Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-28
1anraster fntelllgenrer.
1HuRsDAY EVENING, APRIL %, 1881.
BillfngSleyss Bill.

LlOuWeuC COmmlItee nave JuSClueQ oil tLc
purposes of their appointment by a
speaker who stands clearly disclosed as
tile serviceable tool of the ROSTERS. They
have fixed up districting of the state
for members of the Assembly in which
the rural changes are not 50 impor-
tant nor significant politically, the party
gains and losses apparently balancing,
but in Philadelphia and Pitts
burgh the districts are arranged
SO Is to come as near as possible to the
election of solid Republican delegations.
Last year Allegheny county cast 22,O06
Democratic votes to $50 Republican,
and yet in seven districts with sixteen
members the new apportionment is such
a gerrymander as to give these twenty
two thousand Democratic voters not
single representative at Harrisburg. At
present Philadelphia has 38 members
of whom 10 are Democrats and % Re-
publicans, although the Democrats last
year polled 76,33O votes to the
Republicans 81 ,22O, or three-sevenths of
the whole, on which basis they would he
entitled to at least 16 members. Instead
of aiming to secure an approach to that
fairness the Republicans of the appor-
tionment have made resOlute effort to
wipe out the entire Democratic repre-
sentation. The Patriot thus gives in de-.
tail the proposed changes
The Second district, returning two Dem.
0crats, is cut down to ono member; the
Sixth district, formed by the Sixth ward,
and returning Mackin, Democrat, is in
creased by adding the Ninth and Tenth
wards and gives two members, both of
whom will be Republican; the Seventh
district, Seventh ward, now returning
two Republican members. is cut down
to one, and Huhn or Patterson must
60 the Eleventh and Twelfth wards
each sending Democrat, are
consolidated to form the Ninth
district, with only one member. Brewer
and Gcntner eau toss for the choice. The
Fifteenth district, Fifteenth ward, now
sending three Republicans, is cut down to
two and will be the Twelfth district here
after ; the Sixteenth and part of the Sew
enteenth wards now sending Furth and
Faunce, are consolidated and allowed but
one member the Nineteenth and Thirty
first wards, now sending three Republi-
cans, are given four in the new bill the
Twcnty-first and Twenty eighth wards,
now forming the Twenty first district aud
sending one Republican, are each made
separate districts, and the Twenty first
sends one and the Twenty eighth two
members. Republican gain Of two the
Twenty third ward, with one Republican
and the Twenty-fifth ward, with one
Democrat, are consolidated and given
three members. all Of whom will he Re
publicans the Twenty fourth and Twenty
seventh wards, each sending one RepuUli
can now, are consolidated and given three
members.
by this process of consolidating Dem.
Ocratic districts and subdistricting Re-
publican strongholds and increasing the
aggregate representation to 80, the Re-
publicans expect to make their represen-
tation So. and decrease the representa-
tion of the Democracy in the House to 3
giving the great body of $4,000 or
$4,000 Democrats in Philadelphia votes
in joint ballot in the State Assembly out
OF A, when they are entitled i'm all
equity to 20.
The object of this scheme is obvious.
Cameron expects determined and we'll
organized opposition to his reelection or
to his control of the senatorial election
in 1884, and he has already given notice of
his purpose to make sure of legislative
majority, regardless of the intervention
of any caucus. He expects the greatest
success in manipulating the Philadel-
phia delegation. Hence the great in
crease in the Republican strength there.
1t is notable that none of the ''kickers''
is responsible for this apportionment,
which is part Of tine programme of pun
ishment threatened to the Democrats
for not having helped to elect Oliver. 1t
will he interesting to see what course
the so-called Independent Republicans
will take on this measure. 1t, of course,
cannot he fully considered nor enacted
this sc: sion, but will likely be considered
at an extra session, and meantime it is a
living issue in state politics, projected
into the pending campaign. If the In.
dependents fail to record their Opposi-
tiOn to it in some way, even now, they
may he counted rs big thieves as those
who got up the bill and want it passed.
For legislators who rob even minority
of their just rights Of representation are
as thievish as those who steal the public
money. Such unfairness has always JUS
tilted revolution-nOt always bloodless.
On the whole we are glad the proposed
is rs mean and unfair as
it is. For it draws a clear line between
honest and dishonest legislators. It puts
the Independents on the record. They
must be for or against this bill. If they
are against it they and the Democrats
can pass fair bill /; if they are for it the
Democrats can beat the combination of
thus disclosed to he " all
tarred with the same stick.'' 1t only
nsedS some such bill as this to make re
form and Democracy identical in Phila-
delphia and to dislOdge what is left there
of Republican control in local affairs,
And Philadelphia once redeemed the state
is ours.
THE injustice to the PHILADELPHIA |
Democrats, and through them to the
whole commonwealth, is not, however,
the only ugly feature of the new appor-
tionment bill. Between the lines can he