The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-09-07
Niles on Apportionment.

The republican county conventions,
which are run either by the small sub
bosses under instructions from Boss
Cooper or that class of politicians titly
described by Horace Greedy as marrow
minded block heads are rushing heed
lessly into endorsement of the revolu-
tionary policy of the senate in blocking
Legislation on the subject of apportion-
ment. Perhaps if the ignorance of
those who generally compose those con-
ventions were not so dense they would
hesitate before committing themselves
against the position on apportionment
takon by the gentleman VINO heads
their own state ticket. On April 3,
1888, Mr. Jerome b. Niles, now the re
publican candidate for auditor general,
arose in his place in the house of repre-
sentatives and began speech on con-
gressional apportionment in the follow
ing language:
81 agree with the members on the
other side of the house that it is the
duty of this Legislature to pass bill
districting the state into congressional
districts"
He then went on to criticise the de-
mocratic congressional apportionment
bill. complaining chiefly of the Indiana
district as not being actually republican
and of the Huntingdon districts as not
having sufficient republican majority.
But, mark, he distinctly and emphati-
cally declared it to be 'the duty Of this
legislature to pass a bill 0iStrictieg
the state into congressional districts.
In concluding his speech he undertook
to read the democratic side Of the house
a lecture in regard to its duty, in these
words: 81 say it is your duty to forget
your party aud go upon the broad prin.
ciples of patriotism and right regardless
of where the chips shall fall" These
words are like apples of gold in pic
lures Of silver, but Mr.. Niles fails to
apply the precept they contain to his
own conduct in the house, and the re-
publican county conventions, with an
audacity surely born of ignorance, en-
dorse the gerrymandered bills of the
senate and the revolutionary ultimatum
based upon them. Mr. Niles again in
a speech in the house ofrepresentatives
on the legislative apportionment bill,
April 10, took occasion to say
Snow, l agree with what was said by
the democratic party in their last state
convention, which met at this place on
the 2Sth of June, 1882, representing
the assembled wisdom of the democratic
party of this state. The demo-
cratic party demands of the legislature
an honest, just and true congressional
and legislative apportionment. Iagree
with the democratic party that it is the
duty of this legislature to pass an hon
est, just and true legislative and con-
gressional apportionment.'
Mr.. Niles thus twice put himself on
record in the plainest and most positive
language as believingit to be "the duty
of this legislature to pass legislative
and congressional apportionment bills. !"
But the republican senate refuses to re-
cede from its revolutionary and obstruc-
tive ultimatum and thus prevents the
Legislature from performing what Mr.
Niles insists is its duty Mr.. Niles de-
olared on April 8 that it was the duty
of the democrats to ''forget party aud
go upon the broad principles Of patriot
ism and right" in making apportion-
ments. But the republican senate re-
fuses to forget party and in secret par
ty caucus orders senators, according to
their own confession, to support par
tisan bill confessedly and shamelessly
unjust and to adhere to it at every ha-
zard. Mr.. Niles proclaimed that on
April 10 that he agreed with the demo-
cratic party that it is ''the duty OF this
legislature to pass an honest Just
and a true legislative and congressio-
nal apportionment BILL The objec-
tions he then presented to the demo-
cratic bills have since been removed
and therefore he must admit them to be
''honest, just and true" bills. But. the
republican senate refuses even to con
slider those bills, amended as they have
been to meet the views of Mr. Niles,
and that gentleman himself sits in his
seat and votes against them without a
word of explanation. The conduct Of
the republican leaders, including Mr.
Niles, is undoubtedly based on the low
estimate they put on the intelligence Of
their own party and in this regard they
have certainly done no injustice to the
class who serve as delegates to republi
can county conventions.-Patriot