, 1869-03-19
me Apportionment Questlon.


the matter is perfectly correct, according to
the figures, but the figures used do not give
true basis for the deductions which you
draw, consequently the whole article is in-
correct In the first place the Central Com.
mittee had no data before them on which to
base fair apportiOnment. In the last, nor
at any other election, the precincts do not
represent themselves correctly. Take my
precinct, Walula, for instance; 81 votes
we're pOled here at the last Delegate election,
where | know that the whole voting pOpula-
ton of the precinct proper, did not exceed
halt that number The whole voting popu,
lation to day, democrats AID republicans, is
just %; Is of them are straight-Out demo>
Gratis, are doubtful, leaving sure repub.
lican votes to this precinct. The Democratic
Central Committee gave this precinct one
delegate for the 13 votes, and the Republican
Central Committee gave it 8 delegates. for
their Z votes. For every vote over 20 in this
precinct at the next election, detracts from
some other precinct At the last election
men voted here from Frenchtown, Upper and
Lower TOuchet, Spokane and Yakima. The
object was to get as large vote for Flanders
as possible 10 his own precinct, consequently
men were imported on US, but can safely
say that if Flanders gets the nomination next
time, that he will not get three of the repub.
lican votes of this precinct,
Then, again, residents of this precinct went
to Waila WaIla city to vote, democrats too,
one of them was A. D. Pambrun, and 1 am
satisfied that at least half of the Frenchtown
precinct went to .Walla Walla city to vote
and, as said above, some of the residents of
Frenchtown precinct voted at Walula, and
l naturally suppose that some of the other
precincts are 10 the same condition. Now,
pray tell me how you are going to take the
returns of last election from the precincts,
and make fair and exvitabe appOrtionment?
1t can't be done. l am satisfied, from my
own knowledge, that there is at least 55
democratic votes in the FrenchtoWn precinct
l am pretty well satisfied that Walla Walla
precinct did not have more than 275 demo-
cratic voters proper. At the last election
she polled 372 for Clark This surplus of
81 votes comes from outside precincts nor
was 372 the highest democratic vote cast in
the Walla Walla precinct; one democratic
candidate received 433 votes, and another
Ala; then came Clark's, 372. One repub>
lcan received 3S4 votes in the Walla Walla
precinct. Nor can you get at a fair appor.
tionment Of precincts by the vote for precinct
officers. Party ties are not drawn on them
in the Wallula precinct, notwithstanding it
appears so hopelessly republican by the vote
for Delegate we elected a democratic Justice
oil the peace almost unanimously.
The only way that know of to get at
just and fair apportionment, l suggested to
the Central Committee at its first session,
which was this Request the chairman and
clerks of the different precinct meetings to
take the trouble to enter in a small book the
names of every democrat in their respective
precincts, number same as poll books, and
present the same, signed by the clerk and
chairman of the primary meeting, to the
County Democratic Convention, then, when
a new Central Committee is appointed they
can take their books and have a basis to
operate upon or, what, in my estimation,
would be better still, let the whole conveu-
ton act at once on this data, and apportion
The county then and there in open convention.
Let all central committees 90 down to the
grave unhonored and unsung" Thirty-one
delegates in convention assembled, comes
nearer the people than five committeeman in
secret conclave. shall advocate this meas
ure before the first convention, and endpavor
to apply its workings to the last, or County
Convention, then the action Of the Central
Commltte in apportioning the county for the
hrst, or Delegate Convention, will have ex>
hausted itself, and the people will have
fair chance to apportion the county properly,
for the County Convention and all must be
satisfied. JIM. VASsYoKLE.
THE OLD RACE DYING Our IN MAssA-
oHUsETrs.-A Boston correspondent writes
that the decrease in the number of children
in Massachusetts, is a subject for our alarm,
lists to ponder upon. Many towns 10 the State
have been settled over two hundred years,
aud there history includes from six to eight
generations. The records of many of these