Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-02-26
The New Apportionment.
SENATOR HALE WRITES ABOUT WHAT ITS
EFFECT WILL BE.

SENATOR HALE WRITES ABOUT WHAT IT'S
EFFECT WILL BE.
The distribution of political power to
the different sections Of the country is the
most important result of each decennial
census. This is provided for by the
apportionment to the several states of the
number of members of the national House
of Representatives to which they are en-
titled by the population shown by the cen
Sus returns.
The growing dominance in such repre-
sentation of that great section of the
United States known as the Northwest,
the Pacific and Rocky mountain states
being more ittingly called the western
states, will be fully restored under the
present census, as the apportionment bill.
which has just passed Congress, clearly
shows. 1t is interesting to note the adj
vanced growth of this great region over
other portions of the country, and constant
lv added political power given to it In the
House of Representatives since, aud includ-
ing, the census of 1850 which was only
interrupted by the returns of the census of
1880.
This region which | have called the
northwestern section, and which Snpt.
Porter. in his division Of the country into
different groups terms the Northern
Central division, includes the states of
Ohio, Indiana. Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon-
sim Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri. North
Dakota. South Dakota, Nebraska and
Kansas. Let us see how the states en-
hraced in this region marched steadily on.
largely increasing the numbers of their
representatives over other sections of the
country from the census of 1850, and note
the interruption to this progress in the
census of 1850.
BY the census Of 1850 the
INCREASE OF REPRESENTATIONS
to all OF the states which gained in numbers
amounted to II, of which the Northwest
ern or North Central division. Supt
Porter calls It, gained l6: the South Allan
tic division. embracing the southern states
along the Atlantic and the gutf none; the
Southwestern division, including Kentucky,
Tennessee, ,Alabama, Mississippi. Lnui>iana,
Texas and Arkansas. 4. and the Western
division, |, through the admission Of
California The New England and middle
states did not gain a single member by
this superintendent.
The increase in the number of members
of the House of Representatives in the
d -
and the growth and the increase of repre-
sentation are divided III nearly the same
proportion as was shown by the apportinu-
ment of 1860. except that the New England
and middle states make better showing.
The increases in representation in all the
states which gained representatives
amounted to As. of which the north western
division gained %, the southern division,
G, the southwestern division, 10. the
western. !, Gnd the New England and
middle states s. showing the gain of the
northwestern division to be very nearly
equal to ali Of the Others combined.
The census of 1850 was great surprise
TO the country, and, except under the eN
planation given by the last superintendent
of the census Hon. Francis A. Walker,
and the present superintendent, Hon.
Robert P Porter, would indicate that the
INCREASE Of POPULATION
in the Northwest had been checked, and
that " hat was lost there was gained through
tn" increasing population of the South.
The total increase in the states gaining
representatives under the apportionmcnt
Of 1850 amounted to -. OF these, the
Northwestern division gained l6. the New
England aud middle states, 3. the south
ern states 6. the southwestern division
lucludlug Texas gain of .. :, and Cali
fornia 2. 1t will be seen that the two
southern divisions, making up what is
generally called the South. gained within
two as many members rs the great north
west division.
The only explanation Of this surprising
result was that given by Mr.. Walker, and
adopted since by Mr.. Porter, that the cen
sus of 1870 had been very imperfectly
taken, especially in the South and that
the census of 1850, being more exhaustive.
had given that section the benefit Of the
omissions of the previous census; but
more or less di>trust "a to the result of
the census of 1850 arose from the surpris
ing fact that by the census returns, the
increase Of population. and therefore Of
representation in the House OF Representa-
tives, was shown to be nearly as great in
the southern states as in the North.
The present apportionment bill based
upon the census so successfully and quick
ly taken by Supt. Porter. gained by repre-
sentation TO the Northwest
Under the bill passed by the House of
Representatives and reported by the com
mittee on the census to the Senate. the
increase of representation in the states
which gain members of the House of Rep
resentative. amounts to ~ and of these
the Northwest gets | ; the western group
4, which are apportioned to the states of
Colorado Washington, Oregon and Cali
fornia, New England and the middle states.
1 the southwestern group, (, and the
southern but |, which is given TO the state
of Georgia.
Reckoning both the Northwest and the
extreme western division it will be seea
that of the total increase of n this section
while all he II of fh,. ppuUtry
gained but ..
The falling OF in the South, taken in
connection with the restored gains in the
Northwest and West, indicates that the
explanation of the southern increase under
the census of 1880. given by Mr. Walker
and Mr.. Porter, is the right one.
According to the bill which has passed
Congress, making the House Of Represen-
tatives in the SD Congress $50, the repre-
sentatives in the different sections will be
divided as follows:
New England and Middle dle................. 80
southern -...-........ ......-.. 90
Northwestera ............ l2S
SOuthw estern n................... 81
The feature of the census of 1880 in the
South, which was viewed with the deepest
concern, was the remarkable increase of
THE CoLoRED POPULATION
in the southern states, as compared with
the increase of the whites, and this was
the more startling when compared with
that which was shown by the census of
| 1870
A plain statement of the following 1g-
ures goes to show the natural alarm which
every thoughtful man shared upon this
subject
The percentage of increase in the white
population of the country from 1860 to 1870
was 24.76, while the blacks only showed an
| increase of 9.S6 per cent These returns
naturally led to the belief that the con-
ditions of freedom to the former slaves
were not likely to result in an extraordi-
nary increase of population, and, indeed.
precisely the reverse of this was indicated