Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-30
Comparative Representative Vote,
North and South.

Comparative Representative Vote,
North and South.
To sustain Mr.. Blaines charge that the ballot was
not free In the South, his refer 10 the small
ness Of the vote In that section proof conclusive
that the vote was represred.
The Springfield Republican finds that the evidence
Ii not all side II finds. for instance. that the
electoral vote Of Alabama is TO- total popular vote,
1000; average vote per elector, 1880 The cleo
toral vote Of Vermont IL 4 total popular vote 81.
~; average vote for electo-, 1850.
The electoral vote Of North Carolina Is II total
popular vote 26s in1; aycEage popular vote Tor eac
elector - 400. Electoral vote Of Massachusetts, 10.
total popular vote 3 300 for ea elector. q 500
Total popular vote Of South Carolina 81 .a,3, cleo
toral vote Q; average popular vote Per elect9r' ~
40. Total popular vote Of Rhode Island, 32,0l
electoral vote, T. average popular vote per eector,
slgO.--1he NeW dge.
When the organs of the democracy re-
sort TO deceptive and dishonest means to
contradict and conlound Mr.. Blane's
charge in relation to the South they admit
that It cannot by honest argument be sue
ccssfully disputed. In the foregoing state
ment the Springfield Republican presents
a view Of the Southern vote in comparison
with that Of New England States which is
desiencdlv false and misleading. Mr.
Blaines charge is unanswerablo in any
fair comparison Of votes.
The deception of the Springfield Repub-
lican consists in dividing the total vote in
the States mentioned in the article above,
by the number OF electors. instead of di-
vidlng II by the number Of representatives
In Congress The electoral vote of a
State is equal to the number of represen-
tatves and senators which it has. But the
popular vote of State is divided among
the representatives only. The senator's
have no share in IL. We do not vote tor
senators at general elections. They are
chosen by the Legislature.
Vermont has but two representatives in
Congress. but her electoral vote is four /;
that is, equal to the number of senator's
and representatives which she has. Divid-
Ing her total vote. 80, $50. by the number
of representatives. two, and it gives an
average iop each representative Of 29,69l.
Now take Alabama. She has eight repre-
sentatives. Dividing her total vote,
lhS 600 by the number of her representa-
tives. eight. and it gives an average for
each representative of 10, 1925.
The iallaey of the Springfield Republi-
cans statement clearly appears to every
intelligent mind. Dividing the total by
the number of electors. instead of dividing
il by the number of representatives. is a
deliberate cheat when applied to such a
State as Vermont, where the addition OF
the number of senators just doubles the
number by which the total vote is divided
--iu comparison with Alabama, where
the addition of the number of senators to
representatives only increases the divisor
of the total vote by n traction of one
fourth. The subtletv of the deception is
in comparing a small northern State with
a large Southern State, thus doubling, as
in the case Of Vermont, the dvisor. and
reducing the quotient proportionally,
while Alabama has its divisor increased
only by one-fourth, and its quotient only
reduced in that proportion.
The comparison of Rhode Island auC
South Carolina is exactly similar to that
OF Vermont and Alabama. The cheat i:
the same.
In regard to Massachusetts, and North
Carolina. while the method is the same
as IN the other States mentioned, the inc
quality is not so great, as the States ar,
more nearly equal in representatives
There is this also to be said of Massachu
sets, that the vote in that State was unu
sually small, many voters for special rea-
sons having refrained from voting--no
however because they were frightened
from the polls as in South Carolina, bu
because of their own free will and agen
cy. The following table will show tn,
number of voters to n representative fol-
most Of the States, and also show how
greatly the ratio in the Southern States fell
halow that of the Northern States.