Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-04-19
The Congressional Apportion-
ment.


The Legislature of 1861, says the Pa
trio, and Union, being Republican in both
branches embraced the opportunity to ap'
portion the State into Congressional Dis
tricts. The bill passed was an in infa-
nous gcrrymander--a high handed at.
temp. to disfranchize the Democratic vo'
ters of the State. Atthe election of Gov.
ernor in October 1860, when this Legisla-
ture ives chosen the Republican party
polled 262 $50 votes for Andrew G.. Cur
tin and the Democrats $50, 900 votes for
Henry d. Foster, leaving the former
majority of 32,O59 votes, and showing
that the two parties stood to each other in
the proportion of about 26 Republican to
23 Democratic. Taking this election as
a test of the relative strength of the two
parties in the State land it was the only
evidence the Legislature of 1861 had be-
fore it) fair political division of the
State required that the Democrats should
have been assigned at least ten out of
twenty three Districts into which the
counties were distributed. Instead of this
the State was cut, hacked, and mutilated;
counties divided into fragments, and every
conceivable inequality and injustice per-
petrated for the purpose of depriving the
Democratic party of its just proportion of
representation in Congress. But four Dis
trcts were made certainly Democratic,
upon the basis of the Governor, to repre-.
sent $40 900 Democratic electors; while
the remaining nineteen Districts were made
certainly or probably Republican to rep
resent 262 900 Republican electors; and
the Democrats were only given these four
Districts because it was impossible for an
unscrupulous and imperiuos majority to
avoid it.
No movement was made by the Repub.
licans at the recent session of the Legis-
lature to remedy this great wrong until
an additional member of Congress was as.
signed this State when it became necess-
ary to revise the apportionment of 1861.
Instead of going to work in liberal and
repcntant spirit to undo the disgraceful
work of their predecessors, the Republi'
cans exerted all their ingenuity to squeeze
in an additional district without spelling
that beautiful arrangement; and in the
final consumation of this business they OBJ
taned the valuable assistance Of the So
called gu nion Democrats" who, together
with Mr.. Speaker Rowe, proved most will.
ling and serviccable coadjutors. The re-.
vised bill as it came from the Senate was
passed through the House on Wednesday
last, under the whip and spur of the pre-.
vious question, and in total disregard Of
the rules governing that body. Not a
single amendment was permitted. No ar.
gument,or cxpostulation was allowed to
interfere with the Predetermined purpose
of the allied powers to pass the bill pre-
cisely as the republican managers desired.
1t is not pleasant to reflect upon the con-
duct of a gentleman personally so amiable
and estmable as Mr. Rowe, but it was ev.
idcnt that he had resolved to use the ar
bitrary power which the Speaker may
usurp to secure the passage of the bill !;
and when on Wednesday afternoon bis
conscience or his constitutional weakness
incapacitated him for the performance Of
the task assigned him, he resigned the
chair to Mr.. Armstrong, who displayed a
bad courage equal to the emergency.
The following is the bill as finally pas
sed and approved by the Governor
DISTRICTS. POPULATION.