Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-06
STATE APPoRTIoNMENT.

of the Legislature. Attempts to gerry
mander the State in the interest of one
party should be frowned down. No intel
ligent observer can fail TO realize that such
measures are ultimately certain to react
disastrously upon the party that is respon-
sible for them. They are in effect IN the
line of assaults upon the underlying prlncl'
pies of republican government, as repre-
hensible as the coercive policy adopted by
the Southern Democrats. They cannot be
defended upon any basis OF honest dealing.
Whoever attempts to keep one party IN
power by manipulating the elective ma
chinery, no matter in what way or to what
extent, is practically attacking the right
of free suffrage Partisanship is proverb-
tally shortsighted, and partisans when they
get together are very apt to forget that
they do not represent the whole people,
and that there are any interests outside of
their own to be conserved. But we do not
think the smartest gerrymandering scheme
ever devised and put in operation, however
much it might be applauded by the politi-
clan class at the moment, has in the end
had other than mischievous effect upon
the party it was meant to strengthen.
The deliberate introduction of unfair
tricks to legislation of this kind is obvi-
ously a confession of immortality on the
part of those who adopt such a policy. 1t
is a surrender of conviction and principle
as the groundwork for appeals to the peo-
pie, and an announcement that recourse is
to be had to dishonest strategy. No such
plans can in these days of swift and general
communication be disguised or concealed,
and the people are very certain to resent
and eventually to punish them. a party
which proclaims by Its actions a fear that
it cannot hold its own in fair contest is
thereby self-accused and self-discredited,
and men who respect themselves are very
likely to abandon it. When parties be-
come unable to command the support of
the majority they ought to decline, and all
efforts to protect them against the natural
results of the withdrawal of popular con-
fdence are improper and Legitimate.
In the present case, moreover, there are
some special reasons why attempts of this
kind are particularly ill-judged. The pop
ulation of California is not only sparse,
but migratory. The people are restless
and given to change their residences. At
the same time accessions of new blood are
being constantly received. The general
consequence is that the political character
of towns and districts is liable to radical
changes at brief intervals. In the long
settled Eastern States this is not the case.
! There communities retain about the same
political relations from generation to gen.
Grafton. Men adopt the politics of their
fathers often as matter of course, and the
same proportions are observed in the
respective party votes during long periods
But in California there is a nomadic
tendency which battles and upsets all po-
! Iitical calculations. The town or county
which has been Democratic for several
years may at any time become Republican
through changes of population, or rice
yersa. And one of the consequences of
this peculiar tendency to change is that it
is impossible to arrange any plan of appor-
tionment, from partisan standpoint
which may not be found in short time to
operate in the contrary direction to that
intended.
This at least is a consideration which
cannot be overlooked by the most reckless
partisans. OF course the only possible
advantage of gerrymandering scheme
is to help the party that favors it if it
does not do that it is worse than useless,
since there can be no doubt that such
measures provoke antagonism and Sc
cession from the party. If, therefore, it
can be shown that any such plan is as
likely as not to work against the party
that introduces it, the motive for urging
schemes of the kind will be removed
AS the case stands we do not believe it
possible to devise any plan OF apportion-
ment which can be relied upon to do what
it was meant to do for even five years.
II the increase of settlement should be con-
siderable in the next two or three years,
it is even probable that such scheme would
break down in half the time mentioned.
In any event it is clear that it would not
be a safe experiment, no matter how
feasible, and therefore it ought not to be
thought of, apart from all moral considera-
tions.
And it must be remembered that the Re-
publican party will be held responsible for
whatever is done at the extra session in
this respect. 1t is not to be doubted that
the Democrats are willing to agree to fair
apportionment bill, but that they will re-
sist an unfair one. The introduction OF an
unjust bill therefore can only have the eff
feet of unduly prolonging session which
ought to be made as short as possible, and
if it is perceived that the Republicans are
accountable for the delay they will not be
forgiven by the people. The Republican
party does not ask any unfair advantages.
1t believes in its ability to carry the State
or an equitable adjustment of the election
machinery, and it will not thank its repre-.
sentatives here for putting it in the atti,
tude OF attempting to secure by chicanery
what it cannot obtain by manly methods.
For these and other sufficiently plain
reasons we trust that all efforts at trickery
viii be Stunned, and that an apportior-
ment bill satisfactory to the public gener-
ally viii be passed.
TIE GREAT PORK CONTROVERSY.
The American Agricultural Association