Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-03-27
PLAIN TALK.
A Democrats Opinion of the Second Con-
greSSiOnal District,

Hon. j. Z. Nowlin, the Democratic Rep
resentative from White county, entered
the following strong protest against the
passage of the ApportiOnment Bill which
is such monstrOus outrage upon the peo-
pie Of the Second Congressional District {:
The undersigned, in exercise of his legit-
innate and Constitutional right, presents
his solemn and eternal protest against the
action of this body in the adoption yester-
day of the bill apportioning the State of
Tennessee into districts for representation
i'll the Congress of the United States, and
particularly to that section of the bill
forming the Second District, for the follow
ing reasons, and ask that it be entered
upon the journal of the House:
LIST. Because, in the formation of the I'd
District as provided for in this bill, is an
exhibition of the most monstrous contor-
ton of the natural, social and local features
of the country that is known to the his
tory of our State, embracing territory ex
tending from the blue grass regions of the
Cumberland river to the dingy peaks of
the Allegheny ranges of North Carolina,
a distance of $50 miles, containing almost
every variety of interest and enterprise
known to the State, with boundaries of
most moDstrOus and unsightly defOrmities.
I'd. That the population of the I'd Dis
trict is Is, 200 greater, while that of the 1st
is 5000, and that of the Sd is 4, 900 less than
their legitimate ratio; and that there has
been no excuse afforded for this discrimi-
nation.
3d. That in the formation of the I'd Dis
trict the will of the majority utterly ig
nored the wish of respectable minority
from the fact that, with one single eXcep-
ton, the Representatives of the sixteen
counties composing this Distrsct, all of
whom have been present i'll their places
representing population of 155, 1896, have
been unable to have voice in its fOrma
ton.
4th. That disfranchisement and proScrip-
ton is unjust and contrary to the spirit
and genius of Democratic principles, and
should be condemned by all true men,
whether perpetrated by Radical Republi-
cans or Radical Democrats.
9Th. AS Conservative Democrat, repre-
senting one of the freest, most patriotic
and chivalrous Conservative Democratic
constituencies of the State, the under
signed most sOlemnly protests against the
action Of the majority i'll exhibiting will
lingness to ignore one of our most cher
ished rights, for the promotion of partisan
ends, believing that partisan legislation is
wrong, and that, as in the past, it will I'LL
subserve to defeat the objects it is
designed to accomplish. We have ever
been willing to lend our assistance to re-
sist injustice and oppression; and, but SO
freed from the shackles Of politi-
cal thraldom, this threat of injustice from
those whom we NV9nt 60 reSSnrd slr,-
friends, comes like frost amid the flowers
of May. J. L. NOWLIN.
MARCH %, 1872.
Objection was made by several members
that the protest impugned the motives of
those who voted for the bill.
Mr.. NOwlin said that he could never go
back to his constituents and present to
them so unsightly thing as the new I'd
District, without entering his solemn pro-
test against it. He had not intended to
reflect upon the personal motives of men,
bers, and had nothing to retract,
After considerable discussion the protest
was ordered to be spread upon the journal.
Messrs. Guild and Leach recorded their
votes against the Congressional Apportion-
ment bill.