The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-21

organization would be appointed.
there was time for any senatorial eau
Icuses to do so they might go on ado dt
any other business which they wished
to transact. He said that an adjourn.
ment would be taken until 10 O'Clock
this morning, when a permanent or gan
Iization of the convention would be eff
lfected.
After this announcement Mr., Cary
introduced Hon. John J Walsh Of New
Britain, exmayor Of that city, as lem
porary chairman of the convention
Judge Walsh was greeted with gener-
ous applause, and after this had sub
sided he began his speech. When in
the course of his talk he first referred
Ito Mr.. Bryan tumultuouS applause
swept over the assemblage. This was
at first clapping of hands and stamp
ing of feet, but Walter Leigh Of this
city started a yell which Immediately
sweled into an unanimous shout for The
leader of democracy in this campaign.
Judge Walsh's speech was listened to
| by the delegates with close attention.
He was frequently interrupted by APP
plause as his ideas found sympathy in
the minds Of the listening representa-
tives of Connecticut towns. The refer
ence to a plurality vote called forth
more applause. The suggestion thot
| the democrats of the state should mass
| together in support of the state Issues
| to which he had referred called forth
more commendatory demonstration
| At $50 a recess of half an hour was
taken, during which the various sena-
torial caucuses were held. A recess of
half an hour was found to ,oe too shorr
to complete the work on the twenty
four senatorial caucuses, and at 1C. 30
the convention was called to order to
adjourn Immediately until 10 o'clock
this morning.
The speech of Judge Walsh of New
Britain, temporary chairman of the con-
vention, was as follows:
JUDGE WALSH'S SPEECH.
Because it is so closely connected
with ourselves, and concerns our own
state, let me first advert to the injustice
which characterzes the system of rep
resentation of the people in the general
assembly 1t can be stated to the ever
lasting honor of our little common
wealth that by its first constitution
adopted in 1888, 1t was the earliest gov
ernment to depart from old traditions
and customs, and to declare that the
representation of the people In legis-
lative body must be based upon popu-
lation and not upon land. In 1862 upon
the union of the colonies of New Haven
and Connecticut, they sought and OBJ
tanned charter from King Charles III.
This charter while giving the colonists
unqualified power to govern themselves,
to enact their own laws, elect their own
officers and administer justice without
appeals to England, and made them in
dependent except in name, nullitied the
action of the trainers of the first con-
stitution which provided for represen-
tation according to population, and es-
tablished the rule that not exceeding
two persons shall represent each town,
place or city in the Legislative body of
the colony. It's subsequent re-enact-
ment in the constitution of 1918 Is but
an illustration of how difficult it is to
root out pernicious law when once it
is in force.
Let us for few moments consider
the injustice done by the present plan
New Haven now has a population of
10S,027, entitled to only two representa-
don and Tolland counties have popu-
lation of 101, 715, and have fifty-two rep
resentatives. Here are 6,212 less people
having fifty more representatives.
Group together Windham, Tolland and
Middlesex counties and we obtain
population Of 1o9,763 little in excess
of New Haven, but the towns in which
counties are represented by sixty-eight
and New Haven onty two
Add the population of the towns in
Windham and Litchfield counties to-
senting siXty-five members, while the
town of New Haven with nearly ten
thousand more people, has only two
The manner In which the plain man
date of the constitution in reference to
the laying out of the senatorial dis
tricts Is disregarded Is other subject |
demanding the attention of the people |
of the state. The constitution directs |
that there shall be not less than eight, |
nor more than twenty-four senatorial |
composed of contiguous terri |
tory, but no town shall be divided, or |
part of one county be Joined to the |
whole or part of another county to !
form a district, and no county shall |
have less than two senator's, regard be-
ing had to population In making the
AT the next session of |
the general assembly ater completion |
Of a census by the United States dis
tricts shall be altered to preserve a pro-