The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-17
GueniMa telegraph
SATURDAY, DECEMBER II, 1870.
THE SENATORIAL ELECPION

THE SENATORIAL ELECFIUN.
On Tuesday next, the 2oth instant, the legN
voters of the FIRST Senatorial district of this
city will be called upon to elect q successor
to the late Senator Watt. 1t is seldom that
the election Of a siagle member of the Lsgis-
lature is of such vital Importance as in this
case. But the Senate as it now stands is a
tie, and its organization depends upon the
result of the contest between Mr.. Lyndall aud
Colonel Decbert. If the former is elected
tho Speaker of the Senate will be Republi-
oan, and the committees will be framed with
the Republican spirit predominating; if the
latter succeeds the Democracy will carry
off both the Speakership and the committees,
and dead lock between the two branches of
the Legislature will result, except in all those
cases of corrupt legislation in which dead
look would work such good results. Before
the Legislature soon to assemble will come
two measures of unusual importanoe-the re-
apportionment of the entire State into Legis-
lative and Congressional districts. Con-
gressional reapportioument is made once in
ten years aud Legislative reapportionment
onoe n seven, SO that it can only happen
onoe in seventy years that the same Legis-
lsture is called upon to superintend both.
In the Legislature of 1861, by which the
last Congressional appertionment was made,
the Republicans had ma ority of 81 in the
Senate and ~ in the House, making 63 on
joint ballot. In the Legislature of 1861 by
which the last Legislative apportionment was
made, the Republican majority in the Senate
was 1 and in the House 4, or on joint
ballot. In the last Legislature, the Republi-
cans had 3 majority in the Senate and 20 in
the House, or 23 on joint ballot. In the
Legislature soon to assemble, the Senate
stands 16 Republicans to 16 Democrats, with
the seat of the First district vacant, and the
House 55 Republicans to 45 Democrats
Republican majority of 10. If the control
of the Senate is secured by the election of
Mr.. Lyndall, the Republicans will therefore
be a little better off than they we're in 1864,
but still far from as powerful as
they we're in 1861. They will, however,
be in clear majority in both houses,
and when presenting united front can carry
through such political legislation as is antago-
nized; while the fact that they will have a
majority of one only in the Senate win tend
greatly to keep their demands and purposes
within the bounds of reason, by rendering it
possible for the detection of single right
minded Republican member to defeat an un-
fair and iniquitous arrangement of the Con-
gressional and Legislative districts. If the
Democrats were in power, the State would
be SO gerrymandered as to give them abso-
lutte control of it for years to come; as they
are not in power, it is possible for the people
to secure a perfectly honest and impartial
distribution of the districts, such distribu-
tion as will fully satisfy the right-minded
members Of both the great political parties.
The election of Mr.. Lyndall is therefore
matter of vital Importance to the State at
large, not less than to the people of the dis
trict which he will specially represent. He is
eminently qualified for the position, and will
make an honest, worthy, and Jealous member
of the Senate. Happily his election is a fore
gone conclusion. In 1866, General William
MoOandiess, Democrat, was elected Senator
from this district by 1547 majority over the
late Jeremiah Nichols, Republican. In 1869,
the late Senator Watt had majority of 176
votes over Alexander Diamond. At the re-
cent election, the Republican maj jority in the
district ranged between $50 and 1000, reach
ing 1910 on the vote for Receiver of Taxes,
and falling to 756 on that for Sheriff. In the
following table are shown the fluctuations in
the vote of the district since the Senatorial
election of 1866