The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-02-23
WASHINGTON T
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, d. g.,
Feb. % 1882.
Feb. 70, 1882,

rep. ~, 1907.
The apportionment question is &C.
cupying a large share of attention in
Congress and the one thing clearly
apparent so far is that the Republi-
cans are chiefly intent upon finding
out how not to do it, or in other
words how to do it unfairly. If the
purpose was to make a fair and
square allotment Of a fixed number
of Representatives to the whole pop
ulation irrespective of State lines it
would be a simple question of math-
ematics which any average school
boy could cipher out in thirty min
utes, but as the real object is to con-
coct a sheme whereby certain States
aud the Republican party may be
benefited, to the disadvantage of
other States and other parties, the
problem becomes more difficult. The
amendment to the bill under discus
sion proposed by Mr.. Beltzhoover, of
Pennsylvania, relative to the practice
of gerrymandering will very likely
be rejected by the Republicans. A
great outcry has been made and
the whole country called to witness
the outrage of the "Shoe string Dis
~trict," as it is called, of Mississippi,
which is constructed of a long line
of counties instead of massing them
together in the usual way. ~ it
has been shown that this case is off
set by a dozen others in Republican
States.
Under the guidance of the sainted
Morton Indiana used to elect eight
or nine Republican members of Con
gress 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 they are emit
tied to, as is fairly illustrated in the
district represented by Mr.. Klotz.
A Republican Legislature, not con-
tent with unitingthree counties with
about 1000 Democratic majority, ran
a furrow through two more, taking
in 1,500 Democratic majority as they
went, and then joined two more
counties with about 5000 Democrat.
ic majority, giving Mr.. Klotz an en-.
tire majority of about $500 and 9
district which looks like a dumb
bell. No wonder it takes nearly 81.
600 Democrats to elect a Pennsylva
mia Congressman and not $4,000 Re
publicans to go and do likewise
New York is also gerrymandered il
much the same way, and in the whole
country the Republicans have an ad
vantage by this mean of at least {
dozen Representatives, which they
will keep if they AN.
There isa general howl in army
circles over the late appointments o
Quartermaster- General and Paymas
ter General, in which the hand 0
Arthur was visible but the voice o
Grant was audible. General Sheri
dan has been industriously log roll
ing for his father-in law Tor the las
six months, but his jolly, common
place face looks a trihe less satisfied
now than a week ago at the prospec
, of the fight that is to be made in tn
Senate over General Fuckers nomi
nation, in which several Senators vii
take occasion to wound e1sfA
!, Fuckers feelings cruelty. This i
) really Mrs. Grants nomination
That good but narrow minded VIC
man has never forgotten to be CRATE
, full to General Sheridan for jumpin;
her great, stupid BOBBY of a boy
Ere | Grant, over the heads of hun
dreds of gray haired veterans AM
making him a Lieutenant-C Colonel
1t is not tc be expected that Mrs
Grant would exactly appreciate tn
J bad form, to put it mildly, of havin,
a youngster who had never smell
powder q Lieutenant Colonel, Will
| men who fought all during the wa
/ remained Captains for twenty years
: with the prospect of being retired a
Majors; nor did General Sheridan
appear to, but he has reaped the re
ward of virtue in having Genera
Meigs retired at sixty-five on &C
| count of age, and General Rucke
promoted at seventy-two-on &C
I count of youth it may be supposed
: Colonel Rochester was elevated owe
eleven other officers, every one O
J whom was better entitled to the Pay
| master Generalship than he, ard bot
nominations are about as wildly bat
as any that were made by the piou
Hayes.
The bill retiring Justice Hunt wa
brought forward and speedily pass
, ed by both branches of Congress i
! order that a long existing vacanc,
on the Supreme Bench might be fill
ed at once. There were strong oh
jections to the measure, but the
were outweigned by the necessity {
promptly recruiting the Suprem
Court. It has now been some tim
: since Congress acted in the matte
s and since Judge Hunt sent in his re
r signation. 1t only remains for tn
President to make the needed nom
nation, but he seems TO be takin
. things pretty slow in this as in q
other appointments. For reasons c
= his own Mr.. Arthur is sudrouaain
J himself with a lot of old fogies 6
S Cabinet advisers and pursuing
n procrastinating course with refe
., ence topublic business, which is we
illustrated in Pucb's late cartoon
the Rip Van Wrinkle Cabinet. {
course none of these old fellows wi
It be dangerous candidates for the su
n cessian, and if by bargaining an
= schemiDg be q get ahead of NJ
Blaine it may be that Arthur vi
Z have the blessing of the Grant crow
in the effort to be his own uccess
r. The five cent stamp which is
4 common use for ocean postage bea,
h at present the efigy of Presidel
l. Zachary Taylor. 1t is a good DO
IS trait of Il sturdy patriot. whose men
n Ory is dear to the American noonl