The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-03-14
CONNECTICUT POLITICS
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS
ACTION MAY OVERTHROW
REPUBLICANS.
Party, It is Said, Will Be Defeated If
Town Unit System is Main
tained-Leaders at
Odds.

New Haven Special to New York Times.
This week promises to be the most in
teresting that Connecticut has seen since
the present Constitution was adopted In
1878. After ten weeks of argument the
Constitutional Convention that is now in
session at Hartford has reached vote
on the question of representation in the
General Assembly, and this week proba-
bly, will see this problem settled.
Last fall the voters Of the State called
for Convention to revise the ConStitu-
ton so that the large centres would be
represented more adequately in the House
AT present the laws are in force that
were adopted eighty-four years ago,
though the population of the State has
shifted from the country districts to the
towns. Thus New Haven with 10S.00O per-
sons and Union, with population of 49,
each has two representatives,. This con-
dition which exists all through the State
has been the bone of contention between
the cities and the towns for fifty years.
AS the country towns have controlled the
Legislature by majority of 10. no
change has been possible 1t was eX-
pected that the Constitutional Convention
which was called to apportion represen-
tation according to population. would do
so.
Instead. how ever the overpowering ma
jority of the small town delegates In the
Convention have chung all through the
discussion of the town unit idea. The
Convention was made up of one delegate
from each town, thus giving the small
towns a majority of about i20. 1t was
seen at once that the country towns did
not intend to reduce their own represen-
tation in favor OF the cities. The wish of
many reformerS In the State to do away
with the town system had to be abaN-
doned in favor OF some compromise meas
ure that would retain the idea of town
unit representation and at the same time
recognize the influence in the State of
the large centres. Even such a compro-
T.sI III ct
whelming majority lthe small towns have
now presented for final action a PROPOSE
ton which fixes the House as a body
made up of one representative from each
town regardless of population. and the
Senate of sixty based on population in
districts.
This proposition retains for the small
towns their control of the Legisla ture.
in opposition to the recognized right Of
the majority of the population 10 rule. 1t
makes each town equal before the law.
regardless of its wealth and number Of
inhabitants. If it becomes the law. the
result will be that one-siXth of the PEG
pie OF Connecticut will have six-sixths of
the say in legislative matters
The final vote on this question will be
taken this week. II it passes. the major
ity Of the voters Of the State. who live
in the large cities. will vote against the
new Constitution when the vote for its
ratification Is taken in November. 1t is
safe to predict that the new Constitu-
tion will be defeated by an Overwhelming
majority. Then win follow the punish
ment for the country towns. 1t Is certain
then that the entire traditional Connect
cut town unit system will be abolished
The country towns, all of which are
Republican, by their refusal to deal fair
" with the cities. in the face of the most
impassioned arguments of the Republican
Governor. George p. Mclean, a small
town citizen himself and against the adj
vice of the entire State press. will cause
the defeat of the Republicans In the fall
election. The small town delegates have
been led by Donald T. Warner of Sails
bury. who was defeated by Mclean for
the Governorship nomination last year
and who Is anxious to succeed his rival.
/ Ex-Governor BIlkeley and Governor
Mclean. 1t is said. are using the Conven-
| ton and the questiors involved to ad-
vance their political ambitions. Roth
wish to 20 10 the United States Senate,
Mclean has advanced the cause Of the