The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-05-13
Shall the State be Gerymandered TO
Members of the Legislaturep

'Serrymanderlng (slngle clstrlct) amend
ment to the constitution, which, for par
=tisan reasons, the late Legislature sub
mitted to the people for their ratification
at the ensuing election. The Journal says:
"We should like to know why mar
living in Hamilton county should have the
right to vote for eight Representatives
and three Senators, while a man living in
the adjoining county of Warren can only
vote for one Representative and one Sen
ator2 Why should such an incongruity
exist2 Why not lop it off? Again, we ask,
why should Hamilton county always ap-
pear in the Legislature as political unit,
with as much power in the House as eight
counties, which send but one member each!
We are for the single-district system, in
order to break off this political drill,
which the Hamilton county delegation, in
consequence of it's members and its unity,
has always imposed upou the Legislature.
We are in favor of the single-district sys-
tem because it is more Just to the minor
ity, especially in Hamilton county. Un-
der that system there will always be
portion Of Republicans and portion Of
Democrats elected"
In response to the first interrogatory Of
the Journal we would reply that Hamil-
ton county, having eight times the popu-
lation Of Warren county, is entitled to
eight times as many members ard three
times as many Senators, and that its citi-
zens, under the present rule, have nothing
but their just rights under the census. If
twenty thousand people in Warren can
vote for one member why should not one
hundred and sixty thousand people of
Hamilton vote for eight members. The
true theory is to apportion Senators and
Representatives among the counties, as
coanqt,es on account of the convenience of
that political organization, and because
there is no difference of interest in coun-
ties which require them to be cut up and
divided in the choice of members. Ham
ilton county having one and the same
legislative interest, why should she not be
represented as such, instead of being divi-
ded into eight distinct parts, and por-
tion Of State sovereignty assigned to each!
There is no good reason for any such
change. The Journal, however, let's the
secret out when it tells us that when Ham
ilton county is dismembered and broken
up in eight fragments, by the system of
single districts, that the Black Repuhli-
cans will elect several members, as well as
the Democrats Aye, there's the rub; the
amendment was first suggested by Gov
ernor Chase in his message, who has an
eye to the United States Senate, to whom
| it is highly important that the Black Re-
publicaRs should always be able 20 carry
the Legislature. That shrewd political
manager perceived that the Democratic
strength in Ohio was diffnsed in large
number of counties which are Democratic
by small majorities, while the Black Re-
publican strength is piled up tremendous
ly in few counties un the Western Re-
serve and in the Miami Valley. BY cut
ting up the former into districts, the Re-
publicans would divide the representation
in the Democratic counties, while by no
system of carving could Democratic dis
tricts be made in the Western Reserve.
The change proposed, if it could be
carried into effect by the gerrymandering
and cutting up of counties, would make a
change of dozen or fifteen members, at
least, in favor of the Black Republicans.
1t was to gain partisan advantage, and
not to advance any public end, that led to
the proposition of the single-district sys.
tenn, and the Journal is honest in virtually
! confessing it. We underrate the intelli.
gence of the people of the State, and es,
pecially of the Democracy, against whom
this blow is aimed, if they permit the
amendment to become a law. Our breth.
rem Of the press everywhere have an i'm.
portant duty to discharge in holding ur
its true features and intentionsto the pub
lie eye. If it can be carried, the Black
Republicans will have great advantages
in legislative contests; and propably, here
after, would secure by its means most o
the Unitad States Senators.
This question Of single representative
districts is an old one to the people o
T Ohio, who have uniformly condemned
it, The arguments of Governor Chase
and of his mouth-piece, the journal
J, were urged in the convention that formed
the constitution, but without effect, ant
the people ratified the rejection by larg'
: majority. The plan proposed now is bu
an ampli6caticn of the iniquitous division
d of Hamilton County, in 1S47, for mer
/ political ends, which created such storm
Il of Indignation among the Democracy, tha
= it was never carried into practical effect
Among the opponents of division thel
: was Salmon P. Chase, who owed his elec
). tion to the Senate to the public feeling
, against it. Even that was not so unfair
E and did not afford so fine field of gerry
: Wandering as the present law. 1t diyide
: the county into two districts, giving on
|. two Representatives and the other thre
the first district being composed of th
q city, which was then Whig, while th
d county (out side) was Democratic.
0 The minority, therefore, at the mos
s could get the two members out of the Eve