Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-19

electoral college will be sixty-six. 1t is
safe to figure upon the hypothe-
sis that the basis will not be changed,
for a change will make no difference as
to the relative strength of the sections.
AS matter of fact it will have to be
changed, and larger population given
to each district, for the present House
Of Representative will not hold sixty
six additional members with any sort
of convenience or comfort. But that
makes no difference with the matter
under consideration. The relative
strength of the States in the House and
electoral college will be the same
whether the representation is changed
or not. The present House contains
293 members. If the basis is not inter-
fered with, it will contain $50 after the
next apportionment, and (if no new
states are admittedD there will be in the
Electoral College 435 votes, requiring
218 to elect a President.
The only states not making an in
crease in their representation are Colo
RADIO, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Louisiana, Maine. Nevada, New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, and South Caro-
lima. Colorado, however, is doubtful,
s.s it is western state, rapidly filling
with population, and In the path of
empire. But so far as can be Judged
by the aggregate vote, there will not be
sufficient increase of population to give
that state another member of Congress
after the next apportionment. South
Carolina is another doubtful state. 1t
is impossible to make any sort Of relia-
BILE estimate based on the state census
taken there in 1875, or the recent ag-
gregate vote of that state The state
census was q notorious fraud, ,acknowl-
edged by all parties to be such, and has
not been credited by any one acquaint-
ed with the facts. The enum erators of
that census were paid SO much a head
for every name they returned, and, be-
ing mostly colored, they made a mar
velous mess of it. AS to the vote, moth
ing whatever can be cleaned from that
In 1876 IN many counties, particularly
adjacent to the Georgia line, there was
a larger vote cast than there is white
population, and the same is true of the
election last year, by reason of tissue
ballots, which were stuffed in by the
handful. 1t is therefore impossible to
find anything IN that state upon which
to base an intelligent estimate, except
the we'll known fact that there is no
general. migration into the state, but a
good deal out of 1t.
1t is found that after the next appor-
tionment provided there is no change
in basis of representation the House
Representatives will consist of $50
members, and the Electoral College of
435 members, provided no new states
are admitted. OF these 435 votes, 157
will come from the south and 27S from
the north. This will sensibly diminish
the dangers of ''solid SOUTH" At
present the electoral college has 500
votes, requiring 1876 to elect, the south
ern states having 1873 and the northern
231. In the next appOrtionment, the
southern states will increase from 1873
to 157 and the northern states from 231
to 27S, an increase Of nineteen in the
southern states and forty-seven in the
northern states. This ratio of increase,
it will be observed, is largely in favor
of the north. but not relatively greater
than has characterized the growth Of
the sections for the past half century.
Texas will show larger increase
than any other southern state, the vote
in the last heated congressional election
when the voters were brought out III
every district) indicating population
of 1900, 1000 by the end of next year,
which will give her ten members of
Congress. Relatively, however, Texas
is not increasing in population so rap
idly as Kansas or Minnesota, and it is
possible that either one of these states
may eventually outstrip the giant of
| the southwest.