The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-09-19
DisirancAise,nea. 4 western iowa,

The rank and file of the Black Democra-
cy are shrieking themselves hoarse, Just now,
over the apportionment of the State into
Representative Districts, by the last Legisla-
ture. The Convention which met at Iowa
City, on the 10Th ult., adopted resolution
eondsnnatory Of that apportionment, since
which time, Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart
have yelped in unison, and We'd with each 9th.
er, IN hunting down the perpetrators of the
act, which the Convention called So tyrani-
cal and fagitious outrage, a violation of
every principle of Republican Govern
mcnt, and which demands the severcst re-
buke from the people,"
Now, if such is the case, that the Republ;-
cans so districted the State, that ssthe ma
jority of the members of the General As
sembly are given to minority of the peo-
plc"-which We do not admit-they only act
cd upon the precedent established by the
Democratic party, not only in this State,
but in several others, and one or two Ter
rItories that We wot Of. But we did not set
out to refer to the State at large in relation
to the apportionment, but merely to take
cursory glance at the alleged 'gerryman-
dering' in this District. Our neighbor
says, that under Black Republican rule for
the last three years, the representation of
Pottawattamie county has been reduced one
half, and in fact, that tho "County has been
totally disfranchised." Now, this is a Sc.
r'ous charge, and one which, if true, ought
to consign every mothers son of the Black
Republicans to Locofoco rule torerer.-
There, we call that pretty hard sentence
but it the charge is just, they ought to suf-
fer tic extreme penalty Of their misdemean-
or. But for our part, We think the charge
is not'well grounded, aud is not suscept-
BILE Of even anything approximating proof:
Our neighbor says, that ''three years ago,
Pottaw"ttamie County had two Representa-
tivcs, and Harrison aud several other North.
ern counties had one Representative, and
tho two Representative Districts were enti-
tied to one Senator" That's all very true,
but our neighbor does not say, whether or
not, that apportionment was legitimate
and rightful one, based upon the returns of
tho census, as near equal as possible. We
contend that that apportionment, in giving
to Pottawattamie County two Representa-
tives, exceeded fair and impartial Repre-
sentative observation-disclosures as it
allowed representation beyond what the pop
ulation OF tho County entitled it to. And,
therefore, the last Legislature did right in
reducing the number of Representatives,
That's our opinion-makc the most of it.
But now let us see how much truth there
is in the charge that Pottawattamie and the
Northern counties have been DISTINGUISHED.
In order to do so, let US take the whole num-
her Of votes polled last fall, and as ''certain
the basis of Representation. Total vote of
tho State in 1856, S9,304, with rcpresen-
tation in the Lower House of IS. Divide
the whole number Of votes pollcd, by the
number Of Representatives, and you have
the basis of representation-which is 1923
votes. For every 1928 votes, then, you
have n Representative. Now then, having
ascertained that fact, let US see how the
case stands in this District and County. The
following is the vote polled in this Repre-
sentative District last fall, for President
and Members Of Congress.