Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-02-09
Shrewd Strategists.

1t appears to be cold day when a
new apportionment scheme is not propos
ed by some legislator, acting as a skirm-
isher for associates in the back ground
who have their own ends to serve. The
different projects proposed are as varied
as the members proposing them. The
one which has the loudest if not the
strongest backing is the one fathered
| by Milwaukee and mothered by Bill
Price which proposes to attain the ends
so earnestly sought by both parents; of,
on the one hand, making Milwaukee
safe by looping off the Democratic
counties which now, with that city, con-
stitute the fourth congressional district,
which on the other hand Vernon coun-
ty, that troublesome thorn in Bro.
Prices side is lifted out of the seventh
district and placed where it can do the
least damage in newly organized
fourth district.
This handsome device for bringing
down a whole covey at one shot Is spok-
ed of by the Milwaukee Republican in
suiatingly as the "best and fairest
plan for redistricting the state yet pre-
sented." If such be the case other pro-
positions must be extremely curious
productions.
Taking the Third District as an in
stance of the wisdom displayed by the
inventors of the above strategic
policy, Green county is found dropped
off and in its place Dane is added, max
ing district, in shape somewhat re-
sembling an old fashioned gridron with
Dane for the handle. Just why it is
necessary to railroad Green out of the
district and Dane in is explained with
an air of infantile innocence, that this
balances the district up nicely as far as
population goes. But to the uninitiated
observer it looks very much more like |
providing for an issue where the tail |
should wag the dog in the future.
If it is necessary to disturb the pres
ent arrangement of the Third District, |
which can get along very well as it is,
why does it not occur to these political
architects to simply add to the district |
the county of Vernon which is knit in |
with Richland and Crawford coun-
ties by commercial and social ties, and |
the addition of which would make a
solid, compact district, with its proper
proportion of population, rather than
reach out half way across the state and
tack on county with a population
greater than two and even three of the
other counties in the district, and one
whose people have no affinity to the in
habitants of other portions of the dis
trict outside of the small stretch of terri
tory along the eastern border of Iowa
county.
However it may look to those interest
ed, the inhabitants of the Third district
have u lingering idea thatan African of |
slzable proportions is slumbering i'll |
hidden corner of the fence
1t is not as yet a fixed fact that the
present bill before congress will pass,
and rumors are prevalent that one Civ
ing larger number of representatives
will finally be adopted. If this should |
prove to be correct Wisconsin will be |
entitled to another congressman, which
will considerably change the face Of af-
fairs but should the representation
from this state remain as it is, the peo-
pie of this district will not submit with |
out vigorous protest to the gerryman-
dering processes which are now sought |
to be applied to its political conforma-
ton, and it is more than likely that |
their protest will be sufficiently loud to
cause q halt in the plans.