Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-04-15
n, I.Is.iss.s vrsEramme.

The conclusion Of the Forty-slxtt
Congress was signslized by the
passage Of . Congressional appor.
tionment bill so absolutely fair and
non.partizsn that It received votes
from all parties and was passed by
both houses. Failing to receive
the signature Of the President. 1t
did not become law. BY that APP
portionment California was allot.
ted six members of Congress. We
received quite generous treatment,
our fraction Of over five members
being allowed its utmost influence.
Californians heartily hope that the
Forty-seventh Congress, Republi.
can in both branches, will be equal
ly confederate to this section.
In remarkable contrast to the
judicial and unbiased action of the
Democratic Of the .Forty-sixth Con.
gress has been that Of the Republi.
can majority Of the California Leg.
islature. Just before the Legisla.
ture adjourned, prior to the special
session, a number OF the mem-
bers of tho Republican State Cen
trail Committee went to Sacra.
mento to confer with the Republi.
can caucus. They made peremp-
tory demands for unfair and parti-
zan action on the apportionment
bill, and were answered, by lead.
ing Republican legislator, that they
proposed to steal as much from the
Democrats as they could. The fell
low had the brazsn impudence to
say "steal," and the leaders of the
party at the State capital mean
"steap to-day. So sweeping Is the
Infamous scheme that the Republic
can members from the San Joaquin
valley have proved rscalcitrant and
have bolted the programme. There
10 little doubt of its defeat.
By the Congressional scheme OF
apportIonment popular amongst
the Republican leaders at Sacra.
mento. the State is so "gerryman.
dered" that, of the six Congression.
al districts, only one would be
Democratic, and that by a major
ity of three thousand. We
are treated TO this specta'
Gle although Gen. Hancock car
ried the State by small but
reliable majority. But that Is moi
all. In the legislative apportion'
ment scheme there are some uu-
speakable partizan and gerryman'
dering enormities which the Sar
Francisco Examiner of the 12tf
inst. suggests cogently as follows
1t is o fact that Placer, Yuba
Butte, Kern, Lake and Suttel
counties get eight Assemblymer
for a total population of 46,959
whilst only the same number o
Assembl y men are given to Hum
boldt, Mendocino, Santa Barbara
Ventura, Contra Costa, SAINT,
Cruz, Napa and San Joaquin coun
ties for total population of 102, 230
1t 10 also o fact that the Constitu
tion provides that the representa-
tion shall be allotted to the severs
districts on the basis Of population
"as nearly equal as may be-" 1t il
q further fact that the legislator!
who are endeavoring to forcs
through this grossly unequal di
vision of the legislative power have
taken q solemn oath not to assist
In passing any laws in violation o.
the Constitution. To be sure, ar
oath ia q mere form of words, The
vitality and life of which depend
altogether upon the conscience o
the individual who employs them
If q man by his acts shows that he
treats such q form as so much
meaningless jargon, then he IL
without conscience, and perjury il
by him esteemed o negative, if moi
o positive virtue. How much re.
spect Republican legislators pay tc
an oath must be judged Of by theil
acts in this connection.
1t is q fact that Yuba, Sutter and
tKern counties are allotted by the
Republican apportionment scheme
three Assemblymen for total pop
ulation Of IA, 465, while Humboldt
gets only one for a population o
1892 What honest man can pre-
tend to truly declare such divis'
ion to be in accordance with the
constitutional requirement?
1t is . fact that Placer county
with q population Of 1900 receives
two Assemblymen, whilst SAINTS
Barbara and Ventura jointly gel
only one for q population Of IA, 240
II it were proper to discriminate al
all, the discrimination should be
just the other way. 1t should ir
that case favor counties that art
increasing In population rather
than those which are declining
The mining counties have beer
and are losing population, whilst
the agricultural ones are steadily
gaining.
The affalis of great State can
not be run on the basis of "hog
ging" game Of short cards, and thu
Republican leaders ut Sacramento
will realize this fact, sooner Of
later.
| The eIepement OF an Omahs
sohoolmistress with q pupil about 6