Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-14
EQUALLY PARTISAN.


Apportsonmens
Phil'a Record.
Senator Wallace was much censured by
some of his friends for speech which he
made in Industrial hall, in this city. last
October. Mr.. Wallace very plainly as
serted that the leaders of the Independent
revolt were no better than their Regular
opponents, and that they had no higher
political aims, to Judge from their acts aud
public declarations. He said they
were fighting only for their share
of the spoils, aud if they obtained
control of the Republican organizs-
tion in Philadelphia they would need
quite as much watching as the Regulars.
Recent events in the Pennsylvania Senate
fully vindicate Senator Wallace's superior
political sagacity. 1t will take sharp
optics to discover the difference between
the Stalwarts and Independents in the
Senate when it comes to violating the
command of tho constitution and cheating
the Democrats in the matter of apportion
ment. The only difference is that the
Independents put on a show of conscience
and virtue to cover their partisan
unfairness, while the Regulars frank
ly admit that they have foul
advantage and that they mean to keep it.
In their extreme desire to comply with the
mandate of the constitution, and to relieve
the people Of the shameful gerrymander
fastened on them ten years ago, the Dem:
ocrats have gone beyond the limits of
equal apportiOnment. They have yielded
to the Republicans, as the record shows
greater representation in Congress and in
the state Legislature than their opponents
are entitled to in any just distribution in
accordance with party strength. But
their propositions are rejected because the
Republicans are in the enjoyment and pos
session of q most dishonest gerrymander,
the advantages of which they are resolved
to keep. That is the precise meaning of
the appOrtiOnment controversy at Hrrris-
burg, and no amount of prOtestatiOn on
the part Of MIR. Stewart and his Iudepend-
ent associates will obscure it from the peo
pie of Pennsylvania. The partisan motives
and aims of the Stalwarts and 1ndepend
ents are nearly the same. On the part of
the Stalwarts it has long been inculcated
that any undue advantages in making an
apportiOnment is within the bonds of
legitimate party warfare. They con-
struct fraudulent gerrymanders Of
representation because they believe
and expect that the Democrats
Woulu 10 the same Inns on Gne HrSC
favorable opportunity. The Independents,
on the other hand, make louder profess.
ions of political decency, but in their
greater narrowness and more intense par
tisan bigotry they think they are doing
the state service by any act that would
lessen the representation of the Democrats
in Congress and the state Legislature,
and thus diminish Democratic power for
mischief. With them the end sanctifies
the means. Hence, marching from differ
ent standpoints the Stalwarts and lnde.
pendents of the Senate come together in
support of the existing gerrymander and in
opposition to any honest plan Of appor-
tiOnment that threatens it. With both
wings of the reunited factions the obliga
tion to obey the constitution must yield
to the interests of party.