Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-03-09
BY B. W. .&P. c. JOHNSON.

o. III people, even more so, in maty cases,
Than mere equality of representation, and the
principle Of single districts for representatives..
Tne apporlionmenI is based upon population
Of three hundred and filiy.oue thousand eight
hundred aRd eighly-four free white males, above
the age Of wenly.one years; and provides for
lhiry-six Senator'S, and seyeniy.lwo Represen-
IaiIves. .s. .... ..... ....... . ... ....
The politics Of the several counties, are indi-
Gated by the election for Governor, in 1886.
1LtHere follows a table showing the population Of
counties and districts, with the number of Sena-
tors and Representatives, Politics Of Counties &C.,
but which we are obliged to omit The explana-
tions below will be understood, Notwithstanding .
The following facts and inrerences will be
seen on carefully yexpmining Ihe foregoing table.
+ i. Fhe inequalities of rcprcseDIaion are not
seriously important. In The aggregate, they
are against the Wings, and favor the Locofocos.
In no instance does the inequality exceed the
fourth of representative. ...
2. Al the Governors election in 1916, foriy-
five counties and the first district in Hamilton
county, containing 9O6, ,260 frecmen, gave Wing
majoriIies; and thiuy-eight counties, containing
| lI5,624 lreemen. gave loeoiuco muiorilies.- -
! This shows difference Of 60636 freemcn, and
must of necessity exert great influence over
the distribution Of representation. The Wing
court es are entitled to twenly.one Senators and
fory.two Representatives, regard being had to
this large excess Of population.
8. The table shows that the ratio, in tho Lo.
coloco Senatorial District is SIXTY LESS than the
true ratio while in the Wing Districts, the ra.
ITO is (orty-lour more than the true ratio.
1. Three Wing counties. containing ,102
rrecmen, are included in Locofoco Senatorial
Districts; and five Locofoco counties, contain
ing lU20 lreemen, aIe included in Wing Sen.
Gtorial Districts.
1t therefore very clearly appears, that gener.
al justice has been fully accorded to the min1ri-
~. Their districts arc overrepresenied; the
Wing districts are und2r-represenIed; and the
Wings have more population sunk than the Lo.
cotocos have. We are content TO let facts bs
weighed, in the scales of justice, with bold and
vague assertions. Unvarnished truth can easily
triumph over impudent denuncialon.
1t is also worthy of remark, that aside from
Hamilton county, there are only eight districts
electiug two Representatives in common. Three
are Locoloco districts, and five of them are
Wing districts. Il is believed that in neither of
these districts, can single representation be in
roduced, without doing more or less injustice
10 the people concerned. In doing so, serious
disregard must bo had to equality Of representa-.
ton, not AT all warranted by any Want Of conli-
guy Of territory, or conflict Of business rela.
lions.
The minority having entirely declined prasan.
ting any measure Of their own, we have not the
means ot contrasting our action, with their no.
tons Of justice. II is only left to u.s. to refer 10
what their party did in former years, IA the
most reliable index Of what they would them
selves have now done, had it pleased the people
ofIhc State to have vested them with the power.
Attention is, therefore, invited 10 a carefully
prepared table, exhibiting some oflhe operations
Of the npporionment law ofNlarch, 1910. The
ratio of representation at that time was BO87
freemen, for one Senator, and half that number
for one Representative. The politics of the
several counties, as designated, refer TO The cleo.
lion for Governor in 1888.
Here follows table exhibiting some of the OPP
erations of the apportonment bill Of 1910, which
we are also under the necessity of emitting The
conclusions 10 be drawn from it will be to some
extent at least apparent from what follows.l
This table opens wide field for the study OF
political corruption. Il is not now proposed TO
enter into all the reflections, which its enormi-
ios present. A few will suffice. This table
among other things, shows
!. That there were twenly.eight Representa-.
tive districts subjected TO the system Of floats:
2. That there were four Senatorial districts
having Senatorial floats:
3. That Notwithstanding tho system Of floats
was so extensively used, under the plausible pre-.
tence of equalizing representation, yet large
fractions Of ireemen in Wing aslrcts were not
rePresented; while the Locoloco district of But
Ter was over represented, The annual average a.
mounting 10 nine hundred and seventy.three:
4. The system of floats, as used, produced
enormous inequalities in the same district in dif.
lerent years. For example, examine The Perry,
Morgan and Washington district. In 1910,
these counties were allowed three Representa-.
tves and one Senator; in l84l, two Represent.
atiVes and two Senator'S; in l842, three Repre-
sentaliVes and two Senators, and IN l843, TWO
Representatives and one Senator. In the whole
history of political corruption, as brought to in
auence popular suffrage, it would be difficult to
find more remarkable instance Of the march
ing and counlermarching Of representation.
ln 1910 these counties were .....E ..
aa under-represented ll47 frcemen.
"1a4l over-represented 877
"l842 " {" " 1899
g l843 under-represented 3l68
10 1841, two Senators and two Representatives
were more than the district was entitled 10; the
addition of third Representative in l642, was
most wanton and wicked abuse. The reduc-
Iion Of representation in l843, TO one Senator
and Two Representatives. thus leaving 1863 free
men unrepresented, was not less fragrant than
the former outrage. The whole was wicked