
saws il had contributed To former dis
cussions of the subject to the effect that,
as 1.-THE small town representatives will
never vote to reduce their own strength,
the only way out Of the difficulty is to
try to get the general assembly to allow
the cities and larger towns additional
members which, il is reasonable TO be-
lieve, might he brought about"
The advocates of representation in the
House on the fundamental republican
principle that population is the just ba-
sis of representation have very clear
''idea how to secure something better"
Ii is a simple matter. There is nothing
new or difficult in it, or in carrying it
into practical effect. The idea is simply
to make population the basis of repre-
sentation, embodying in the construction
of the House this underlying principle in
the constitution of the popular branch of
the law making body. To carry this
principle into practical effect divide the
State into election districts, giving each
district one representation for Il specified
number of inhabitants, as is done in the
makeup of the national House of Repre-
sentatives as is done in this branch of
the legislature of every State in the
Union, excepting Vermont and Connec-
ticut. There is nothing new, uncertain,
difficult, revolutionary or experimental
in this idea. In conception and practice
it is as old as the Union. Every new
State admitted to the Union has accepted
this principle in constructing its legisla-
tive system, excepting Vermont, and it
has been adopted in all the original
thirteen excepting Connecticut.
There is no fog in the ideas of those
who desire to secure something better in
the way of a true representative system.
The difficulty is of an entirely different
kind. The proposed cure of the Times
would be worse than the disease. The
existing town system, with the irrational
custom that biennally fills up the House
of Representatives with members for the
most part new and green in the business
of lawmaking, creates Legislative body
that is unwieldy by reason of its size and
inexperience, expensive and wasteful
from the same causes mill that grinds
out much crude legislation for its sue.
cessor to amend, perfect or repeal en-
tirely Reform ought to be sought in a
smaller rather than a larger member.
ship. In the largest States of the Union
as well as the smaller-the member
ship of the lower branch of the Legisla
ture, with two or three exceptions, i.
{ only about one-half, or less than half
that of Vermont.
The idea that the smaller towns, un
der district system of representation
with nonu,at;on nc tbo hos;s would ,os,
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lowed up by the cities and larger town!
is entirely erroneous. In any plan fol
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