Year: 1871




Richmond so as to neutralize the Republi-
can majority. To do this a plan of SUBJ
division has been adopted more outrage
ously unjust and criminal than anything
we ever heard of in the history of political
conspiracies. AS we are informed, sim
gle ward contains nearly one.third of the
population, while the remaining two-thirds
are divided among five wards. One-third
are thus entitled to only five councilmen,
while the two-thirds have twenty-five
members.


1t thus appears that in Jackson ward it
takes two and one half times more people
TO secure representative than in either of
the other wards Why this discrimina-
ton against one ward of the city The
answer is clear, because in that ward, live
large number of laborers and poor men,
who cannot be made to bow to the behests
of the Common Council These hardy
sons of toll cannot be relied upon to aid
them in retaining offices obtained by fraud
and treachery, and which they now seek
to hold by the same infamous means.


And this monstrous injustice is perpe-
trated by men who style themselves Con-
servatives. This deadly assault upon the
fundamental principles of Democratic
government is made by men who claim
intense respect for law and order, and who
are shocked at even regular amendment
to the constitution, lest it should disturb
the solid integrity of that instrument "as
it was" The most sacred principle of
our government is, that every citizen shall
have the same representative value. To
secure this the ballot has been established
and voting provided for.


But if, by system of distrcting, the ma
jority in a representative body may be
made to bear no relation in political char
acter to the majority of the constituency
which elected it; if Republican consti-
tuency may be compelled to elect Demo-
cratic council, or Democratic Republic
can council, there is an end of democratic
institutions, and voting is mere farce
II the council can change one ward so as
to annihlate itslegal majority, it may do SO
in all cases and nothing can prevent it, if
it so chooses, from placing one-half of the
population in one ward, and the other
half in FIVE wards,-it might even place
nine-tentbs of the people in one district,
and divide the other one-tenth into five
wards and give them the control of the
city.


If any deliberate departure from this
simple principle Of representative equality
is allowed, we are at sea without rudder or
compass, and anarchy succeeds govern
ment. If there is no legal recourse for
such an outrage, then a defect exists in
our institutions that all good men should
seek speedily to remedy. We believe the
courts are now competent to take cogni-
zance Of and break up this conspiracy
against the rights OF the citizen. But we
are glad to knoao that the matter is being
discussed in high quarters at Washington,
having been suggested by the gerryman-
dering outrages of these professed Conser-
vatives in Virginia and elsewhere. The
courts must interpose to remedy these grave
sorongs and to punish the perpetrators Of
crimes against public order and the integri-
tyof the Commonwealth.


Meantime, let every man interested in
preserving the good name of the city and
State, eudeavor to influence the Council to
recede from the false and dangerous
ground which it has occupied We warn
these men in all seriousness of the conse-
quences of the course they are pursuing.
1t can end only in their disastrous defeat ;
but the baleful influence is felt and ire
parable injury inflicted upon the reputa-
ton and business interests of the city.


Their mad and feeble attempts cannot
stay the rising waters of popular indigna-
ton. Their puny dam of sand will only
suffice to accumulate the reserved force
which will surely sweep them down to
ruin. We have faith in the future, and
faith in the great uncorrupted masses of
the people, and we call on them to rise in
their might and throw off the corrupt and
shameless oligarchy which now rules only
to ruin in this city.