holding the control of both branches of the Legislature, steadily refused
to give us such an apportionment as we were rightly entitled to have upon
the census already taken. The Legislature steadily refused to give us
such an apportionment as we were rightfully entitled to have upon the
census taken of the population of the State. The Legislature would pass
no bill upon that subject, except such as was at least as unfair to us as
the old one, and in which, in some instances, two men in the Democratic
regions were allowed to go as far toward sending a member to the
Legislature as three were in the Republican regions. Comparison was made
at the time as to representative and senatorial districts, which
completely demonstrated that such was the fact. Such a bill was passed
and tendered to the Republican Governor for his signature; but,
principally for the reasons I have stated, he withheld his approval, and
the bill fell without becoming a law.

Another disadvantage under which we labor is that there are one or two
Democratic Senators who will be members of the next Legislature, and will
vote for the election of Senator, who are holding over in districts in
which we could, on all reasonable calculation, elect men of our own, if
we only had the chance of an election. When we consider that there are
but twenty-five Senators in the Senate, taking two from the side where
they rightfully belong, and adding them to the other, is to us a
disadvantage not to be lightly regarded. Still, so it is; we have this to
contend with. Perhaps there is no ground of complaint on our part. In
attending to the many things involved in the last general election for
President, Governor, Auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Members of Congress, of the Legislature, County Officers,
and so on, we allowed these things to happen by want of sufficient
attention, and we have no cause to complain of our adversaries, so far as
this matter is concerned. But we have some cause to complain of the