Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-03
The ApDOrtfOnment.

The Apportfonment.
The indecency of the Republican de-
mand at Harrisburg for an unfair ap'
portionment is so naked that it appeals
with marked force to the sense of justice
in every intelligent minded man and
journal in the state, not blinded 10y par
tisan greed and rancor. The Democrats
of the House and Senate, with majority
of the former branch and the power of
veto lodged in the hands of the governor,
have at no time demanded even their
share of congressman and senators, but
have repeatedly agreed to take far less.
The regular Republicans from the start
have denied this and have offered no bill
that was not a one sided gerrymander.
So plain was this that John Stewart
recognized it clearly at the regular ses-
sion, voted against the McCracken bill.
which he now supports, and himself
drafted bill which the Democrats
showed willingness to take, and upon
which he now turns his back.
1t is question whether in thus falling
in with the purposes of Quay. Cooper,
Magee and the other bosses the late In
dependents are not doing themselves and
their pretended cause far more harm
than they can effect good for the party
to which their return is so loudly vaunt.
ed, by the process Of harmOnizing it in
which they have lately been displaying
themselves. 1t lis very certain that they
cannot secure in such design the sympa =
thy or any real friend Of political reform
in their own party, for no more atrocious
political villainy was ever perpetrated
under the crack of the party lash, than
gerrymander schemes to rob the minor
ity of their just rights. The Independent
press of the state il not slow to recog
nize this, and some of the very journals
which last fall, and the year before, did
more for Stewart and Wolfe than they
could have possibly done for themselves,
rebuke the present attitude of the indie
pendent senators in letting themselves
be made the catspaw of the Regulars.
The Philadelphia Ereniny Telegraph
calls upon Stewart to explain his extra
ordinary record in now supporting the
McCracken congressional gerrymandcr
which during the regular session he
openly and firmly refused to support,
and in abandoning his own equitable
bill which otherwise would have become
the law. The Pittsburgh Dispatch, to
which Independent Republicanism owes
more than to half dozen Stewards, is
as pointed and emphatic in its rebuke of
him and its concession that the Demo
cratic apportionment propositions are
fair.
The Philadelphia Times, which does
not treat the Democracy nowadays with
more than about trade dollar fairness,
clearly recognizes the justice of their
demand for fair apportionment in this
safe, and says that ga fair apportion
ment with natural geographical lines.
could be made giving the Democrats 1.
and the Republicans 16; or. what would
be better, IL Democratic, II Republican
and debatable districts; but the fact
that Representative Lowrey, of Indiana
was jeered and hissed by his Republican
colleagues in the House when he pro
posed to concede the Democrats clever
congressman, or two less than their vote
fairly entities them to, is anything but
an indication of Republican SINGER
ity." When it is remembered that this
is more favorable to the Democrats than
the bill they have offered to take, it be-
comes very plain that the Independents
may surrender their own swords, but
cannot carry over their following to the
enemy.
With regard to the proposed senatorial
apportionment, too, the Wilkesbarre
Record, another Independent Rrpubli
Can paper, points out certain great inc.
qualities operating against the three
Democratic counties of Berks. Luzerne
and Schuylkill:
Delaware county with a population OF
Sc, 1O1 Bradford and Sullivan with G6, GA
Susquebanna and Wyoming with 81. 952
TiOga, Potter and Cameron with Ga, 77O
Mexican and Warren with 20 SAG
Clinton aud Clearfield with Co. 6S6
Indiana and Jefferson with 6S 462 CIar
ion, Elk and Forest with 57,513, are
made district, each with a senator,
while Berks, with 122 597; Luzerne with
133, ,085 and Schuylkill with 1884 arc
made single districts each with one senator
Each of these latter counties has nearly
double the population of all the smaller
districts above named. These are the
results under the census of 1880. But
this is now 1883, and very decided changes
in population have occurred in the
three years. For instance, Luzerne un-
questionably contains not less than
10000 people, and. it is manifest in.
justice to disfranchise this large surplus
population There is no doubt at all be-
fore the next apportionment time arrives
Luzerne will have three times the popula
tion of Delaware or several of these other
small districts. Schuylkill. too, is in
creasing very rapidly, and gaining fast on
Lancaster. The latter, with 139, ,447 pop
ulation, is accorded two senators, though
to-day, if the census could be taken,
Luzerne would certainly and Schuylkil
probably lead her.
There are q districts formed of single
counties or their division. with an aggre.
gate population Of 2,474, S87 under the
1880 census. The remaining 90 districts
are composed of two or more counties
whose aggregate population is 1907, 500,
or { angling the districts into large and
small, one half the number of districts
have an aggregate population OF Ito, ,2S2,