The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-05-24

ton sends to the House of Represent
atives in Congress LOG members; which
is one member to every 10000 of the
population. The nine States, which we
call the east" including New Jersey
and Pennsylvania, have an aggregate
population of 12,29S,729, according to
the census of 1870. This population
sends 95 Representatives to Congress;
which is also one Representative to every
100000 of the population, the same as
the South.
Now, the ten States of the "West,"
that is, all north and west of the Ohio
River and east of the Rocky Mountains,
including Nebraska and Nevada, have an
aggregate population of 12,2SS, ,126, ac-
cording to the census of 1870. This is
almost exactly equal to the population of
the nine States of the East. And yet
these ten States of the West send only
76 Representatives to Congress, while the
East sends 95 Representatives. While the
States of the East and of the South have
one Representative in Congress for every
1870, 1000 of their,population, these States of
the West have only one Representative
to every 100000 of the population. Were
the representation for the West in the
same ratio as in the East and South,
these ten States of the West would have
"a members of Congress instead of rs, as
now. But there is no help for this till a
new apportioument under the coming
census is made.
And then what? Then unquestion-
ably the great West will "boom." The
immense currents of emigration con-
stantly setting in that direction make
manifest the certainty that westward
the Star of Empire takes its way" Dur
ing the decade from 1860 to 1870 the
census statistics show that in the
sixteen States of the South the
rate of increase of their popula-
tion was but Is 1-2 per cent. The
increase in the population of the nine
States of the East was 16 1-9 per
cent, and during the same period the in
crease of the population of the ten States
of the West was almost 66 per cent, and
the circumstances of the country, to-
gether with the tendency of migration,
indicate that the rate of increase of pop
ulation, as among these several sections
of the United States, would continue at
about the same ratio from 1870 to 1880
as in the previous decade.
Assuming that such would be the case
then, on the same basis of apportion-
ment then of representation as now, the
sixteen States of the South would have
l2l representatives in Congress, gain of
IS members on their present number.
The nine States of the East would have
ITO representatives, gain also of Is
members. And the ten States of the
West would have l57 representatives,
gain of 81 members, and more than
doubling their present representation in
Congress. Then the great West would
have the preponderance of political pow
er instead of having, as now, relatively
the least of all of these several sections.
And this must come to pass within the
next three or four years.
That these conclusions are not unwar-
ranted will appear from the figures at
tending the Presidential elections of 1872
and of 1876. 1t is found on comparison
of the statistics that the votes of any
given section is just about one to every
five of the whole population. Now, the
whole number of votes given in these ten
States of the West in 1872 was 2,077 AL.
The number of votes given in these same
States in 1876 was 2,743, 1926 The in
crease of votes in these four years in
these States is nearly one-third, and the
population of course increased proper
tionately. The ensuing four years, from
1876 to 1880, will show even greater
proportionate increase. Consequently
we are warranted in stating the increase
of population in these States of the West
at &c per cent. from 1870 to 1880, al
which latter period the number will
amount to 2O,48O, ,210. And this popu
lation will give to these States of the
West, on the basis of the present appor
tionment, the 157 Representatives in
Congress, as already stated. Should
these States of the West then become
"solid' on any political issue, their weight
would be something tremendous. Lei
politicians take note of these things an6
govern themselves accordingly.
Editorial Spinnings
1t is considered impertinent to ask tht
Mississippi River water age is?