The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-11-01
WOULD eERRYMANDER.
Democrats Have Planned 20 Capture
the state Senate and tho Ohio Dele-
cation 10 COngress-Great ImPoR.
tance OF the Election This Fall.

Democrats Have Planned 20 Capture
the state Senate and the Ohio Dele
CATION 10 Congressional ImpOR-
tance Of the Election This Fall.
One of the many important points to
be considered by the republican voters
of the state in casting their ballots at
the November election has been lost
sight of in the general discussion OF
the issues of the campaign. Reference
is made to the composition of the joint
commission, composed of the COVER
nor, secretary of state and auditor OF
state, who, under section IL of the con-
stitution of Ohio, are charged with the
work of redistrictiDg the state for leg
islatiye purposes Immediately after
the taking of the federal census. Two
of that commission, the governor and
auditor of state, are to be chosen in
November, and If the democrats should
carry their state ticket, Secretary of
State Kinney would be the minority of
the commission, and powerless to act.
Under this reapportionment it would
be possible for the democratic major
ity to so fix the senatorial districts
that the republicans Of Ohio would be
deprived of their proper representa-
tion in the senate, and that would be
very important thing in the election
of the Seventy-fifth general assembly,
charged with the duty of electing a
United States senator to succeed Hon.
]. B. Foraker.
The last apportionment of the gem
eral assembly was in 1891, when Gov
ernor Campbell was the chief execu-
tive, but he was in the minority, the
majority being made up of Secretary
of State Ryan and the late State Audi
tor Hon. L. r. Poe. The apportion-
ment made by this commission was
attacked in the supreme court by the
democrats, but its constitutionality
was upheld and legislatures have been
elected under it ever since. The com
ing election of members of the house
and senate will be under the fifth or
last period.
If the democrats succeed in electing
a majority of the members of the gen.
eral ASSEMBLY, next month, the question
of gerrymandering the state for con-
gressional purposes will be determin-
ed The federal census Will be taken
in June, and under the law it will be
the duty of the legislature to redis-
trict the state for congressional pur-
poses. If the democrats win, one of
the most important political acts Of
that body will be along the lines men
toned, and the result will be that the
republicans, who are in large major
ity in Ohio, will be deprived of their
proper representation. The Ohio dele
CATION in congress now consists of 10
republicans and six democrats, but
this would be reversed by the demo-
cratic managers if they had the power
and it was possible to make up the dis
tricts so, even if they did look like a
bootleg or a rail fence.
The election of the democratic state
ticket, therefore, means the redistrict-
ing of the state for Legislative pur-
poses, so as to make almost impossible
the election of a republican to the
United States senate in 1902, and de-
priving the republicans of Ohio of
their fair representation in congress.
These matters are most important and
should be kept in mind by every re-
publican in the state of Ohio. They
are of vital interest to the party, and
mark the high stakes for which John
r. Mclean is playing.