The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-19
RATIO OF REPRESENTATION.
Figures Showing that the Republican Vote
Is Not Sunnres.eG in tie SouSh.

Figures Showing that the Republican Vote
Is Not Suppressed in the South.
l. 1t is fact that 30. j61 votes elected
two representatives from Republican
Rhode Island, while it took "a, $50 to
elect two members from Democratic
/ Miss Ouri.
>. 1t is fact that 175, 941 votes were
polled to elect five Congressman from
Minnesota, while $4,000 sufficed to
elect i've OF their New England col
leagues.
3. ItSook $685. votes to elect one
/ Congressman from Colorado, but less
/ than hall that number elected two Re-
| publican Representatives from Rhode
! Island.
The Graphic m ght multiply these il
lustrations through column of its
space, but glance at any compendium
/ OF election statistics will show that the
votes for congressman vary all over
the country according to local circum-
stances, although the districts are ap-
1 9ortiOned so as to embrace approx
/ mately equal populations. Thus an ag-
: gregate of y, 90 votes elected in the
/ Third Connecticut District and A, 900
in the Fourth. An aggregate ballot of
$4,000 sut1iced to send Congressman
! Burlelgh to Washington from our own
| State, while no less than 10000 were
recorded TO confirm the title OF Hon.
/ Perry Belmont. One Republican vote
( in Rhode Island counts for As much as
two Democratic votes IN Delaware If
| 1890 ballots elected seven Repre-
sentative' in New York. it is also true
chat $4,000 elected only six Repre-
sentatives in Maryland.
1t is therefore very clear that the ratio
of representation, if gagged by the
votes actually cast, is variable and
erratic one all over the country. Some
would pronounce It foolish and I'M
Just one. But the explanation is simple:
in some places a large percentage
of the total vote is brought out-in
others only small percentage State
laws, restrictive qualifications, poll
taxes, long distances and lack of organ
iZat;on contribute in various degrees to
affect the result. Massachusetts leyies
poll tax Rhode Island DISTINGUISHES
every foreign-born citizen who is not an
owner of real estate. Some of the
Southern States levy poll tax. and in
the majority of them the Republican
party has been diSorganized and apa-
thetic since the downfall of carpet-bag
rule. In Alabama, for example, two
Congressional districts We're uncontest-
ed by any Republican. In Georgia
several districts had no Republican cam
didates and the total Republican Con-
gressional vote was only %, 617 against
IS, 063 for Blaine. In those Southern
States where the Republicans are or
ganized and aggressive the Congress
siOnal vote is large. as in Florida,
MARYLAND. Missouri, Virginia and West
Virginia. Only one Louisiana district
was theoretically contested. and there
the notorious William Pitt Kellogg was
defeated in an aggregate vote of 50, 900.
Coming to the case of South Carolina,
we find that the Republicans made no
resolute struggle except in the Seventh
District, and there the coiOred man
Smalls defeated his Democratic antag-
OniSt by S,419 to 1854. That South
Carolina took but feeble interest in
last years election is clearly indicated
by her total vote of q. 1873 fer Blaine
and 69,S90 for Cleveland, as against
5S,071 for Garfield and 112.3l2 for
Hancock in 1880. The result was
looked upon as a foregone conclusion,
and the vote of neither party was
brought out by agitation and organiza-
ton.
1t IS not denied that in times past in
timidation and coercion have been
practiced in some Southern States. ex-
asperated beyond endurance as they
were by the enOrmities of carpetbag
and scalawag rule. But that era has
passed away, and the comparative
paucity the Republican vote in South
Carolina Or Georgia is no more proof of
bulldoIing to-day than is the vote Of
Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Ii MIR.
John Sherman desires to apportion
representation in Congress on the vote
actually cast inst adj Of on the Consti-
tutiOnal basis of population ne IS well
come to make the attempt Then, to
be consistent, we must make q new APP
pOrtlOnment every alternate year. lie
should remember. however, that the
Republican vote in the South is now
far larger than it ever was in the
palmy days OF Republican haycnet
rule.-M I. Graphic.