The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-12-15
The APPOrtIOnInenI Law.

AilW
The following article from the Circle.
vile Herald is commended to the atten.
ton of the honest men of the Democratic
party. 1t puts the question in fair light
the simple statement of the case is
complete vindication of the fairness and
business of the appointment Law.
During the pendency of the late cam
paign and in fact ever since the adjourn
ment ofthe last Legislature, the Locofo-
CO papers and stump orators have been
very Jealous, and earnest in their endeav-
ors to convince the people of Ohio that the
law for apPortioning Senators and Rep
resentatives among the several counties
in the State, was not only uuconstituton-
al, but most unjust and unfair. We
thought, and so stated, that it was the
fairest bill ever passed in Ohio, sincelS32
the Locofocess aid, that it secured equal
representation as to population, but that
it was so cunningly framed as to give all
the advantages to the Wings. 1t was of
but little use to argue the matter, expe-
rience alone could solve it. We have
had that experience, and what is the re-
suit? The Locofocos have elected ten
out Of the eighteen Senators this fall, Civ
ing them half of the Senate, and thirty
1--WE out of the seventy-two Representa-
tives, and claim 10 have elected thirty
seven Representatives, being majority
of that body. And this was all done
while the Wings elected their Governor
by majority of 345. Could they rea-
sonably ask anything more, or did they
want the control of the Legislature while
a majority of the popular vote was a
gainst them7 But they attempted to g.
wade the force of these facts, by saying
that at the Presidential election, when
party lines were more closely drawn,
they obtained popular majority of six
; teen thousand in the State, and that un-
; der fair apportionment law, this would
have secured them decided majority in
both branches of the Legislature. Let
us see how this thing is. At the Presi-
dental election the three parties polled
in round numbers as follows: Locofoco
; $4,000; Wing $4,000; Free Soil 35 900.
AT this rate the LocOfocos ought to be-
, able to elect II Senators and "a Repre-
sentalives; the Wings Is Senators and 80
Representatives, and the Free Soilers
Senators and 8 Representatives. This
= would have given the LocofocOs two ma
jority in the Senate over the Wings, and
four in the House, just what their six
teen thousand popular majority entitled
them to have. But then, according to
: Republican principles, the $4,000 Free
Soilers oug ht to be represented too. The
y popular majority of the Wings and Free
Soilers in the State was 10000, and to-
> gether they ought TO have at least ma
: jority of two in the Senate and four in
the House of Representatives. Now let
any man take the returns Of the Plesi-
. dental election and he will find that the
apportionment law does even more than
? justice to the Locofoco party. AT the
Presidential election, Of tho thirty-six
= Senatorial districts, eighteen gave plu.
rallies tor Cass, fifteen for Taylor, and
three for Van Buren; and OF the seventy
two Representative districts, thirty six
went for Cass, thirty for Taylor and six
for Van Buren,. We annex table based
upon votes given at the Presidential cleo
tion, showing the number Of Senators and
u Representatives each party was entite d
: to have according to numerical strength,
Q and the number each could have cleo
ted by puralities or majerities:
: SENATE.
d The Democrats were entitled to II
could have elected 1S
The Wigs were entitled to Is
}, could have elected Is
q The Free Soilers were entitled to 4
u could have elected 3
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The Democrats were entitled to 81
= could have elected sc
The Wings were entitled to 80
g could have elected 80
The Free Soilers were entitled to s
Il