Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-16
Congressioma, nistricts,

We publish the bill arranging the COMPRESSION.
al District, as i. passed The House of Delegates,
among the proceeding Of the House on Tuesday
week The Richmond Whig says sit is as base
gerrymander as bucolic sagacity and Spartan hon
eaty combined could devise" If the Wing had
ever had any faith in the Democratic professions
Of regard for popular rights this BILL professsdly to
deprive the Whigs-nearly one.halfthe State-of
single representative in Congress, would have
entirely dissipatedi. Itasserts that not only have
the Democratic party been naneuvring to ac-
complish this result, but to gerymandor individual
Democrats into and out of particular districts.
The bill gives the Wings one District and the
Democrats twelve. The vote of the State at the
late Presidential election, recently ascertaned by
the Secretary Of the Commonwealth, stands, for
PIERCE and KING, 79 ,e72; for Scorr and GRA-
HAM, SO. 500. Every one can thus see at glance
the wrong which is perpetrated upon the Wings Of
the State The bill is yet to be acted on by the
Senate, but that body will hardly make it any
better
| The committee to district the State was ap-
pointed more than year ago, and has BEEN incu.
batting on the subject ever snce-we beg pardon
only the Democratic portion of the Committee has
been concerned for although some Wings were
put upon it for show of decency, it was only for
show, as the Wing members have been rarely
if ever consulted. The intention of the majority
of the Committee and of the Locofoco party has
been avowedly so to arrange the distrcts as to Sc
Gre Democratic majority in every one: if they
have not succeeded entirely in that tyrannical de-
sign, it was from no fault Of effort; only from a
physical impossibility. As it now stands they
have decided majoriIies in twelve out Of the thir-
teen districts, and an even chance for the thir-
teenth. The Wing vote of the State is only a
fraction under the half of the whole number Of yo
ters-pOssibly full half-of equal interests, and
of equal rights to freedom of opinion and represen-
tation of those interests and opinions. .e.
The Constitution says that ''the districts shall be
formed of contiguous counties-and shall be COM
pact, &c." this Locofoco Legislature sworn to car
ry out the REQUESTS of the Constitution, now,
while it is fresh in their minds, have deliberately
violated it in this respect. The districts may be
Fcontiglous" indeed, as beads on string are con-
tiguous, but they exhibit most singular ilustra-
tions of oompactness, appearing in every variety Of
shape from that Of piece ofchalk to hoestring
We could not complain had there been an hon
est endeavor to form compact and homogeneous
districts, if every one had CHANGED to turn up dem
ocratc in politics. Then at least we could have
been grati6ed that the interests and convenience
of the whole people had beenpreferred to the plans
and Vaccinations Of political demagogues. As ii
is, the singular spectacle is presented of body Of
men, assembled under Republican Constitution
and Bill of Rights--themselve belonging TO a
party which emblazons equal Rights" on all
its banners-deliberael endeavoring, in the dis
charge of public duty, to virtually disfranchiso
almost onehalf Of their fellow citizens, dro.cedly
for the sole reason Of advancing party, political and
personal ends,