Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-02-21
The Redistricting Outrage.

Twice within the past six years the
Democrats have gerryBaDdered ONO
for the basest of partisan ends. The
republicans districted the State for Con-
gressional purposes after the taking of
the census in 1860, 1910, and again in
1880, taking care in each case to secure
to all voters their just and equal rights,
Only at decennial periods have they un-
dertaken to apportion Congressional
representation, except in one instance.
when they restored the districts which
had been disrupted and broken up by a
Democratic Legislature. What bas
been the course of the Democrats when
given temporary lease of power: The
Republicans had districted the State in
1872 in obedience to Congressional law,
and this should have held good for the
subsequent decennial period. In 1878
the Democrats, having control of the
Legislature, overthrow the law enacted
in 1872. In violation of every principle
of right and justice and of every rule
of public decency they gerrymandered
the State with view to securing con-
troll of the Congressional delegation.
Public indignation was aroused and the
O'Connor Democratic Legislature was
stamped with disapprebation by the
voters of the State. Again the Demo-
Gratis find themselves temporarily in
control of the legislative body, and, for
getful of the past. have renewed the das-
tardly outrage of 1878. In truth and
verify the crime perpetrated then
shrinks in insignifcance when compared
with the later outrage. Under the ap-
portionment made by the Republicans,
the Democrats were enabled In 1882 to
elect thirteen out of the twenty-One
Representatives to which the State is
entitled. 1t is true that eXtraneous cir
cumstances contributed to this result,
but this does not change the fact that
they have almost twO-thirds of the
States representation in the present
Congress. Not satisfied with this they
have gone on through their caucus
driven Legislature to so fix the districts
again, as to secure fifteen districts to
themselves and perhaps seventeen on
account of two being placed IN doubt.
Districts WHICH gave handsome Repub
lican majOrities In 1880 are now made
sure for the Democracy. Wherever it
is possible they have crowded Republic
can counties and parts of counties to-
gether for the purpose of reducing the
Republican strength in Congress. The
Nineteenth district for instance, which
Z is always reliably Republican, is given
by this Democratic gerrymandering
scheme over I4,GOO Republican majority
against l2.66S cast in 1880 and S,03I in
1882 On the other hand Democratic
majOlities are divided up and SO dis
tributed as TO retain Democratic dis
tricts and gain others. The Seventh
district, for instance, which gave Re-
publican majorities in 1880 and 1882, is
now constructed to give Democratic
majority of 1000. On the other hand
the Fifth district. which usually gave
from 5000 to 5000 Democratic majority,
is now made good for the Democrats by
2,lO0, the other thousands having gone
to make other districts reliably Demo
cratic. The usual Republican majori-
ties in the Ninth and Twentieth are SO
reduced as to make these districts eX-
tremely doubtful.
The Eleventh district, which gave the
Republicans 2,l3S majority in 1880 and
2,101 in 1882, is now fixed TO give the
Democrats over 1900. The Seventeenth
district, which gave Republican majori
ties in 1880 and 1882, is also constructed
to give the Democrats about 1900 ma
jority. The foregoing are merely sam
pies of the villainy perpetrated by the
present Legislature for purely partisan
purposes.
Let the people compare their act with
the past conduct of the Republican par
ty. Ohio is emphatically Republican
State, having given Garfield 34,227 ma
jority over his Democratic competitor
ID 1880. Possessing this strength, the
Republicans acted literally in 1882 to-
ward the Democrats in districting the
State. In 1882, through series of fa-
vOring circumstances, the Democrats
elected their Secretary of State by 17,015
majority, and with that majority carried
thirteen out of twenty-one Congressman,
and now that they are temporarily in
power, they make the attempt to secure
fifteen, if not seventeen, of the Repre-
sentatives to which the State is entitled
in Congress. A more infamous act than
this has rarely been perpetrated for par
tlsan ends, and it remains for the people
of Ohio to right the damning wrong at
the earliest Observation-Disclosures
Leader.