The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-08-13
The Apportionment.

The Constitutional Convention has
doubtless adjourned ere this, after having
so far as we have seen or heard, framed an
INSTRUMENT excellent in its general features;
butft is to be regretted that so good an
Instrument should be marred by foul
blotch, in the shape of an infamous ap-
portionment. We are surprised that the
Republicans, after all their professions Of
fair dealing, and after their grievous COM
plants of oppression and disfranchise-
ment, should now, in the day Of their
power, resort to unfairness equal, if not
greater, than any practiced by the Border
Rufians. The apportionment in the Le-
compton Constitution was fair and honor
,ble in comparison with this. To be sure,
it does not directly disfranchise so many
counties as the apportionment made by
The last Pro- Slavery Legislature did, but
It virtually amounts to the same. This
,pportionment. in all its parts, shows that
t was arranged for partisan purposes,pnd
% defeat the will of the people Of apor-
| ion of the counties, by uniting them
with others which contain overwhelming
majorities of voters of opposite senti-
ments. True, this apportionment will
-ender the prospect of Democratic ma
ority in the Legislature hopeless, which
is Contamination devoutly to be wished
ior;;" but if that object cannot be attained
without resorting to means so unfair, they
might as well be permitted to take the
sway.
Let us look at the apportionment.-
Atchison county, where the vote is very
close, and where the Democrats will stand
IN equal chance with the Republicans of
obtaining a small majority, is hitched fast
TO Brown, which is largely Republican,
Thus the five Representatives of Atchison
will be controlled by the vote Of Brown.
But Brown only has a small vote, and the
Republican majority will probably be not
over $50, at the highest. In Atchis n
county, the Democrats are thoroughly or
gsnized, and should they happen to give
It's majority, which is not improbable.
they will elect their FIVE Representatives
md also send Democrat to represent the
.taunch Republican county of Brown
TDoniphan, If not the second, is the third
county in the Territory; yet she has only
four Representatives, while Atchison has
| Eve, and an interest in the sixth. Why
IS this? Because the vote here is very
close, and the Democrats stand a goocl
chance of carrying the county. It was
not found convenient to hitch strong
Republican county to her, and therefore
she must put up with less than her Just
share of representation. SO that it will not
count much for the Democrats, if they
should carry the county. Shawnee coun-
! ty is given moro Representatives than
Doniphan, and Douglas has as many as
Leavenworth. The decidedly Repubfi-
can county of Eemaha is fastened TO the
doubtful ones of Marshall and Pottawatta-
mic. Jefferson and jackson counties give
small Democratic msjorities. To over.
come this, they are tackled to the strong
Republican county Of Shawnee. john
son and Wyandott are Democratic, but
they are tied to the overwhelming Re-
publican county of Douglas. Bourbon,
which is probably Democratic, is put with
Lykins and Linn, which are Republican.
Thus every uncertain or Democratic coun-
ty, except Lsavenworth and Doniphan, is
lied to strong Republican county
Leayenworth county, which polls three
times as many votes as Atchison, has but
four more Representatives. Leavenworth
is Democratic, and Atchison, with Brown,
is not For Senators, the apportionment
is equally scandalous.
There would have been fierce fight
against the ratification of the Constitu-
tion by the people, even with the fairest
kind Of an apportionment; but under ex-
sting circumstances, many Free State
men and Republicans will oppose it, and
it will run great risk Of being rejected
IF not by the people. by the Senate.
Il is sincerely to be deprecated, that our
prospects Of being admitted as a State
should be placed in jeopardy by such a
scandalous and unfair feature in the Con-
stitution.-Kansas Chief.-