Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-09

Aanraster fntelligencer.
ru11psnAY EVENING. AUG. 9. 1853.
Stewsrt's Ultinatuns.
senator John Stewart made . speech
IN the senate which he has caused to be
slaborately reported by the telegrapher.
what Mr.. Stewart said was that he was
. man. and dealt with things In . manly
nav: that he had therefore at the com
mencement of the extra session proposed
to his fellow Republican senators thai
they should give an ultimatum to the
Democrats, in the way Of congressional
apportionment, which they had done /;
and he appealed to the Democrats to
follow his manly example and to give
to their opponents their ultimatum
and not seek to bargain and trade like
the horse jockey and Jew.
Mr.. John Stewart lately aspired to be
q statesman. He came to the surface
year OF two ego a. the apostle Of reform,
and succeeded in supplanting Mr.. Wolfe
a. the chief standard bearer of the com
pany that Mr.. Wolfe gathered together.
Mr.. Stewart appeared before the people
as O. candidate for governor, and was
not elected by q large majority. Ever
since that day, 1t has been apparent that
Mr.. Stewart's good opinion Of the public
judgment has waned ; and at this session
of the Senate he has been acting as
though he was possessed of the same de
gree OF appreciation of it that led Mr..
William Vanderbilt to exclaim upon one
occasion when he was confronted with
1t, "the public be damned"
Unfortunately In such cases the result
il that it Is the damner and not the pub.
lie that is damned ; especially in affairs
political, where votes count. Mr.. John
Stewart doubtless contemplated an i'm
mediate retirement from politics when
he made that speech in the Senate. whose
effect would inevitably be to hoist him
out of political life. A senator, who has
aspired to be a leader in reform, but who
hss yet no better conception Of the diff
ference between his duty as q man and
as a legislator. than to declare that legis
lation, which is commanded to be done
by the constitution, Is properly under
taken by the presentation Of ultimatums
by the different sentiments among the
legislators, is certainly better qualified
to sit in a lunatic asylum than In the
Senate chamber. 1t would he quite
proper for Mr.. John Stewart, in his In.
dividual business, where 1t Is not his
duty to seek an agreement with Ills
neighbor, to present TO him his ultima
tum but even thea it would not be
necessary for him to call for his Op
ponent's ultimatum. The proposition
which he presented, by virtue Of Its be
ing an ultimatum, excluded the con
sideration of any other, and IL it wa!
not accepted the parties had only tt
agree to differ, as they had right to do
But when John Stewart sits as sena
tor, under a constitutional mandate tt
the Legislature to apportion the state
he is bound to apportion 1t or be fore
sworn. He cannot agree to differ will
his fellow legislators. 1t Is incumbent
on him to seek to agree with them b!
every means in his power.
And Mr.. John Stewart will have ,
very remarkably bad record. when h
goes before the people to declare that III
conceded everything to his opponent
that be could conscientiously yield: Il
secure a congressional appOrtiOnment
For 1t happens that Mr.. Stewart pre-
p,red and presented at the regular ses
sion bill, known by his name, which
at the extra session the Democrats offe
to accept; and Mr.. Stewart does not Civ
them that as bis present ultimatum.
Mr.. Stewart says that it is the quts
tlon Of the distribution Of politica
power that keeps the two parties from
agreement upon the apportionment an,
that, Of course, Is 50. The issue whicl
will be taken before the people will b
AZ Ia the fairness of the distribution O
political power. The different politica
sentiments in the state should be justl
represented In Congress and the Legisla
ture. That the people will recognize a
atruism; that the constitution contem
plates and when Mr.. Stewart de
clares that an appOrtionment, whic
make contiguous and convenient district
of equal population, satisfies the deman
of an apportionment bill, though te
representatives are given to one part
and double the number to another
when there are an equal number q
votes in each party, he declares what tn
good sense of the people will not sustai
him In {; and upon that issue the Demo
cratic party can safely 60 before then
demanding justice and equal representa-
tion. Mr.. John Stewart, man of ono
reputed sense, has succeeded in talking
more nonsense in a day than should hav
served him for q life time.
The judicial Apportlonment Bill.
The governor at the last moment La
signed the judicial apportionment bill
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