Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-08-28

sentative INSTITUTIONS this country has
ever seen. They were framed to give
the faction that passed them into laws
control of the Legislature and Cen
grcssonal delegations, even If the popu-
lar vote should show them to be IN n
minority Of 10000 votes. At the elec-
tion OF 1876 there were cast IN round
numbers in the State 10000 votes, Of
which the Republicans had majority
of L. 900, and elected seventeen out OF
the twenty-seven members Of Congress,
giving the Democrats but ten. That
is, whom it took but 22,50O Republican
votes to elect a member of the National
House of Representatives, 36,G50 votes
were r, ,quisitc to elect a Democratic
Congressman, orto put it another way,
four Republican votes counted about
the same as seven Democratic votes.
This exposes the enormity Of the swim.
die in the election Of Congressman.
Bat the Legislative apportionment
is even worse, and is probably the
most artistic bit Of political knavery 10
cheat the people Of their rights and
secure the continued ascendancy of u
political faction 3tbatconsciousless wire.
pullers ever invented. 1t set the plain
requirements Of the Constitution at de.
fance and violated every principle OF
honest dealing. In some respects il
was a theft Of tho peoples suffrage as
infamous as the Returning Board
achievement in Louisiana, and was
carried out with u devilish ingenuity
that would have thrown no discredit
on the peculiar abilities of Wells and
Kellogg. We believe Rutan, Russell
Errett and Mackey were its architects,
and they undoubtedly expect 10 realize
the full fruit of their high handed out
rage this coming session in the re-eec-
tion Of Don Cameron to the United
States Senate, although in u direct
vote, so odious have the Camerons be.
come, we believe he would be buried
under hundred thousand majority.
The election of 1876 was fair test
of the strength Of the two parties in
the State at that time, and its results
show up the operations OF the disfran
chising laws. With but II, 900 majority
for Hayes over Tilden, the Republicans
carried the Legislature by 40 majority
on JOINT ballot. Grouping the Senate
and Assembly together, we find that
for every $500 Republican votes there
there was one Republican returned
while it took just 300 Democratic
votes TO secure Democratic repre-
sentative. This was done, Of course,
by cutting up districts and counties IN
the usual gerrymandering way, as well
as by such bold and undisguised ras.
eality MS giving Delaware and Lebanon
counties, both strongly Republican,
with a total vote Of but 1924, tDo
Senators, while Democratic Berlks, with
23,629 votes has but one Senator. Phila-
delphia was so cut up that with II ,075
Republican votes and G2,ll0 Demo.
cratic--a difference of less than $4,000
votes-it returned thatyseren Republi-
can and nine Democrats that is, it
took but 1000 Republican votes to
elect q member of the Legislature,
while 1000 Democratic votes were
necessary to return Democrat. But
IL was in the Democratic counties OF
Luzerne and Schuylkill that the gerry
Wandering genius of Rutan neared its
sublime height. Luzerne gave Tilden
3, ,475 majority and schuylkill 1857, or
a total in the two counties of 6,232 in
a poll of over $4,000 votes yet these
counties were so cut and sub-dividcd
and patched, and pieced, and cheated,
that they returned to the Legislature
what does the reader suppose, with
their moro than 6,000 Democratic ma.
iorlty9 Why, fourteen Republicans
and fUe Democrats or to put il differ
emily, in these counties 1900 Republi-
can votes send member to Harris
burg, while $500 votes are necessary
to elect Democrat
II is because of this scoundrelly
scheme of disfranckisement--one that
under certain circumstances would
Justify and cnnoble revolution and
bloodshed in resistance-tha the cor.
rupt Cameron strikers in Pennsylvania
Insolently boast Of their power TO re-
turn Don Cameron TO the United States
Senate no matter what may be the
popular majority against his party.
Yet sometimes we hear these fellows
prate of free ballot and intimi.
iation We expose them in the very
act Of disfranchising majority of the
people of the State that their corrupt
and debasing rule may be continued
indefinitely. And there seems no
means Of redress unless all the people |
opposed 10 such infamous usurpa.
lions of power, shall combine and
set tidal wave agoing that will
Dvcrwhelm the plotters and jobbers by |
an anti-Cameron Legislature that will
send Don Cameron and his trainers
and lackcrs into permanent retirement.
Battles have been fought and wars
wagcd to cure less oppressive usurpa.
lions than the swindling apportion.
ment which hands Pennsylvania over
10 the Cameron ring"
We did intend to refer TO some of
the details of the Indiana apportion-
of Mortons infamics--and
Of the New York apportionmcnt, de-
vised by Conkling and his followers,
but this Pennsylvania sample will do
for the present. The Indiana and New
York schemes are more criminal in
some respects than the Pennsylvania
lxnavery, but in others not 80 bad