The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1848-06-02

omaly has happened, the State was dis
tricted for legislative purposes by un.
scrupuous whig parlisans, and so distric-
ted, too, as TO perpetuate power IN their
hands. These facts known, and taken in
connection with the bold and unblushinG
avowai made before the meeting Of the
last Legislature, by leading whig paper
printed in the county of Clinton, that the
State should be so diatricted as in any
contingency to keep il out Of the hands
of the democratic party particularly when
the State W as TO be re ,districted, caused
many to fear that the same bold and un-
scrupulou, game, played of with signal
success 10 other States, would be attempt"
ed in Ohio. So strong and well founded
was this belief, Mat the Governor Of the
State, in his annual message, warned the
Legislature that no right was "dearerto
freeman than equal representation" \
and he asked the majority Of that body TO
"meet this fund damental trust With all that
spirit Of deliberaton, candor, and fair~
ness towards all parties, and every dis.
trict of the State, which its delicacy and
proper performance demands"
Needless of this warning the majority
in the last Legislature went into an avow.
edly political spportionment. The joint
select committee that reported the bill,
IN the report which accompanied it, as
will be seen by reference to pages SO and
81 of the Appendix TO the Senate Jour
nal, discussed tho question of apportion.
ment as a political question, and even
went so far as TO foreshadow the fact, that
out Of the thlrtyssix members Of the Sem
ate. bat fifteen could, by possibility, be
democratic.
1t is not.our intention now and in this
address, to expose the glariDg Inequalities
Of tins apporti5nment scheme, as regards
the injustice done TO the political party
with which we act, and we must content
ourselves with asserting the simple fact,
frequently charged and never contradic.
ted, that, under its provisions, though Col.
]
Ono, by majority greater than that by
which Mr.. Corwin was in l8l0-though
the democracy carry the State by larger
majority on the popular vote than ever
any political party carried it before. still
would he Legislature in both branches.
be whig; and thus would power be PerPet-
uated in the hands Of political party,1n
fearful minority Of the people. This
fact eaisly proven to be so, by reference
to the returns offormer elections, worth
all the idle defamation and groundless
assertion of those who attempt to subvere
the plainrst principle of Republican goyr
c nment, by placing the law making pow
er of The State government in the hands
of minority of the people, from which It
cannot be wrested. however faithless that
minority may be to The great principles of
democratic liberty. In vain may federal
orators eude TO explain-in VAIN may
they buster, so long as the fact We have
stated remains uncontradicled, the APP
porlionment scheme, attempted TO be fas-
tened upon the people by reckless ma
jority in the last Legislature, will be held
as monstrous in lis injuStice--a base and
infamous attempt to subvcrt that piainest
principles Of Republican government, the
right of the majority to rule.
Grant, tor the sake of argument, that
the principles of the whig party are right
aud rtper. (and we now address ours
selves particularly to those with whom We
hold an honest difference Of opinioDl-
grant that the theory OF banking, as It ex-
i, in Ohio, is correct, is safe and honest
grant, that it ia right to exempt tho
banker from increased taxation 20 pay the
state deb, while ii is laid with heavy
hand upon the farmer, the mechanic, and
the other ciuzens-graut that these, and
all The other principle Of the whig lead.
ers are correct, then let US ask, il II be
necessary TO perpetuate power by fraud
to keep these principles IN the ascendant
II they be right, full and free discussion
viii show their justice and add 10 the nuns
Der ul lHSiT sUppoENclss uuA ~ 10 'u'o !"
say, that honest principles need dishonl
est apporuonmeut scheme 10 ensure their
snccess. To so assert--to act upon that
belief, is at once an acknowledgement
. Eupon the part of lhose who attempted the
pc peiraliun of the fraud, that their prin- :
c,pies will not bear the test of close in-
. ves,gaton, and that hence, they must be
euts,led upon the people, whether they be
willing to receive them or not
l Bnt we DO not purpose TO discuss this
4 apPOrnoBment scheme SO much I'D ils Pos
litical bearings, as to show ills utter want
of fconstitutiooality in ITS provisions, and
to show that, though ii was signed by the
Speakers, and published in the statute
o,ks as n law that it never passed ln