Ohio History Journal

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MEMBERSHIP IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MEMBERSHIP IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

OF OHIO

 

 

BY B. H. PERSHING

Professor in Wittenberg College.

 

Since pure democracy is not possible in any country

with a numerous population every republic finds itself

under the necessity of devising some system of repre-

sentation. The emergence in America of geographical

areas having in every case a historical background and

a political consciousness has made the problem more

complex here than in lands in which artificial boundaries

for this purpose may be created at will. To reconcile

representation based on geography with representation

based on population and yet not impair the rights of

citizens in any locality has been the problem confronting

constitution-makers and legislators. To outline the

history of the attempts to solve this problem in Ohio is

the purpose of this study. In it will be described the

experiences of the people of Ohio as they have grappled

with this question whose correct solution is so impera-

tive in a democracy.

Representation in the upper house of the General

Assembly has passed through three phases. The first

was that of the Legislature under the ordinance for the

government of the Northwest Territory. In this stage

which lasted from 1798 to 1803 membership in the

upper house or territorial council was not based on geo-

(222)