The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-26
THURSDAY pncnaBnR a 1901

THURSDAY. DECEMBER 26. 1901.
"TRE LAND or STEADY HAsiTs.
The advent 81 the new year win b
celebrated in Connecticut by the az
sembling Of constitutional coDyon
iion at Hartford This will be an
event of national interest for seven
reasons. In the fist place. the constr
tutor Of Connecticut, hy reason o.
its extremely dnaemocratic and gross
" unfair provisions for legislative
representation. has been discussed "a
the press Of the country, ard almost
invariably condemned for many years
In the second place such provisions ia
state constitution digectly affect the
interests and rights Of tho American
epuple. for state legislatures edcct
United States senators.
This convention IS called for the
purpose OF reforming that nagrant
abuse under which a few hundred per
sons in rural town have the same
voice making laws. IN the election OF
United States senators. and, in Ger.
tain contingency in the election Of
governors, as many thousands Of per
sons IN city. But as the basis Of rep
resentation for members Of this con.
vention was the same as that on which
Legislators are elected In fact
the very evil with which the conven-
tion is to deal--the outlook for thor
ough reform is not cheerful II de
penis on whether or not the smaller
towns-the majority surrender
their great and manifestly unjust ad-
Vantage, The probability Is that a
compromise viii be reached by which
enc Of the two legislative bodies viii
be based On population, leaving the
other as unequal as It is now-as nm.
equal as representation in the United
States senate, whore 80 600 people Off
set 100000.
We find in the Hartford Courant
the editor Of which Is d memberelect
Of the conyention, an analysis Of the
nativity of the delegatea which Is De.
cidedly Interesting as a forcible attes
tation Of Connecucuts right 10 tha
name OF ethe Land Of Steady Habits"
OF the 1853 delegates. 90 represent the
towns Ia which they were born ana
l3S are natives Of the state IN whose
Interest they viii convene. OF the
others,l6 were born ia New York.
in Massachusetts,, in Vermont. and
each ln Rhode Island, New Hampshire.
Pennayivania Ontario. New Mexico.
lhglana ana ireland. making 80 ia
all not born ia the state.
lt win be seen that only 9 Of the
1eS wore born OUTSIDE OF the United
states--i in Canada, in Ireland. and
the other n England. While Irish inn
migratioH has pourned into aIassaehu.
setts and fairly conquered Boston
witness the tremendous vote by which
Gen Pat Collins was elected mayor
Of That city last week-it does not ap
pear 70 have had much enect on Con.
neeticut And yet Connecticut Is n
great manufacturing state. The sous
and erandsons Of New Englanders
who migrated 20 the west long ago
nave become great factor in the
commercal life Of New York and are
not unknown in the politics OF that
city; but we get no hint OF them IN the
membership OF connecucuts convea.
tion. From the whole country west OF
New fori and south Of Pennsylvania
comes bgt one man 70 this assemblaee
of solous, and ho halls from a terri.
tory that WAS a part OF Mexico h the
receat past But the fact that s2 Of
she JOS delegates were born in the
towns which they represent and that
lSS all bat 30 OF the total. are natives
Of Connecticut is, we talnk, phenom
enal. i indicates, among other things
a hide-bound conservatism which psa
ciudes the possibility Of radical rc
form.