The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-04-25

Ullt WclldIc VI UIlc OUdUc. NOI nave
any doubt but that my colleagues have
thus acted.
The convention has, after careful
consideration and exhaustive de-
bate decided upon the plan you men
ton, by majority Of 10 for the one
from town and 80 for senate Of 60.
Among the three score or more plans
before us was one by the delegate from
New Haven, but if remember correct
ly it did not receive the approval Of
many of the delegates of the larger
towns, and but few expressed their
willingness to vote for it.
The delegate from Hartford present.
ed a plan which received more favor,
but it was so intricate and cumber-
some that, if submitted to the people,
it would have been rejected.
For instance, in Waterbury there are
five wards, and there will be under the
Hartford plan two or three senatorial
districts and four or more representa-
tive districts. both of these districts
being based on population. Similar
conditions would exist in all the large
towns. The same objection applies to
what is known as the Holcomb plan,
which also replaced the vicious system
Of inequality of senatorial districts
eradicated by the people last fall. The
delegates from the large towns were
unable to agree, except temporarily,
upon any plan. Under these condi-
tiOnS the convention would not have
been justified in submitting any of
these many plans to the people.
1t early became apparent that a large
majority of the delegates were clearly
convinced that the principle of equal
ity was right. In other words, first,
that each town should have in one
branch of the Legislature equal power
and equal representation, and second
ly, that in the other branch power and
representation should be, as far as
might be, based on population. The
people emphatically endc rsed this lat
ter principle by a majority Of 25 5000,
New Ravens vote being more than
1000 in favor and only Psi opposed.
Were not the votes of yourself and
the body you represent counted in the
larger number?
The number of senators, 60, being,
as it now occurs to me for the first
time, the arithmetical mean between
the extremes demanded by the dele
gates from the larger towns, these be-
ing 81 and SO.
Such able, eminent and conservative
lawyers as Perry, Holcomb, Dempsey
and Pierce, in clear and convincing adj
dresses declared their firm conviction
that the above named principles were
just and right and that it was without
question the proper plan to submit to
the people. They were among the
first speakers and led and nodded the
minds, in a great degree, or those
members who had not yet made up
their minds
Such influential manufacturers as
Jarvis, Sears and Warner also declared
themselves in favor of it. Conserva-
tive farmers like Whittlesey, Gillette
and others declared that they were
in favor Of the plan. All these men,
as far as the convention has been in
formed, believe so still; but after hav-
ing read the rumors of the newspapers
and after listening to such declarations
as yours, they are fearful that the plan
would be rejected by the people. I,
sir, have no such fears, l am not SO
pessimistic. A plan which such men
as l have named, backed up by such
men as Ex-Chief Justice Andrews,
Donald Warner. Ex-Governor Buckley,
and others as prominent as they, and
which such men as Delegates Sperry,
Waller and Fyler do not oppose in
principle, will not be rejected by the
people of the state, provided that it is
fairly and intelligibly placed before
them for their unbiased consideration.
And this leads me to say that 1;believe,
and I am sure that large majority of
the convention agree with me, that
this has not yet been done. The con-
has not yet finished it's work,
and until it is completed just man
Or set of men will reserve Judgment,
and not bitterly censure the conven-
ton they themselves have called into
being.
If, after full and fair discussion and
the people reject the
work Of the convention, then, and not
until then. will the lust man din hiS |