Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1910-06-02
THURSDAY. JUNE 2, 1910.
PHONE No. Sc
A 6RlEVOUS SIN.

teo against the people of the Ninth
District none is more fragrant than the
enactment of the present, existing leg
islative apportionment. This appor-
tionment has robbed the people of the
Ninth District of their just share of
representation in the General Assem-
bly,. And one of Mr.. H. C. Stuart's
most vicious political sins was the Civ
ing of his sanction as a representative
of his people to the outrage. This he
did by voting to place in the Constitu-
ton and afterwards signing that instru-
ment the following:
"Sec. 4S. The superintendent of the
State into senatorial and house districts.
made by the acts of the General Assem-
bly,, approved April the second, nine
teen hundred and two, is hereby adopt
ed; but a re-apportionment may be
made In the year nineteen hundred and
six, and shall be made in the year nine
teen hundred and twelve, and every
tenth year thereafter"
1t will be observed that this section
of the Constitution makes no sugges-
tions or provisions for an equitable ap-
portionment of the State into senate
rial and house districts. Upon the con-
trary, it adopts, ratifies and confirms
the disgracefully unfair superintendent
made by a Democratic General Assem-
bly, about two months previous to the
completion and proclamation of the
constitution. Why didn't the Constitu-
tional Convention write in Sec. 40 the
same equitable and honest provisions
that they placed in Sec. So? This latter
section, in providing for the apportion-
ment of the State into Congressional
districts says: (Which districts shall
be composed of contiguous and compact
territory, containing as nearly as prac-
ticable, an equal number of inhabi-
tants."
The legislative superintendent of
April End, 1902, completely ignores in
habitants as a basis and violates the
fundamental principle of republican
government, equal and just representa-
ton for all citizens. We will give a
few illustrations of the enormities of
the legislative apportionment in Viz
glnla, to show how the Ninth District
and the other white mountain sections
of the State have been robbed.
The Ninth Congressional District, by
the census of 1900 had 2O3, 391 white
inhabitants and 1916 colored inhabi-
tants. The iniquitous apportionment
of 1902 gives to the thirteen great white
counties of the Ninth District 4 State
Senators and II members of the House
of Delegates.
The Sixth Congressional District. |
made up of six counties and two cities.
is given by this apportionment men,
bers of the House Of Delegates and 81
State Senators. According to the CEN
sus of 1900 this district had a popula-
ton of 1927 whites and 68. 488 color
ed people.
The Fourth Congressional District.
The Black Belt" of Virginia, with
1906 whites and 1OS, 1853 colored popu-
lation is given State Senators and 81
members of the House of Delegates.
Thus has one white man in the Sixth
Congressional District been given a
value equal to two white men in the
Ninth, and one white man in the Fourth
been apportioned as much representa-
ton as three white men in the Ninth
District.
Another illustration will be found in
with Senatorial districts:
The county of Halifax with 1892
whites and 1925 colored inhabitants
s made Senatorial district, is given
me Senator and two members of the
House of Delegates.
The Third Senatorial District is COM
'osed of the counties of Buchanan,
Dickinson, Russell and Tazewen. The
istrict had, by census of 1900, "a, 443 J
'hites and 4,35l negroes. Thus it will
e seen that the four great counties of '
uehanan, Dickenson, Russell (Mr.