Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-02-18
TIE AproRTIoNMENr ELL.

THE APFORTIoNMENT BILL.
"Thus has the domnan; party in the Legislature lie pr
power, without regard 10 political ca na!ty jnsc- m
other considerations aside, eeciualiy gfrrymGadG lie
leaving The Wings but out of the ieen CoRs.-san. H.
cs And with what 'hos of prcprety 10 justify hers..
let ask? II the Democrats have very large nst
In both branches Of the Assembly result brought about
know we'll we, By the apathy of tie Whie- superniu
by the operation Of the most extraordinary and dsgracl s
II is therefore, criterion of the relative strength yai.
tta,c. better is the Presidential election SD w.,
beth parties were stimulated to their utmost eseItons
contest was decided by majority OF only some 100 IN gq
the relative of parties the Wings undo
y entitled TO out of the fifteen districts, with acl
their favor Or abang something for treachery and dre
which am willing TO concede has worked lis effects and
cned the Wing strength, should still, according ans
innate ofhe proportion Of political numbers be entitled TO @
The Richmond Wing chimes in with this denunc.
tion and rings all the changes upon the charge Of sr
rymandering. II repeats, again and sgain, the ssre
accusation although several of the mos, honor.sis
Wings in the House (Taylor of Norfolk, Watts Bros
US, Boiling, Smith of H., &C., &c., voted for the BIZ.
ard have since denied the justice Of some of the CHI.
ges But let US bring the charge of the Delegate
Wesmoreland TO his own procf-(and although he i.
pleased to close his address with little hit al he e.
publican party, through our SIDES, we mean to utr.
not syllable TO wound his feelings) Let US take BIZ
own "belter test, the Presidential Election oIS
and see how the present apportonment stands By ha
standard Let US see, whether, adopting the sta,is.us
Of that memorable period, when, notwithstanding al
the disgracefu mummeries and The miserable tricks Of
the Coon Party Virginia was saved by the virtue Of
her principles and the chivary Of her sons, the Wings
not able TO carry under the present arrange
ment six Districts Of the Commonwe Attn Some Of he
Wings indeed, sometimes boast, that they vii. beat ~
further in 1914, than they did in lc40-and If such D.
the case-if they do really possess that elective power
which they profess to claim-why, they may even
carry their districts. Tie following calculation
for which are indebted 10 the pen Of gentleman
who is conversant with figures meets a! once the a.
&c fbon Nal, -
FOR TIE ENQUIRER
CONGRESSIONAL DIsTRIcTs-P Political Complexion ky
the Vote Of 1910.
There has been much said in regard 10 the e,os.
injustice done TO the Wing party by the bill recently
passed through the House of Delegates that the charge
should be Investigated, and the people correctly IN.
formed What is the ground Of their complaint? WHY
that in Virginia they only beaten 1899 majo.ilg
in 1910, and yet they only allowed OF Two
Representatives in Congress TIE vote Of lci0 IS,
therefore, their standard of comparison and their grCat
ground of complaint. And now let us try them .y
their boosted standard The State is divided nio
fifteen districts by the law Of Congress, and in tile 81
lotmcnt between the Eastern and Western part OF tie
State, the East of the Blue Ridge is entitled 10 mn.
members Of Congress, and the West is entitled sis
members shall merely say in regard the six West.
ern DISTRICTS that only of the districts gave Wing
majority under the vote Of 1910, viz the fourteenth
kanawha district, which gave Wing majority Of thee
10
Wing strength in that district, in order secure tie
other live. But there is great accumulation and loss
Democratic strength in many districts. Thus the thy
tenth district gave 1909 Democratic majority, erGy
county in the district casting lis majority for .. lea
Buren,. There was no cutting up OF this great Demo.
cratic majority Tor political pnrpos
ty could be selected that did not give Democratcus
jority.
Look to The two Valley Districts, between the Blue
Ridge and The Allegheny. Is their Democratc
strength divided for political purposes. The b.!
throws into the tenth District only Democratic map
ty of 2l6, whilst the eleventh District, lying along
side in the Valley, has Democratic majority Of 1852
Could not these two Districts have been rendered
tanly more Democratic. by dividing Shenandoah and
Rockingham, and placing The county Of Page in the
place Of Shenandoah? Both Districts would have been
placed beyond doubt dispute BY that transposion,
and no material difference in The shape federal nrm'
bers of those two Districts. Would they desire 70
throw more Democratic strength away than 1859 N
one Western District, and 1909 in another, The out
cry of Gcrry,nander must be pat down this state
ment of the immense loss Of political strength in these
two Districts, where they show no less OF Wig
strength in either Of The six Districts by the vote O.
1870
But pass to the nine Eastern Districts. By tie vote
OF lS4O, the presidential election, the first, second
third, and sixth Districts cast Democratic major"es-
four in number The fonrth ffth seventh, eighth ar-
ninth Districts, cast Wing majorites-fve in numhf
Then, by the vote of 1910, the Wings had five Of lie
Eastern Districts, and the Democrats had four. They
are now given five, and four are taken by tie DEM
Gratis, on the Eastern side OF the mountains II these
live districts have changed their political c0mprioa
since 1910, is it the fault OF the Democratic part. -
The Wings say, they allowed Only one District ~
der The vote Of 1912. Is not Aot, because they il"
lost strength in the Eas:: Thus. the seventh Ds1;
Qhe Accomac Ds.rict) cast Wing majority of 49,
in 1910. Why cannot they carry that District now =
They bad sufficient Wing majority If tLry have is:
that majority, who is to blame' Must the Democrats
party arrange Districts for them, ard then prordt r"
for them' Where is their majority Of l44G, which they
had in this District in 1S40' Have all Of them PROVED
traitors to the Wing cause, or has General a paiaY
marched them eff 10 some other region' The nina
District give Wing majority of 9Ol in 1910. tbs
is the old LoudouD District Its neighbor tue
opposite side of the RIDGE old Shenandoah Ds!re''
gave 1853 Democratic majority al the elecioA'
If any injustice be done TO the Wing party IN
the Loudoun District, more injustice is inflicted ca
the Democrats in the Shenandoah District, exacY
10 the amount Of $50 votes The fourth District VS.
carried by the Wings in 1910 b. 225 voles-why can
not they carry that district now The fifth District as
carried by the Wings in 1910 by III major.iy-~hI
cannot they carry that district the coming election
They say, they cannot carry the Accomac Dsh"''
which gave Harrison a majority Of l446 in the fft.''
Dental election Of 1s4O; aud they cannot carry Er
Campbell District, which gave Wing ma orily Of =.
When the vote Of 1910 is taken as the test, they have
FIVE districts TO four in the East Yet they insist h'
they cun carry only one in the whole State. Do ihy
confess loss to that exent' Do they allow, that lie
Wing party has lost ground far that they can caf
only one district under the arrangement, and will I'f
fonytseno And that only gave a Wing majority o.
sol, whilst one Of the fourteen Districts gave Demo
cratic majority, at the election of l40J and an0
ther 1853? II they confess these facts, then they an.
acknowledge most astonishing change in favor G! 'e
Democratic party. They mus, admit, il lhey ,aI
carry only one District out Of fifteen, in 1ei iA,
their candidate for the Presidency, Mr. Clay, IS mus.
weaker than General Harrison was. He carried h'e
ont of nine in the East Is not Mr. Clay and the "n
party as strong General Harrison If they ','
not who is 10 blame for it The whole charge, 10 =,
fullest dimensions, this The Wing party had 'o''
enough in 1910, carry FIVE Eastern Districts snY'
if they have no, los. ground under Mr. Clay, can cary