The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-09-29
SHAME AND INFAMY OF THE GER
RYMANDER!

democrats just sbout ha'f the votes in the
S,ate; yet they sre deprived Of all, except one
snge memberof Congressl And even that
is threaeGed to DO taken from them f they do
not qulfcomplalnlug!
lExltacl ION the proceedings Of the Mas,
saChusehs Leeislaluro. ..s,..s -
MF Tarheil moved to amend by striking oul
sidislfict No 8. the towns Of Newbury, Nav
burypoA and Kcwley, and adding thefeto the
towns Of Tops6eld, Middleton, Reading,
South Reading, Ashby, AclOn, Foxborough,
Pspps,ell. Shnley and Townsend. Negatived
by the same vote as on the preceding amend
meai.
Mt. Hooper moved 10 amend so as to make
BOslon, except ward land2 2, one drs,rict.
Nsgsltyed- 8 10 2& Mr.. Allen, who did not
vote on the two preceding smendmcnts, this
time voting in the negative.
The question then recurring on ordering the
bill 10 third reading, the Senate was address
Ssd at length in opposition to nby Mr.. Tar
bell. ....
Mr.. Tarbell commenced by saying that he
had q few remarks, Of a general character, 10
make 10 the Senate, By way Of conclusion 10
this great IegislatSe fsice. The amendments
voIsd down. The msjoriry are InsxorabIy de
,irmined 10 pass the bill without deli5eraiion,
discussion or reason, and il remains for US,
afIer labOrous but Intellectual endeaVor to
smend and improve The plan, TO solemDIy pro-
test against its principles, and vote agaInsl its
adoption. = All the principles which have uni
rersaliy been admitted as correctend neces-
sary TO be observed, in the formation OF Con.
gressional districts, have beenl totally disre-
garded, have been.surroundsd by other and
isss important considerations. Equality Of
population, community ofinlerest, old assoc
ciatioDs, and county lines, have been indis.
Criminatsly disregarded, iuconsistentD used
aud utterly perverted, for the purpose Of secur.
ing other ends and consequences than openly
appear 10 the deliberations Of either branch of
the Legislature.
The district plan, which is about being adj
opted, has been constructed for other purpos-
90 than the convenience or interests Of the peo
pie Of the commonwealth. These purposes
are emphadeally party purposes. The State
has been so divided as 10 secure 10 the wings
nine out OF the ten districts, and 10 permit the
democracy of Massachusetts to possess the
poor privilege Of being represented upon the
floor of Congress by single representative.
! am justified in saying thai the whg party Of
the Legislature have acted, 10 their votes up.
on this matter, entirely with party view,
with parliZan considerations alone, from
the fact that all other considerations have
uniformly, universally, and totally been disre-
garded and set at defiance. You have but to
cast your eye upon the map too see clearly
that this is solemn truth.
*LoOkiDg upon this proceeding in this light, !
have few facts to sugges, for the considera'
lion ofthe majority party at this board. Eve
~ member here knows that this state is 20
gerrymahuered chat nine out Of tho ten dis
ttcts belong TO the whig party. They also
know that The democratic party 10 this stats
is within less than Thousand vo,es aslsrge
aa the whg party. Websve one half Of the
votes, and you grant Us one-ten,h Of the rep
tesentation. Indeed, how kbetaE truly mag
namimousl lshould not charge the majorily
With studied and labored attempt 10 obtain
or effect this grossly improper and unjust st-
tempt 10 nulIIfy the influence ofthe 'democrat-
ic party of this Commonwealth in the Nations
sl Congress, had they not entirely 'Sdisregar-
ded alholhef considerations. Hadthey labor
aedtoFegard county lines. equality Of Popula-
toB. or cemnuumy OF interest, this charge
might possIbly.be uD1ounded; bat in tho alb
sence ofaIl other reasons Of popular char
ac,er, this light let'us for a moment look at it.,
and consider its fairness. Half Of the poula-
,ion have taken nine tenlhs Of the representa-
ton. One half Of the voiersrof this state
arc represented by one representaiive, and the
other half by nine. Is this fair is i. bonoGa-
bIei is jusll YOU may say that, five had
the power, we should do the same. II is Lo'
proper for me 10 say that we should or should
not. That we should do no such thing is eleaI
ly evident from facts. Look a, the action o
New York and PennsyIvania, states in which
we, as party, have an undisputed majority
What have we donsi Have We taken all bu
one in New Yorki Have we taSeD all bu
one in Pennsylvania Very far from il II
New York, we have tsken but fourteen an
gwen you twenty; sndiH Pennsylvania W
havetak twelve and given you twelve. upol
calculation based upon the elections Of 1910
And upon the bss,s Ofthe election Of <l64l
New York would give third Of political po'
to theWhigs, and Pennsylvania ten out Q
twenty ysiour. And even Ohio-democraH
Ohio, rsvoIuiiomzed Ohio, might censur
with reason this Massachusetts gerrymandeI
Our state has far exceeded Ohio;n her Ia
hnra N eff.et, cl,ftDaf Maaon