The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-08-11
Republican Hypocrisy.

- -. -
8 \ his game of party politics is Curl
3Ns one Republican Journals and Re
'pnpaean orators are thrown into
naFoxysms of Indignation at what they
snarecterize as shameless gerrvmander-
ing IN South Carolina The object of
tbs gerrymandering is 10 give the Dem
'nerats an advantage in electing men,
perS OF Congress. Ii is declared to be
suDrersiSe of the popular viii and dam
9frpuS TO public order to put districts
ee2slhcr with reference to party ad-
'va', tage. That tn is the tendency OF
such action by State Legislatures NAV
pf Mtnlitted without hesitation. If those
wRo make the complaint against South
saixllinas were. consistent IN making 1t
apd reieesed inilexiblY every phase OF
such Wrong everywhere theh' indict-
inent ofothers and intfignation would he
kNufied to the greatest consideration
fFl g have powerful influence Bnt
fsnet vltuous journals in Chicago shut
.<Ir eyes TO the most liagrant abuses of
9is naturein their. own Stale and n
q - -alseoas. and exoss the. utiueat
51ihd rAliH and inveigh agaihst others.
they put themselves in an attitude of
kpocrisytOo conspicuous and lagrant
TO escape the scorn and contempt OF
the fair minded men to whom they ap-
peal. The evil and the dangerS of a
partisan constitution of Congressional
districts lie in making palpably un-
natural lines for the purpose of securing
the desired supremacy of a party with
in certain boundaries. Consent 10 any
step, in this sortof work which is plain
to the understanding and common sense
of anybody is n eommittal to the WRONG,
and is a moral eSoppel upon the con-
senting beneiiciaIies from ob,ecting to
like action on the part of others. Now
in the name of fairness and deceney,
we would like to ask any censorious
Illinois Radical what, for example, he
thinks of the formation of the Nine
teenth Congressional District OF that
state, composed of Hardin, Gallatin,
White, Saline, Hamilton. Franklin,
Jefferson, Marion and Clinton Counties ,
1t commences on the Ohio River, fifty
miles above Cairo, and extends l25
miles northwest to within twenty-five
miles of St. Louis. 1t is more than four
times as long rs it is wide. There are no
rivers, mountains, deserts or natural rea-
sons for thus forming that district. The
makers of ii do not even pretend that
there are. Why was it thus made?
There is no secret about it. No Repub-
lican pretends to disguise the purpose.
That dittrict as now constituted has 16.-
129 Democratic majority. The purpose
was TO put as nearly all the Democratic
maiorities of Southern Illinois in it rs
possible. A most unseemly and unnat-
ural peninsula into the Eighteenth Dis
triet is made to take in Clinton County,
which has 634 Democratic majority,
passing right by Washington, which has
36S Republican majority. The object
of this was to leave Morrison in a dis
trict with a Republican majority, which
it was hoped he would not be able to
overcome. and no Republican with Il
particle of self-respect would deny the
fact Examples of the same sort OF
work are afforded all over the State OF
Illinois. They are obvious. to any in
quirer who VIII glance at the map of the
districts. In the face OF this it is an
-sss-sak ming sf 1s1sssl sisasslssi-
ty IN sRepublTcan Journals 4of Illinois
to point out similar practices in
South Carolina and invoke the virtu-
Gus indignation of the country against
their authors SO far as one WRONG
is calculated to invite and create anoth-
er. this cold-blooded gerrymander in II
linois may be alleged as a part of the
cause of similar proceedings afterward
in other States whose wickedness is now
held up as being so fagitious. Illinois
is by no means singular among Repubi
liean States Ia this sort of wo.k Ohio
has recently given the country a taste oi
its quality in this character OF party
management. New York Republicans
have offended more deeply in this re
spect than either of the other States.
The wickedness in these Republican
communities is merely yenial but the
sin of South Carolina IS deadly and be
yond all forgiveness. 1T was urged as /;
reason why its author should be turned
out OF Congress and his seat given to &
negro upon no betteror stronger GROUND
than that there are more negroes in Iiis
district than white men. Beware of the
leaven of the Pharisee, which is l1ypoc-
risy.-,St. Louts ReU7tbIiedn.