The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-18
UNEQUAL REPRESENTATIONS.

UNEQUAL REPRESENTATION. It begins to look very much a if the Constitutional Convention of Connecticut which Is now in session will prove a failure. or. at least. that 1t will fail t, accomplish the main object for which i was called. That object was to equalis, representation in their House of Repre- sentatives, and do away with the present disparity between population and repre- ssntation. How the people of that State have kept up their unequal and unfair system and why they should insist no still keeping it up is one of the mysteries of popular government
 To undsrptand hew the present system works it must be borne in mind thai representatives are not spportionsd or elected by counties, but by towns" This plan was adopted iong age when there were no large cities In that Stats and the apparent object was to prevent ono town or township having undue weight in the Legislature. But now that . number of large cities have grswn up 1t can be readily understesA hsw unfair such system is. There are in the present House of Representatives 26s members. Each town incorporated prior to 17s5. or having more than 5000 inhabitants has two representatives and all the other towns have one each. One proposition before the Convention is to allow one representative from each town. and another is to ailew two from each town In either case. the town Of Union, for example. with only l3s inhabitants would have the came weight in the House as the city of New Haven. with . population of l0s, ,O00 Or, to put 1t in another way. forty-twe towns with a total population of ess.4s6 would have eighty-four repre- sentatives. and forty-two. other towns. with a total population of ss.4ss would also have eighty-four members.
 This is the way 1t would stand. or in this proportion. under either proposition, and 1t seems that one or the other will be adopted unless the convention a6- journs without doing anything. In q recent interview. Governor Mclean said: In the last election in Connecticut less than 2 per cent. of the votes cast for representatives elected a clear majority, or 12S members of the House, and less than one-hfth of the votes cast for Sena- tors elected a clear majority. or thirteen members of that body.
 That is the way the present system works in elections, showing how a minori- ty of votes elects an overwhelming ma jerity of legislatera And, referring to the one-to-a-town proposition-and the proportion would be the same with two from each town. the Governor said:
 The one-te-a-town plan giving to less than per cent, of the electors in Con- necticut hereditary and absolute veto power upon all affirmative legislation.
 To show how this system may operate reference is made to the fact that in the election for Governor in 1881 neither candidate received a majority of all the votes cast and under their laws the Legislature has to elect Governor. The Legislature of lss1-2 divided and the lower House refused to seat or elect the man who was entitled to it, and the Governor then in once held on two years longer. although he had not received a vote, or been a candidate.
 If 1t should be asked why this unequal system is kept up. the answer is plain. The small towns always have a large majority of the representatives. and are so jealous of their power that they have easily prevented any constitutional amendment As the same system was pursued in the election of delegates to the Constitutional Convention and the same jealousy of the cities prevails there, 1t Is plain that the small towns can and will prevent any legislation or ordinance which will deprive them of any of their strength. As might be expected, the delgates representing the large towns and cities are disguest and they are trying to prcure a nadjournment, sine die. of what The Hartford Times calls their unconstitutional convention. but are not likely to succeed. But if a consti- tuition is framed it must go back to the people and if the small towns persist in their determination to control the con- vention without regard to population. the OhohSCs oNChH hC Oc 8Voo tHat tHO CltloS, having a. large majority of the popular vote. will bury the new instrument at the polls. and the Nutmeg State will go on with a system of representation which no other State has. and for which there Is no defence.
 
 We most respectfully inform The Mont gomery Advertiser that they are still boring for oil in the Pensacola bay.- Brewton Banner.
 "stIll boring for oil," do you sayY Why.