The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-28


turn with his locks silvered and his eyes some
what dimmed, but with his humor undated.
Others will be candidates, but "Uncle Jake"
has through ticket and his baggage checked.
The smaller offices will be scrambled for in the
usual style, and it matters little who wins
OF course the committees will be turned
topsy-turvy by the new order of things, and
the Republicans will be subordinated, as the
Democrats have been for the last twelve years:
but it is too soon to venture on an assignment
of the leading Democrats to these committees
Buckalew will, of course, have his choice of
positions, and Davis, of Berks and Randall, of
Schuylkill, will have important chairmanships.
Buckalew will likely be chairman of two special
committees, one to frame appointments and
another to report on constitutional convention.
Some of the less discreet Republican managers,
under the direction of the Cameron wing, have
declared their purpose to defeat the Legislative
and Congressional apportionments, and take the
chances of Republican Legislature next year;
but the coming Legislature will not be under
any such INSCRIPTIONS control in that or any
other issue. The present Legislative apportion-
ment is disgraceful gerrymander. Democratic
counties are denied their just representation,
and others are swamped by association with
Republican counties. Montgomery is given
Uub tWO uOhDCI5J WuuO Cu6bJcT, WIN lees
population, has three, and Chester and Della
ware are piled on to Montgomery to elect two
Senators. Bedford and Fulton are overcome by
Somerset in the election of members; West
moreland is throttled by Indiana, and Washing
ton by Beaver; Huntingdon was piled
on to Juniata aud Mif1in, and
Union and Snyder on to Lycoming;
but the experiment has worked rather unsatis-
factorily. The Democrats will present a per-
fectly fair bill. They will ask no advantage in
arranging the districts, and there are enough
fair Republicans to join them in an equitable
bill rather than be guilty of the proposed revo-
lutionary act of adjourning without passing the
apportionment required by the Constitution.
The counsels of desperate leaders, who have
relied upon gerrymanders to enable them to defy
the people, will be impotent this winter, and
the Republican party will hereafter carry the
Legislature when its popular vote entities it to
legislative supremacy, and when it fails to
secure popular success it will be in a minority.
Henceforth the Republican party can succeed
only by deserving success, and the reckless men
who have estranged the people from the party
should appreciate the fact that they can no
longer defy the popular will without inviting
Democratic success.
1t is not improbable that the practical work
ing majority of the coming Legislature will be
made up of the Democratic strength and BODY
of Independent Republicans. They will unite
from necessity to defeat the extreme measures
on which Cameron must stake everything. II
he fails in defeating an apportionment, and in
defeating q constitutional convention, his DO
litical race will be run. His power will be gone
and gone forever; and no one appreciates it bet
ter than Cameron himself 1t is we'll known
that Governor Geary will approve fair appor-
tionment, and he will strongly favor constitu-
tional convention. Cameron will use his utmost
endeavors to defeat both but will fail. The bill
for q reform convention will pass at an early
day, and will command the entire Democratic
vote with that of all the better class of Republ-
cans. 1t will give each party an equal chance for
the control of the convention in proportion to
their respective popular vote, and will fix
special elections, so that in 1872 the new Con-
stituton will be in operation, and the next
United States Senate will be the first offering
of reform. Where will Cameron and his Sena-
torial auction be when reform is enthroned in
the legislative halls? He has had long lease
of power. Republican forbearance under his cor
ruptinp influence has been uneXampled; but at last
the fruits of the war have been gathered in their
fulness, and Republicanism can vindicate itself
against political vampires without sacrificing
the national safety. The next United States
Senate, whether Democratic or Republican, will
be the one preferred by the people, and the
shameless hucksters of the highest honors of
the State will live only in the history made
memorable by their crimes against a patriotic
Commonwealth. DAUPHIN.