The Newtown bee., 1902-01-31
TOPICSTALKEDABOUT
DlSAOREES WITH A. C. LAKE
AND ASKS HIM SOME PERTINENT CUES
 TONS.

One of the question asked is "Where does the brain come from that runs our law-makers?" We do not pretend to know what this statement is intend ed to mean. In our humble judgement the "brain that runs law-maker" should be none other than the cerebral matter under each individual law makers hat. If the questioner in- tends by this question to ask: Do our brainy lawmakers come from the small towns or the large towns?" l come from both and that neither has smonopoly of grey matter.
 Some of the sweeping deductions and conclusions of the writer can only be explained by false premises from which he starts. Evidently the gen. tleman has not studied the history of his state with very great degree of care. It is but a very few years ago that the speaker of the COnnecti- cut House of Representative and the chairman of the Judiciary committee came from one little town of about 5000 inhabitants. But few years further back recall when William 0. Case, a native and life long resident of the lit- tie town of Granby, was Speaker of the House. He represented that little UOWu Au8 ClkUU oCo0IOklO o1 U4C lCk lature and his intellect never failed to impress itself upon the whole legis- lative body. and during nearly the whole of that time he was the recog- nized leader on the floor of the House. Again look at our own Donald T. War ner of Salisbury (which certainly is not 8 center of pOpulatiOn). Has he not for two sessions been the recognized leader of the Senate in spite of the fact that he comes from small town. It would be possible to go on with con- spici0us examples lad infinitum" but these few suffice to show the fallacy of that claim. Many of the best men and women in our cities were born in these poor little country towns and some of them are actually so foolish as to feel believe that the hothouse life of a large city or even the social advantages of a city are essential to make good men and women or brainy men and women. Altogether too much self reproach and lack of self respect is altogether con- mon among our farmers. Is it any wonder that our city cousins carica- ture us in hideOus dress and aspect when one of our own number thinks so poorly of the intellectual ability Of his fellows in the country towns?
 AS for the environments which tend to make men "brainy," there are those who believe that a life near to the heart of nature and a kindness Of disposition which is always stimulat ted by the care of dumb animals has quite as excellent an effect on the devel- Opment of character as the hOthOuSe life of a city, even with it's great social advantages. Far too often we see far mers who regard the mselves as "hay- seeds" and are: content to be assigned , place in the social scale as low as the Italians who dig in our streets. Re- member that 8 mans fellows often be poor, then their estimate of him will also be poor.
 The gentleman asks "why should 100 voters have equal representation with 1O0, 900 organized into another town?" The gentleman is a little mixed in his comparisons. In the first place he takes voters as basis and then com pares 1t with total population, men, women and children, in another place, which is obviously grossly unfair, and very misleading comparison. Will the gentleman inform me if he has any justification for his idea that represent ation in both branches of legislature should be based strictly upon popula- tion? Does he not know the great men who founded this republic and framed its constitution, were very careful that both branches of the Fed eral Legislature should not be repre- sentative of population. We suggest to the gentleman in all sincerity that he read the history of his glorious coun- try, that he compare the state tax of i've or six mills in other states with our small rate of taxation in COnnecti- cut. We also advise that before he makes comparisons invidious to his of it's law makers, that he study the Constitutions of the different States and find how few recognize population alone as the basis of representation in both houses of the legislature.
 Cheer up neighbor. When you req son don't start out with the assumption that the inhabitants of our cities are more intelligent than our town popu. latiOn. Don't assume that the legis- lature and government of other states are superior to our own because dis tance lends enchantment. Don't ring any false alarm through any fear of the domination of our little Connecti- cut republics.
 I need not avert at length to your correspondents statement of what would be his ideal size for a Senate and House of Representatives. If he believes that both houses should be strictly repre- sentative of population without re- gard to territorial units and both should be elected on exactly the same plan, then may. ask what is the use of having but one body. As 1t is now in our Federal legislature one body, the House, represents population, the nf hnr Sf0fnC units, and so impressed were the eframers of our constitution with this idea that they inserted provision that no state should ever be deprived of its equal representation in the Senate without its consent. The idea of hay. ing one body represent the States tC serve as check upon the popular body was strenuously supported by Hamilton and Washington, and coulc not the same line of reasoning be applied to our state legislature.
 In practical working, our state senate has been found altogether toe small. With it's present membership of "A it is altogether too easy to count a majority. It's small mem bershiE forms sort of social club with inti' mate personal among it's members. IT the make up of the joint standing committees in the legislature, the senate has but one member on eacf committee. So far then, as the senate membership is concerned, there can bt but one report before that body. Thi
 report is almost invariably accepted by the senate; in fact it is considered a breach of senatorial etiquette tt
 "turn down" a committees report
 So ii one wishes to get a particular :. legislative matter through the Senate the only essential is to secure the sup