Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-11-01
4 Most AtrOclouS Wrong.

The avowed purpose OF the Stalwart
leaders in the state is TO continue the
old apportionment under the census OF
1870, until after the reelection OF Don
Cameron or Don Cameron man to the
United States senate next year. That
this is high crime against representa-.
tive government cannot be denied E;
that it is contempt and defiance OF man
datory provisions of the Constitution Of
the Commonwealth and the oath Of
office of legislators is equally undenia.
bic. That it is a fact, is manifest by the
refusal OF tho legislature Of lSSl, Re
publican in both branches and with a
Republican governor in office to appor
ton the state under the census OF lsSO:
by the orders Don Cameron left behind
him when he sailed for Europe that the
state should not be apportioned by
Chairman Cooper's public boasts IN his
county town after the election OF lSS2
that there would be no apportionment;
all eliminating in the ultimatum and
obstruction policy Of the senate, and
the continued refusal Of that body to
entertain legitimate and honest propo,i-
tons from the house for an adiustment
OF the apportionment question on Just
and non partisan basis.
The injustice Of continuing the ap
pOrlionment under the census Of 1870,
during the present decade, is 80 mons
trous we DO not believe any honest
Republican can do aught else than de
n0unce it. once some OF its enormities
are shown. Itis the most c,aring and
audacious violation Of the American
principle of Equal Representation in
the history OF any state. During the
decade from 1870 to ls,O-thot il, since
the apportionment now in force was
made-the population oi the state has
increased nearly one million. and the
constitutional representative ratio hes
grown from 1905 to ., ,4Oi th,t is the
ratio fixed by the Constitution to deter.
mine the representation OF each county
in the house Of representatives, Of the
atste legislature. Let us sec the iriu..
tice worked by the Republican refusal
TO reapportion the state, aa commanded
by the Constitution
Allegheny county instead Of iopvtera
members u entitled to Hytssa, with
fraction probably large enough for
seventeenth member ~ all events
this county loses two votes in the hs.
sembly by Republican obstruction.
Washington county, south o! us, has
three representatives, and the adjoining
county OF Fayette has but h-o yet un'
der the census Of 1850 Fayetts has 2,42i
r.ore population than Washington.
Crawford county has four Representa-.
tives, yet Westmoreland with q. $50 mare
population has but tire.
Beaver county has 39,6Oj population
and nro representative, while ClearGeld
has 434Os and but one representative,
with All excess over Beaver Of ?, 500 pop
uation.
Venango, which has decreased in pop
ulation since 1870, has nres representa-.
,ives with its 1860 population, while
Fayette with 5S,s42, or l5,l7l excess Of
population, has only hco.
Somerset with population Of BIO
has two representative, while Clarified
with So, 4OS has but one.
We might continue these compari
sons throughout the state, showing the
manifest injuatice Of the existing dis
franchising apportionment, but we have
given enough to make the case clear TO
any honest Republican.
The senatorial apporiionment is even
more strociously wrong in its combina
tions, for the Cameron gerrymsnders
had greater sweep in combining coun.
ties. To limited extent the Conslitu.
tion protects the representative appor'
tionment. This will do for a senatorial
sample: The three Republican sena-
torial districts OF Lebanon, Delaware