The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1859-07-15
rhe Democratic Apportionment


Bill Of 1851.
tProm the Republican nenbefl
The Nashville Union and American and
all the Damocfatic candidates nom the Of
fee Of Governor, down 70 the retailers Of
what their superiors sax. have charged
eross Injustice on the Wing Legislature
Of 1851 for passing the Congressional and
Legislative districtipg bills.
Those who never undeftoos % lay OF
the State into districts know nothing 1t
all about the labor and difficulty attends
ing it, his an easy matter to talk Flip
PANTY about It, and say why did Won not
do this, and that, and the thorbutwhen
they come to the work itself, they will find
il the most difficult and perplexine Job
they ever undertook. le.si y I
let rs take up the bin of apportion-
ment formemhers Of the General Assem-
bly, and see how tho case stands for the
Democracy
The Wing members Of the Committee
appointed to district the State presented
the bill which is now the law. The bill
did not suit ell Of the Wing members in
every particular, nor Is il possible to
frame one that will. There was many
objections and always will be to any OPP
portionment bill which may be made
II is impossible to frame one that will meet
the views and wishes of all the members
OF the same party, and how can it be ex-
pected to meet the wishes of the oppos-
ing party?
But the Union and American and Gov.
Harris complain most Justify at the in
justice Of the Wings, and especially of
the Wing members of the committee.
The Democratic members of the COM
mittee also presented a bill, and even be-
fore the Wings presented theirs, and af-
forwards it was offered in lieu. We
would suppose from the lamentations of
the Union and American and Gov. Harris
over the Wing bill, that the Democracy
always done up things exactly right, and
extended even-handed justice to ALL
We will introduce our readers to one
of the most outrageous bills ever intro
duced into any General Assembly, DEM
ocratic bill, which openly and positively
violates all Constitutional restrictions.
Col Guild, the Democratic member
from Sumner, was on the Districting
Committee, and presented the democratic
bill to district the State. We will com
mence with the Senatorial Districts first.
The ratio for which was 500 qualified
voters:
The Democratic bill made Senatorial
| District of Cooke, Sewer and Blount-
vote 1928. In this district they fail by
i, l42 votes to make the ratio.
They made the Fifth District Of Knox,
| Campbell, Morgan, Anderson and Roane
vote 7,692. In this district they eX-
ceeded the ratio l,722l
Sixth District--McMinn, Monroe, Polk
and Bradley. These counties voted, u
90. Here they exceeded the ratio again
! l,240 votes.
| Eighth District-Fentress. Overton,
Jackson, White, and Van Buren, ,529.
Increase of more than 800 votes.
| Thirteenth District-Wilson county
vote 1858. Here the democtatic bill was
nearly 1000 votes below the ratiol Did
human eyes ever see such an apportion-
ment and this, too, when in this same
beautiful democratic bill which metes out
justice to all concerned, they give Wilson
county hco Representatives. Wilson was en-
! titled to two Representatives, and got
them in the Wing bill, but who can say
that she was also entitled TO Senator?
Seventeeth District-Robertson and
Montgomery-vote 1858. Here again
they fall short ! 900 votes.
Eighteenth Decentralization Stewart,
! Humphreys and Benton-voted 1914
| Short again of the ratio 1000 votes.
! 25th Dist.,-Shelby county, vote 1882.
NowSiust shut your eyes, you sanctified
priests of Heaven descended Democracy
while the world beholds your consistency
and honesty.
! Wilson, with vote of 4053, gets, by
| your bill, Senator and two Representa-
| tives, while Shelby with vote of 1882,
gets Senator and but one Representatives,
and this too when she lacked more than
| 1000 votes of having enough to entitle
| her to a Senator.
Now, for some beautiful comparisons
in this Democratic BILL look at their 5th
District voting 1862, and at their 18th
district voting 4,053 Only the small and
Insignificant difference of 1867 votes
more than half enough to elect Senator,
and nearly enough to elect two Repre-
sentativesl Oh, aye blind guides, which
strain at a gnat and swallowa camelp
But we are not done with this piece of
| Democratic mosaic yet.
They give. Rutherford and Williamson,
each, two Representatives and jointly
one Senator.
The two counties voted 5 1872. The ratio
for Representative 1890 for Senator s.
$40. Here they give four Representatives
and one Senator, to two counties with a
voting population of 5.S72!
"Your attention if you pleaselD Why
did you give Williamson county, with a
vote Of ZIG, two Representatives, and
only one to Greene county, with vote of
BIO, and only one to Shelby county,
with vote of 1921
The Democratic bill gives White county,
with population of 2,O2S, one Repre-
sentative, and ties Van Buren, county,
with only 1888 votes, ON to white, and
! gives them another Representative. Hero.
then, are 2,406 voters having hoo Repre-
sentatives, when their number exceed the
ratio for one, only 4lG votes. -.
They give Obion county mefiiber- -all
right-Obion had ,4l6 votes-but chem
they give Obion and Dyer another, Fir-
| ing heo Representatives to voting popu-
lation of 1852, when 1862 is the smallest
number that can have two Representatives.
The ratio of representation in the House
being l,990-no county can have Rep
resenhtiye unless it has two-thirds of this
ratio, or | 1926 voters. Let us now sum up
this beautiful Bill; sSr ~
1t has so counties, with one member each, so
-Four counties with two members each, 8
And 20 Floating districts, one member each, 20
Making in all, IS
members 10 the House of Representa-
tiyes, when the Constitution fixes the
number for the present, at IS
And to conclude, if any of our readers
don't believe that we have fairly repre-
sented this Democratic Apportionment
Bill, presented to the Legislature in 1851,
by the Democratic committee, let them
look in the House journal of that session.
and read it for themselves. They will
find it the very last thing in the book, at
the very place where It ought TO be.
WAsHISoroN, SuIy Q.