The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-06-09
WondarfnI Gnraoitrl J


The remarkably astute editors Of the TYi-
burud Clipper haveat las. found out that in
apportioning the Slate there will OCCASION
ally be fractions in The various districts for
Senators and Representatives, and they
thereupon, doubtless after vast deal of re-
search, select two democratic and one whig
district to demonstrate that the apportion-
ment OF Sena tors is unjust. To show what
Ia wonderful fuculty the editors have for
discovering mares nests, we quote the fol-
lowing beautiful calculation:
"Look at the apportionment for State SEN
ators. One or two specimens will suffice.
The first that follows is Democratic dis.
trict."
lOf course, one or two specimens win
suffice for their purpOss--they don't want
any more, for they would be likely to spoil
the impression intended to be conveyed.1
Knox and Morrow, 49,110--1 Senator.
Now here is Wing district
M2skingum and Perry, 65,827-1 Senator.
So thatina whig district it takes 16, III more
votes to elect one Senator than it does in d
Democratic district ~ tt
Now let us see how the Democrats fare in
Hamilton county, which gives large majority
for that party:
Hamilton, 156,860-3 Senators.
Now, in the Wing Muskingum district it
would take just 1877, ,4S1 votes, as apportioned,
to elect three Senators, the number to which
Hamilton is enttled-making difference Of
0,6Sl in favor Of Hamilton county |
| The New Constitution provides thatthe
population of the State shall be divided by
30, and the result shall be the number of in
habitants entitled 10 one Senator. The
number reported by the late census divided
thus would give 55,745. Therefore, that
number Of inhabitants are entitled to one
Senator, and district which contains that
number and three -lourths of that number is
entitled to two, &c. Three-fourths of 55,-
745 is Al, 1903; SO Knox and Morrow are en-.
titled to one Senator. Washington and
Perry are entitled to but one, for although
there is fraction over it does not amount to
enough for two, by 3l,736. Now let us see
to Hamilton. This district contains a pop
, ulation of l57.878. Give il two Sena tors
, and there is fraction over Of 46,388. If
there were only al 1903 over, another Senator
would be due, and Hamilton, therefore has,
as she is justly entitled, three Senators.
AS to arrangement Of the counties into
districts, we believe it has been done as
well as it is possible to do it, and nearly ev-
|ery prominent whig member of the Con-
vention, who has had much experience in
such matters formerly, is Of the same opin-
ion. But, when doctors disagree, who shall
determine We shall let them argue that
question among themselves.
But the Tribune and Clipper says: "Now
in the whig Muskingum district it would
take just 1877 ,48l votes, as apportioned, to
elect three Senator's" "Now, it would
take no sucha thing, and the editor knew he
was writing fib when he penned that sem
tence. 1t will not require single "vote {"
more in one district than another to entitle
it to a Senator. But he continues" Ma
king difference of 40,63l in favor of Ham
ilton county y IT'S well the editors used
the intejcction @ for such calculation is
really astonishing; and we should not be
surprised to hear that Immediately after con-
cluding it, he adjourned and took an injcc.
tion. The whole OF the article is unfair,
cratic and nonse nsical. "Forty thousand
six hundred and thirty-one in favor of Ham,
ilton county" how? What is meant by it?
Can any one tell9
Suppose Hamilton county, in 1860 should
contain population Of l97,48l, and the
Muskingum district have the same popula-
tion of Hamilton now, in whose favor would
the difference be? utsuppose the Mus
kingum district, at this moment, contained
l97,48l, 3Senators would only be due that
number, for the fraction would not be LARGE
enough to entitle it to A. The same rule
applies to any district, either whig or dem,
ocrat, and we are surprised at the miserably
lame attempts Of our neighbors to prove il
otherwise.