New-York tribune., 1878-07-06
GERRTMANDERING IN LOUISIANA.

CENSUS OF 1S75-RE-ADOPTIoN OF THE OLD
BAsIs-THIs YEARS ESACrMENT-A DEMOCRATIC
SENATOR ASSURED WHERE REPUBLICAN
SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
To the Edttor Of the Tribune.
SIR Among the infamies of the last Gen
era Assembly Of louisiana perhaps the most barefaced
was the Apportionment Act approved by Governor
Nichols March 80 OF the present year Republicans OF
NewYork. who felt, somewHy, last Winter and Spring,
that the party must be I'm the wrong because Alyord
could not satisfy the demands OF Tammany in the mat
ter OF apporionmcnt ought, perhaps, to understand
what Tammanys political allies not only can do but
actually do in States wherein they hold the power.
1t is first necessary TO that the state Constitution
provided for census in 1873, which was taken,
aud for an apporuOnmcnt based thereon which was
made during the session OF 1876 The census was taken
provided by law by supervisors and clerks appointed
by the Executive and acting under the supervision OF
the state Registrar Of Voters OF these employees, 222
in number, Iii Democrats. The results
OF the census were such had been expected
by all especially familiar with the subject
The only notable decrease OF population was
in the Democratic parish of Sabine, taken by two
Democrats and one Republican The only notable In
in the Republican parish Of ST. James taken
by three Republicans, and the Democratic parish OF st.
Landry taken by three Democrats. The made 1t
apparent that the cOlorcd population was increasing
faster than tho white This well known TO be the
case before the census was taken. The white population
the State has been OF late years much increased
by immigration, and there has been considerable out
flow to California and Texas. Each year agents arc
sent Georgia, Alabama Tennessee and elsewhere TO
colored labor tho and sugar fields OF
Louisiana; these laborers are brought here by the
scambOat-lOad, and usually remain here after the eX
piratOn Of the contracts upon which they hired
Although every planter in the state fully aware OF
this, the Democratic politicians TO whom preponder-
ance OF cOlorcd population meant the predOmnance
NJ tba Rpp artV
to discred the census from the moment that the gen
cral result was officially made known. The Lower
House OF the General Assembly Os7G) controlled
by the Democratic party From this hostile body was
raised a special committee TO investigate the census;
which sat during an entire session, had power to send
for persons and papers, and not too delicate TO
accept aid from any source whatever Yet 1t permitted
the to expire without reporting not being will
ing 10 admit the accuracy Of the census aud not daring
in the face of the evidence, TO impeach It.
During the session Qs76J the Constitutional
apportionment was made hy a Senate watch
was Republican, and House which, be 1t re-
membercd, was Democratic. The number Of rep
resentatiycs WIS fixed at the Constitutional limit
Of 100 for the reason that there were seven
teen parishes out OF ffty-seven, each OF pOpula-
ton less than the smallest possible repre-
sentative number 7,142, therefore the larger
the number Of representatives, within the Consti-
tutional limit the less the inequality Of represen-
tation The Republicans presented scheme OF Senate
rial appOrOnment which Democrats looked upon aS too
favorable TO the party in power. The Democrats pre-
sented another, which Republicans declined TO accept for
the converse reason. AS compromise the old Senate
rial disrictng readopted by agreement Oi the Two
houses. This was believed by moderate men OF Doth
parties to secure each party Its just share or Senator
a representation and probably the Democrats ut
least Senator than in Justice belonged to hem
Custom would have made this appOrtiOnment final until
1881 indeed 1t is question whether the general As
semby did not exhaust It's constitutional power III the
subject until 1ss6.
The late General Assembly did not find time during the
extra session Of 1877 succeeding the fall of Packard to
disturb the existing apportOnment An act for that pnr
pose was passed during the extra session OF the present
year Its main features interesting In the extreme
The basis of population for Senator is 23,5OO for
double district 47,Gl2. Tho lst District was con-
struced with an eye single swamping the Republican
parishes OF Plaquemes and st. Bernard by the Demo-
cratic vote OF the Eighth and Ninth Wards OF the City OF
New-Orleans. In tho construction OF the lid District
the object to swamp the powerful RepuDilcan sew
enth Ward. TO do this required the Democratic votes
Of the Fourth Fifth and Sixth Wards and for this excel
lent reason GOs9S people get only two Senator'S In the
With District the small Republican upper wards -Four
teenth, Sixteenth and Seyenteenth could be swamped
with the Democratic Eleventh. Twelfth and Thirteenth
and so in this 36351 people get two Senators In
the VIIth District (Republcan 1851 persons get ohe
Senator; in the Xth Dcmoeratic 36,2G0 persons get
tw, The Democratic XXIyth District gets Senator
with 2O544 people. In the adjoining Republican
XXNIth. 299 9S7 are necessary, To swamp the RcpuD-
Parish Of ST. Mary was s.t 4ecessay sS9d}oroi 10
defy a Constitutional provision tlat sehatorIu, s
d-iri-s sna he composed Of contiguous territory ana
as no Democratic parishes were available except yer
million Cameron and CalcaseU two Senators were gwen
TO "A population of 36,269. In the adjoining Eleventh
to no3ilation of "a lO7. To sum up the Republican
vote OF the state upon the basis OF the last census was
lO4 1872. the Democratic s4l67. An ldeal alporuo-
mept would have given the Democrats l6 Senators,
the Republicans 20: Tue appor,l1nineinI uiiuTt ,iS
ave the Democrats l6 senators to 20 aHd change Hi
few votes one of several close districts Wouu
a : IN he
mandcred in such fashion that at the coming election OF
Is Senators 70 be elected 10 VIII cetalhy pe DGU %
their Shotgun tactics OF the 1S TO be elected In isoU
dons bringing the Senate to stand ~ Denoctals
to Republicans, clear steal of l3 seats
The deyitry displayed in the rearrangement OF repre-
eutaton in the HOusc goes one better than ths First
10000 was adopted as the representative number; es
set forth above the greater this number or In Other
words the smaller the number OF representatives the
greater the inequality OF representation. Or the
twcnty-fyc parishes of population less than 10000,
twenty are Democratic and five Republican. Or the
large parishes which the basis OF 10000 would lose
large fractions three Democratic and twelve Re-
nublican Therefore the loss Of representation would
not fall upon the Democratic party An ideal apportion
meut based upon the relative strength OF the two par
ties in the State would have given the Republicans 66 Rep
and the Democrats 54 The actual apporon
ment OF 1876 estimating upon the admitted political
procyites the several parishes, gave the Democrats
30 and Republicans 6j. An honest apporu0nment on
the basis OF 10000, giving TO fractions over half an adj
ditonal member, would have made House OF 93 mem
ers Had the appOrtionment been followed by an hon
eat election the Republicans would have had 10 seats
tbe democrats 4s Tue result of such apporonment
would in other words have been that the Democrats by
giving NJ seats had been enabled TO steal from the
Repubicans 90 This would not, however satisfy tie
Dem ocratic rcformers Of Louisiana The basis was de
parted from rs often there was much to be gained by
doing So The Republican parish OF Ascension popula
tion 5G2 gets seat The parish OF East Felcahs
wherein no Republican vote cast IN 1876, with H.
A92 people gets two seats l4.724 Democrats in the
Min IN Ward Of New Orleans get two seats; POLO Re
pu bcans in St. James parish get one and 1908 in the