Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-27
FREELAND, PA, OCTOBER 81, 1895
ROBBERY BY APPORTI0ENEHT.

Republican Party Upon the Demo-
cratic Citizens of Pennsylvania.
How One Republican Has Greater
Representation Than Five Demo-
crats--Ignoring the Constitution to /
Serve Party Ends--Candidnte Gobin's |
Share In the Crime and the Spoil.
The present constitution of Pennsyl- |
vana was enacted in 1873, and went |
into operation on Jan. l, 1874. Section |
is of Article 2 is as follows: "The gen |
eral assembly, at is first session after |
the adoption of this constitution, and |
Immediately after each United States
decennial census, shall apportion the
state into senatorial and representative
districts" etc, etc.
A like provision is made with refer
ence to the judiciary of the state, and
common fairness suggests that the con-
gressional districts should be apportiou-
ed just as frequently and at the same
times.
How the Republican party in Pensyl-
vania has treated the mandatory pro-
visions of the constitution above
quoted IS shown in the fact that the
last apportonments We're enacted as
follows:
Senatorial, 1874; representative, 1887;
congressional, 1887.
For "a years. THEREFORE, they have
been persstenly refusing to do, with
reference to the senatorial apportion-
ment what the fundamental law COM
mands; for ten years they have been
summary dereilct with reference TO the
representative apportionment, and for
ike number Of years they have al
lowed congressional apportlonment to
stand Whlch, by falr rendering of the
peoples WILL should at that time have
been set aside
Inc reason is plain. They derive a
large advantage IN representation from
their remissness Not only do they
smut out the Democrats from their talr
snare OF senators ana members but
they also checkmate that element OF
their own party that chates at boss
ISM and the lnnumerable evils that
always attach to 1t.
TO illustrate the gross injustice OF
these procedures to the Democratic
party: In the senate of 1897 there were
"A Republicans and Democrats. In
1880 the kepubhcans reached their h1eh
water marx as TO ma1orltles IN the vote
for president, In that year there We're
cast for Mckinley 12S,3OO votes, and FOR
Bryan 43322S votes. By dividing the
number OF senator's for each party into
the party vote 1t Will be found that
there are:
one Republican senator for each 16,-
BOB Republican votes.
one Democratic senator for each H.
2Oi Democratic votes.
Make like calculation as to the
members of the lower house of the
state legislature, which had III Re
pubhcans to 50 Democrats, and the fol-
lowing VIII be the result:
one Republican member for every
4,259 Republican votes.
one Democratic member Tor every
13l2S Democratic votes.
Inc American system makes every
citizen politically equal and the laws
are supposed, and in fact are consti-
tutlonally ordered to be made to en-
force that rule; yet here we have
method of electing senators in Pennsyl-
Yania that makes one Republican as
good as four and a half Democrats
that Is, that gives one Republican as
large voice in this matter as four
and half Democrats.
AS tothe econgressionalrepres
the injustice is even greater. Including
the two elected at large, Pennsylvania
has 80 members of the national house
of representatives. OF these 27 were
elected as Republicans and but three
as Democrats. Here we have:
one Republican member for every
26.933 Republican votes.
one Democrat for every 14i, 400 votes.
Which makes every Republican vote
count in this regard as much as five
and a half Democratic votes.
AS showing the gross injustice of the
present senatorial appointment, many
specific instances might be cited. Let
one suffice. According to the census
of 1890 Luzerne had a population Of
2Ol 2O3 and Lackawana a population of