White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-08-04
The Apportionment.

The Constitutional Convention has
doubtless adjourned ere this, after hav-
ing, SO far as we have seen or heard, fra
med an instrument excellent in its general
features; but it is to be regretted that SO
good an instrument should be marred by
a foul blotch, in the shape Of an Infamous
apportionment. We are surprised that
the Republicans, after all their profess
sions of fair dealing, and after their grie-
vous complaints of oppression and dis
reimbursement, 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 Lecompton Constitution was fair and
honorable in comparison with this. To
be sure, it does not directly disfranchise
SO many Counties as the apportionmcnt
made by the last PrO-Slavery Legislature
did, but it virtually amounts to the same
thing. This apportionment, in all its
parts, shows that it was arranged for par
tisan purposes, and to defeat the will Of
the people of portion of the Counties,
by uniting them with Others which con-
tain overwhelming majorities Of voters of
opposite sentiments. True, this appOr-
tionmcnt will render the prospect of a
Democratic majority in the Legislature
hopeless, which is consummation de-
voutly to be wished for" but if that OBJ
iect 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
an equal chance with the Republicans Of
obtaining small majority, is hitched
fast to Brown, which is largely Republi-
can. 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 Atchison County, the Democrats are
thoroughly organized; and should they
happen to give IT'S majority, which is
not improbable, they will elect their five
Representatives, and also send Demo
cratic represent the staunch Republican
County of Brown. Doniphan, if not the
second, is the third County in the Terri
tory; yet she has only four Representa-
tives, while Atchison has five, and an in
terest in the sixth. Why is this Be-
cause the vote here is very close, and the
Democrats stand good chance Of carry
ing the County. 1t was not found con-
ven:ent to hitch a strong Republican
County to her, and therefore she must put
up with less than her just share of repre-
sentation, SO that it will not count much
for the Democrats, if they should carry
the County. Shawnee County is given
more Representatives than Doniphan, and
Douglas has as many as Leavenworth
The decidedly Republican County of Ne,
maha is fastened to the doubtful ones of
Marshall and Pottawatomie. Jefferson
and jackson Counties give small Demo-
cratic majorities. To overcome this, they
are tackled to the strong Republican Coun-
ty of Shawnee. johnson and Wyandotte
are Democratic, but they are tied to the
Overwhelmingly Republican County of
Douglas. Bourbon, which is probably
Democratic, is put with Lykins and Linn,
which are Republican. Thus every I'M
certain or Democratic County, except
Lcavcnworth and Doniphan, is tied to a
strong Republican County. Leaven-
worth County, which polls three times
as many votes as Atchison, has but four
more Representatives. Icavenworth is
Democratic, and Atchison, with Brown,
is not. For Senators, the apportionment
is equally scandalous.
There would have been a fierce fight
against the ratification of the Constitu-
ton by the people, even with the fairest
kind of an apportionment; but under ex-
listing 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.
1t is sincerely to be deprecated, that our
prospects of being admitted as State
should be placed in jeopardy by such q
scandalous and unfair feature in the Con-
stitution.