Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-11-25
The Growth of Republicanism in East Ten
nessee.

The Growth of Republicanism in East Ten
nessee.
One does not have to go back very
far in the past to realize the rapid
growth of Republicanism in East Ten.
nessee. When James G. Blaine waa
the candidate Of the Republican party
in 1884, a wonderful amount of entbu.
siasm was aroused in this election, and
his majority was regarded as some.
thing very large; but his majority in
the "a counties of East Tennessee was
only 1881. The majority given to
McKinly in the same counties on the
3rd day Of this month was nearly
double that.
In 1884 six Of the 81 counties cast
Democratic majorities; this year there
were only three. The Democratic ma.
joritiy in suIliFan County has been re-
dnced nearly yone half, while that in
Monroe, Polk and Rhea has been wiped
out entirely, each of them having given
a majority for the Republican ticket at
the recent election. The population
has increased Il very county in East
Tennessee since 1884, in some of them
largely, and with it the Republican
vote has increased in a still larger
proportion.
In looking for the reason for the
growth of Republican sentiment, they
are not hard to find. The presence of
coal mines, iron mines, marble quar-.
rles and large quantities of raw ma
terial for manufacturing purposes
strengthens the predictions of these
people towards a protective tariff and
this has made Republicans of many.
But this is not all. The unfair treat
ment of East Tennessee by State legis-
latures for many years past, has been
resented by many who under other
circumstances might have cast their
lots with the Democratic party. The
present Congressional apportionment
Is a case in point. The population of
the State according to the last census,
under which the apportioument was
made, was !, 1905 1S. Divide this equal
ly among ten Congress Districts, the
number Tennessee has, and it would
give q population of 176, 051 to each
district. But each one of these three
districts in East Tennessee has a large
as follows.
Population. Excess
First District. 80. j. 1854 $3.50
second District. -. l96,5S2 1881
lhird District. ....s 1892 23,22l
Take the fourth, fifth and seventh
districts, all in Middle Tennessee and
compare them with the above:
Population. Shortage
Fourth District , . .159,94O 1851
a avn 4. F. . +. . F. .lOD.I(O LL.JIS
Seventh district. .l53,S46 22.SO5
The three districts embracing East
Tennessee have an excess, over the
population required of 49,492, while
the three Middle Tennessee districts
are short Of the number 90, 594. In
other words, in the first three districts
oSo, 900 people have three Representa-
tives in Congress while in the other
three 467 500 have three Representa-
This partisan unfairness has
been resented and very naturally has
made more Republican voters in this
section.
More OF the same sort is the legisla-
tive appoftionmsn With an equal
IA State Senator is apportioned
to each 5S,66l of the population of the
State, there being 50 Senators in all.
The first SENATORIAL District is strongly
ana ii has a population of
0o,2l5' being a1aexcess of 1854 The
third has a population OF SO, 500, the sixth
. 1858, and the seventh. all East Ten
nessee districts, Jefferson, Sewer and
Cooke have a population Of 81, 762, but
are tackled on to a Senatorial District
with Knox. Other figures might be
given showing. the unfairness with
which this section has been treated,
or the reason that a majority of the
here are Republicans. This