Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-11-22
A RANK INJUSTICE.

A RANK INJUSTICE.
Through the inattention of some
one whose duty it was to look to the
matter when the re-districting
of the state took place, Amador,
Calaveras, Alpine, Inyo and Mono
counties were permitted to pass as
single assembly district, with only
one assemblyman to be elected to
represent the whole in the next
legislature. For the paltry salary
of $480, who is there that wishes to
represent and at the same time re-
ceive the Bluffs and cuffs of at least
35, 900 people? To say the least,
this seems to be the result of poor
workmanship, on the part of assem-
blymen sent to represent the people
in our last legislature. What were
our Amador and Calaveras repre-
sentatives doing, that such a thing
was permitted? A protest from the
representatives would have saved
Amador and Calaveras from the loss
of their respective assembly dis
tricts. We must now figure in a
group of ive.-Angels Echo.
Our cotemporary is in error in
placing Inyo county in this assem-
bly, district. Tulare and Inyo coun-
ties form the 9th assembly district.
Amador, Calaveras, Alpine and
Mono counties comprise the eleventh
assembly district. But even with
this correction the situation is bad
enough. That gross injustice has
been done by placing all these coun-
ties in one district must be patent
to any one who will take the trouble
to look into the matter These coun-
ties under the apportionment of 1890
elected one senator. There are 40
senators against 80 assemblymeu in
the California legislature. If these
counties therefore were entitled to
one senator in 1890, to justify their
reduction to one assembly district
according to the census of 1900, one
of two things must have happened;
namely, either the counties named
must have lost heavily in population
during the ten years from 1890 to
1900, or else the rest of the state
must have nearly doubled in popula-
ton in the same length of time, and
the four counties remained at a
standstill. We know as a matter of
fact that neither proposition is true.
The district has gained in population
during the decade, perhaps not quite
up to the ratio of increase in the
state as whole, but very nearly so.
And yet by one fell swoop of the
legislative AK, we have been de-
graded from a senatorial to an as
sembly district. What have these
important mining counties done that
they should be thus shamefully
treated. And the injustice is all the
more calling that it has been per-
petrated by a republican legislature,
on strong republican district, rep
resented by solid republican dele
cation in the law making body.
With the addition of Inyo county,
the territory embraced in this dis
trict had three assemblymen in the
last legislature. Amador had one
representative exclusively, so had
Calaveras, while Inyo, Mono and
Alpine elected one conformity. For
the first time in Amador's history
we are left without a delegate
that we call our own in the legis
lature. From the organization of
the county in 1854 until 1880, ANA
dor had one senator and two assem-
blymen. From 1880 until the present
time she has elected one assembly
man, also one senator jointly with
one or more counties. Calaveras
has also enjoyed the distinction so
far of having an assemblyman for
herself. But for the next ten years
these two populous and growing
counties-whose Importance in min
eral wealth is hardly equaled, and
certainly not surpassed by any other
territory of equal extent in the state
are to be denied the privilege of Joint
assemblyman. No other portion of
the state has been treated so shabbily
in the apportionment of assembly
men. San Benito, with little, if any
more population than either ANA
dor or Calaveras county, still enjoys
one assemblyman. So does Kern,
Orange and Monterey, not one of
them exceeding in population the
combined population of Amador and
Calaveras. We are totally at a loss
to give the reason for this remarkable
discrimination against this section.
Why have we been thus laid on the
legislative shelf so to speak? What
have we done to merit this rebuke-
We might call it punishment-o ten
years duration? We leave the oues-
tions for those to answer who are in
a position to do so, frankly admit
ting that we are not acquainted with
the secret springs of party action
that led to this amazing abolition of