The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-08-08

the House. l am willing TO accord
to them honesty of purpose, but l
do protest against our Democratic
friends assuming that they possess
all the honesty and fairness in ref
erence to this question.
Now, let US consider the basis
upon which efforts have been made
to effect an apportionment. | think
it is all fallaey to think of basing an
apportionment upon the vote of
1880, or any other vote. There are
great districts in Pennsylvania which
ought not to be interfered with.
Take, for instance, Westmoreland,
Fayette and Greene. 1t is natural
district. The people think alike,
they speak alike, and when they
elect Democratic representative he
represents their notions of govern
ment-he represents their ideas-he
best represents their interests, and
they could not well be represented
by Republican. Take the district of
York, Cumberland and Adams-any
arrangement that would interfere
with that district, would be unnat-
ural and unjust to that people. They
are one; they are Homogeneous.
When they elect a man, he repre-
sents their ideas of the proper ad.
ministration of government. So it
is with various other districts in the
Commonwealth. In making an ap-
portionment, majorities ought TO be
observed-so far as they can be they
ought to be maintained and preserv-
ed. Take, if you please, the coun-
ties Of the Commonwealth, as repre-
sented by the two great parties in
1880. There were about 81 counties
represented by the Democrats, and
there were 36 counties represented
by the Republicans The 81 Demo-
cratic counties represented about
one-third of the population and the
26 Republican counties two-thirds.
The proportion of Congressmen, ac
cording to that arrangement, would
be nine and a-half Democrats to
eighteen and a-half Republicans.
We concede the fractions to the
Democrats. Do they represent the
great industries of the Common
wealth in that same proportion? |
say they do and to great extent.
The Republican counties of the
Commonwealth represent more than
two-thirds of the great interests of
this Commonwealth.
Take another basis; here is ALE.
gheny county on the west That
county is most intensely Repubh-
can. Here is Philadelphia on the
east also strongly Republican.
Those two districts are entitled to
eight Congressmen, according to the
bill under consideration, and they
are most undoubtedly Republican.
Outside of those two counties We
have nearly 1900 Republican ma
jority in the balance of the State.
Surely it would not be unfair to di-
vide the balance of the State equally,
which would give eighteen to ten |
say the idea of minority representa-
ton is fallacious. This Government
is founded upon no such principle,
this Government was founded up
on the broad principle that a major
ity rules. The first resolution that
was ever adopted by the Pilgrim
Fathers, centuries ago, was that IN
all things pertaining to the Govern
ment, the majority should rule. The
first resolution in the shape of an
ordinance or law adopted by the
Penns in the settlement of their col
ony of Pennsylvania. was that in all
things pertaining to the government
of the colony, majority should
rule. Any other principle leads to
rebellion and treason. Why, Mr..
Speaker, were not the 407 900 votes
cast for Hancock in 1880 represented
in the electoral college of Pennsylva-
MIA ? How did it come that the 4O1,-
600 votes cast for Hancock at that
election were entirely ignored and
the 444. 600 cast for Garfield, repre-
sented the entire Commonwealth
Just because the principle has ever
been maintained in Pennsylvania,
as we'll as everywhere else in this
country, that the majority shall
rule.
Take the districts in Pennsylva-
MIA that have Democratic majorities,
and preserve them, and give them
their representation, and you will
get about eight districts.
Now, | am not going into illustra-
ton by means OF maps and charts,
because they have been figured at |
and talked over until every member |
of the House and of the Senate is IA
miliar with them and enough out /
line maps have been furnished by /
the Legislature to supply ali the |
common schools of Pennsylvania /
for forty years. am not going to I
flourish any painted maps in your
faces. ed. f.r. ...r I'd.
But tits wonderful how the figures /
of gentlemen differ. They talk about .
the proportion being $1,000 Demo
cratic, to 24,000 Republican under
one proposition. No such result can
be reached by any man who honest
ly undertakes to arrive at a just con-
clusion. Take the proportion of ten /
to eighteen. and what are the ma
iorities? The Democratic majority /
would be 4.470, while the Republic !
can majority in eighteen districts
would be 4 $50, almost equal. Take
it at eleven to seventeen, and the
Democratic majority would be 1850
and the Republicans majority, 4 ,S05.
At twelve to sixteen how would it
stand? The Democratic majority I
would be 1925 and the Republican /
majority 5,106. So it will be seen
that there is no other division that
equalizes majorities so nearly and
fairly as the division of eighteen to
ten. aEer a sr,o- ft E-
,d Take up the population of the va
rious districts, and you will find tnat
the average population of the Re-
publican and Democratic districts is |
about co ual according to that divis-
ion-any other division destroys
that equality of population and ma