Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-11-12
An INFAMOUS dERRYMANDER.

rascalities, and the populations OF IS
years of uniarious misrule in this
State, have hired some uucouscionable
/ falsiher to prepare a broadside on
State issues, says the Mail Tribune,
A more deliberate attempt to de-
ceive the people, false statement,
and a more wretehed attempt at
wholesale lying was never before at
tempted nor made.
Even the efficiency appropriation
of $45, 900 for printing and binding is
justified.
A fair sample OF this stuff is a coll
umn of abuse of the legislature of 1897
for attempting to right the wrong
done Morgan county by the theft of
her delegate by the Democratic ger
rymander of 1897
Our space is too limited to do JUS
tice to this infamous piece of work,
that was denounced by Judge Fergu-
son, VIM. M, WEIGH, and w. w
Thomas, three Democratic members
of the House of 1891, who refused to
vote for the bill. and who declared it
unjust, immoral and unconstitutional.
Not only that but Judge Ferguson
approved and endorsed the bill passed
by the Legislature of 1897, so that
their denuuciation of it is a denuncia-
ton of him, one of the ablest men
that ever sat in legislative body.
BY reference to the House journal
of 1891 it will be seen that the popu-
lation of the State was 762 1874. The
Democratic committee found that an
increase in the membership of the
House from 65 to II would best sub
serve their base purposes. This made
the ratio 1918. Three-hfths of this
is 7,445 (see sections and OF article
of the Constitution) Morgan had
6,774 population, Berkeley had 49,
7o2, and Jefferson had 1855. Nor
gan and Berkeley were Republican
counties by 600, while Jefferson had
|, 200 Democratic majority. So they
gave Berkeley delegate and Jeffer-
son a delegate, and then they con-
! structed delegate district" of Berk-
eley, Jefferson and Morgan, and gave
the district two delegates, so that OF
the four delegates, Jeferson's vote
would elect three. Greenbrier, how
ever, which had 1884 population,
or COS less than Berkeley, was given
two delegates, because Berkeley was
Republican and Greenbrier was Dem.
ocratic.
Boone county, Democratic, with
, but 5,885 population, was given a
delegate while Brooke, Republican,
with 8, 600 and Hancock, Republican,
J with 6,4I4 population. were made a
delegate district" aud given one
delegate, or in other words, 6,8S5
. people in Democratic, Boone were
given the same representation that
was given to 1904 people in Re-
publican Brooke and Hancock.
Mcdowell, with 7, 800 people, num-
} Der considerably over the constitu-
tional three-ffths, and Republican
Wyoming, with 6,247, or combined
population of 1851, were given one
delegate, or only the same represen-
tation that was given to 6,8I4 people
in Democratic Pocahontas.
That is to say, 6,8I4.Ipeople in
Boone, total of $500 in these two
Democratic counties are given exact
ly double the representation that is
given to I3,s47 people in Republican
Mcdowell and Republican Wyoming.
Braxton and Clay, with 1857 pop
ulation were made delegate district,
and given two delegates, and Lewis
and Webster, both Democratic, were
made a delegate district also, with
90, 67S people and given 2Edelegates,
or total OF 4 Democrats to $4,000
people; while Monongalia, with 49,
7o5 and Richie, with I6,62I, and
Putnam, with IA, 342, all Republican,
and aggregating $4,000, population,
are given delegates. In other
words, in the two Democratic Dele
gate districts named, one delegate is
given for each o,8I4 persons, while in
Republican Monongalia, Richie and
Putnam it requires 1896 people to
each delegate.
Take another example: The DEM
ocratic counties of Boone. Calhoun,
Giimer Nicholas. Pendleton, Pleas