The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-02-23
WASHINGTON, D. G.,
Feb. l6. 1882.

how not to do it, OF in other words
how to do it unfairly. If the purpose
was to make fair and square allot-
mept Of fixed number OF represents
tiges to the whole population irrespec-
tive of State lines it would be simple
question of mathematics which any
average scbocl.boy could cipher out in
thirty minutes, but as the real object
is to concoct a scheme whereby certain
States and the Republican party may
be benefited, to the disadvantage OF
other States and other parties, the prob
lem becomes more difficult. The amend
ment to the bill under discussion pro
posed BY Mr.. Beltzhoover of Pennsyl-
vauia, relative to the practice of gerry.
Wandering will very likely be rejected
by the Republicans A great ouscry
has been made and the whole country
called to witness the outrage of the
"Shoe-string District as it is called
Of Mississippi, which is constructed of
long line Of counties instead of mas
| sing them together in the usual way.
But it has been shown that this case
| is Offset By a dozen others in Repub'
lican States.
Under the guidance of the sainted
| Morton Indiana used to elect eight or
niue Republican members of Congress
out of thirteen, while the State went
Democratic by from 5000 to 1000
majority. In Pennsylvania the strong
Democratic counties have been massed
| together so as to give the Republicans
two or three more Representatives
than @hey are entitled to, as is fairly
illustrated in the district represented
by Mr. Koltz. A Republican Legis.
lature, not content with uniting three
counties With about 1900 Democratic
majority, ran a furrow through two
more, taxing in $500 Democratic
majority as they went, and then join.
ed Two more counties with about 5000
Democratic majority, giving Mr. Kols2
an entire majority of about $500 and
a district which look like dumb bell.
| No wonder it takes nearly 1000
| Democrats to elect a Pennsylvania
Congressman and not 1000 Republi
cans to 60 and do likewise. New
York is also gerrymandered in much
the same way, and in the whole coun'
try the Republicans have an advan
tage BY this means of at least dozen
Representatives, which they will keep
if they can.
There is a general howl iu army cir
cles over the late appointments o1
Quartermaster-General and Paymaster,
General, in which the hand Of Arthur
was visible but the voice of Grant was
audible. General Sheridan has been
industriously Iog-rolling for his father
ip-law for the last six months, but his
Jolly, commonplace face looks a trifle
less satisfied now than 3 week ago q,
the prospect of the fight that is to be
made in the Senate over General Ruck,
er's nomination, in which several Sena'
tors will take occasion to wound Gene
raj Rucker's feelings. cruelty. This is
really Mrs. Grants nomination. That
good but narrow minded woman has
never forgotten to be grateful to Gen
eral Sheridan for jumping her great
stupid BOBBY of boy, Fred Grant,
over the heads of hundreds of gray
haired veterans and making him a
Lieutenant Colonel. It. is not to be
expected that Mrs Grant would ex
actly appreciate the bad form, to put
it mildly, Of having a youngster who
had never smelt powder Lieutenant
Colonel, while men who fought all
during the war remained Captains for
twenty years, with the prospect Of
being retired as Majors; nor did Gen
eral Sheridan appear to, but be Las
reaped the reward of virtue in hav-
ing General Meigs retired at sixty.
five on account of age, and Genera
Rucker promoted at seventy-two-on
account of youth it may be supposed.
Colonel Rochester was elevated over
eleven other officers, every one Of
whom was better entitled TO the Pay
master, Generalship. than he, and both
nominations are about as wildly bad
as any that were made by the pious
Hayes.
The bill retiring Justice Hunt was
brought forward and speedily passed
by both branches of Congress in order
that long existing vacancy on the
Supreme Bench might be filed at
once. There were strong objections
to the measure, but they were out,
weighed by the necessity Of promptly
recruiting the Supreme Court. It has
now been some time since Congress
acted in the matter and since Judge
Hunt seat in his resignation. 1t only
remains for the President to make the
needed nominations, but he seems to
be taking things pretty slow in this
as 10 all other appointments. For
reasons of bis own Mr.. Arthur is sur.
rounding himself with lot of old
fogies as Cabinet advisers and pursuing
| procrastinating course with reference
| to public business, which is we'll illus.
trated in Puck's late cartoon of the
| Rip Van Winkle Cabinet. Of course
| none Of these old fellows will be dang
erous candidates for the succession,
and if BY bargaining and scheming he
get ahead of Mr.. Blaine it may be that
| Arthur will have the blessing of the
Grant crowd in the effort to be his own
successor.
The FIVE cent stamp which is in
common use for ocean postage bears at
n-oeont tbo af1ov of proe;aant Ioob,rv