Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-05-19
aancaster !1ntelligenccr.
SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 10. 1893,
The AppOrtfOnm nment.


themselves sufficiently from their parti
san bias to recognize the obvious fact,
which proves itself by the stat ement,
hat a fair apportionment state
into representative districts requi:., the
division lines to be so run as to give the
political parties representation accord
ing to their numerical strength. Mr..
Stewart introduces congressional ap.
portionment which gives the Republi
can party an undue number of represen
tatives, because it gives that party a
larger number than its vote justly
entities it to. If this cannot be avoided
while complying with the necessary re-
quirement that the districts shall be Of
compact and contiguous territory, then
this irregularity in political representa-
tion must be submitted to. But such is
not the case.
The partisan legislator in mapping out
his districts is guided by desire to give
his party as great prepOnderance as he
can while making the districts compact
and contiguous /; and most of them in
cline strongly to sacrifice compactness
to their controlling disposition to
strengthen their party. Mr.. Stewart,
who avails himself Of TIE privilege Of
running district from the West Branch
of the Susquehanna to the Southern bor
der of the state, cannot even with that
liberal view of the necessary compact
ness of a district make out his list with.
out giving his party undue preponder
ance. Possibly there are not half
dozen of the legislators who, if they sat
down to prepare an apportlonment,
would agree among themselves as to
just exactly how they would like to have
it because, instead of having one guide
asto what it should be, and that guide its
political equality, they aim to fix it SD
as to first aid themselves in
their political aspirations, then
to help their party, and lastly to
carry out the spirit of the law. 1t is
even said that the independent Mr..
Stewart, who is a very decent man and
a good legislator, was turned from the
apportiOnment fixed up by Quay rather
from its turning Stewart and Wolfe out
into the same political field than because
it was manifest gerrymander conceived
to strengthen the Republican party, and
particularly the friends of its concocters.
Mr.. Stewart saw the iniquity of the
measure more clearly, no doubt, because
he found that he was not one of those
particular friends particularly so cared
for.
REV. DIR. HERRICK JOHNSON, one OF
the most thoughtful and influential
divines of the Presbyterian church,
spoke with exceeding frankness at the
opening of its general assembly concern
ing the perils which beset the church in
these days. His remarks, however ,have
an application beyond the audience
which he addressed and the denomi-
nation for which and of which he
spoke. Undeniably the power of
the preacher and the spiritual influence
Of the pulpit are not what they once
were, and it behooves the church coun-
ellis to search for the reason. The con-
siderations which prevail in the determi-
nation of the clerical office have much to
do with it. DR.. johnson looks in vain,
he says, to the colleges and scminaries
to supply the deficiencies and avert the
perils which he points out to his church.
A higher conservation to the sacred
duties of the ministry and deeper de-
vOtion to the eternal truth are radical
necessities and superficial remedies will
not cure the lack of them.
IT is fOrcible commentary on tie
infamous character of the present con-
gressiOnal districting of this state that
nothing to compare with it in gerry
Wandering qualities has any chance to
pass the approval of a majority even of
the Republican state Senate. While
Senator Stewards bill is not all
1t should be in the results it
proposes, yet in some of its fea.
lures it is in notable contrast with the
present Cameron Quay division of the
state, which was rape on fairness
committed 10y the Republicans when
flushed with power. The union
of all of Bucks county with
Montgomery, the joinder of Leb
anon to Berks, and of Columbia to
Schuylkill, the preservation of Lacka-
awanna's integrity and the addition of
Northumberland to the Lycoming dis
trict to make it Democratic, as it should
be, are commendable features of the
Stewart bill which contrast most credit
ably with the existing thimblerig of the
counties.
The death of Bishop Peck makes
another vacancy in the Episcopal COL
lege of the Methodist church to be filled
at the next general conference of that
denomination. At no previous session
have there been as many bishops chosen
as will have to he elected next year and
the discussion of the claims and fitness
of the ministers for this high place will
engage the attention of the church, in
an undertone, of course, for the next
twelve months and invest with special
interest the meetings of the district con-
ferences next year which choose the dele
gates to general synod. The versatile
characteristics and restless activity of
Rev. DR.. Buckley, editor of the Chris
finn AI,ocofo hox,o olroo IL, mo rI>ol l,;,,o