Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-15

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WxnNFsDAY EVENING. AUG. l6. 1888.
A Sensible Idea.
Senator Patton did q very sensible
thing when he introduced his proposition
that the Legislature take a recess until
January next, after first enacting that
the people shall be asked to decide at
the next election whether they desire the
congressional and legislative apportion-
ments to be made on the basis OF the
vote Of each party in the state. Ii they
favor giving to Democrats and Republi-
cans congressman and representatives
in proportion to the numbers of each
party, they were asked to deposit bal
lot on which is printed "for proportional
apportionment :" If, however, they are
opposed to considering the strength of
parties in making these apportionments
they would vote "against proportional
apportionment."
Senator Patt0n's idea was q good one,
for sound reasons. In the first place 1t
referred to the people the nominal bone
of contention between the two parties in
the Legislature. The Republican repre-
sentatives, knowing that their party now
has more congressman and legislators
than its vote would entitle it to, if there
was an equal distribution made Of these
representatives according to the vote of
the parties, strenuously contend that the
constitution does not require any regard
to be paid to the strength of parties in
apportioning the state SO that the senti-
ment of the people may be represented
It seems to be very foolish thing to
contend that any representation can be
fair which gives to one party, which has
about the same number Of votes as its
opponent, double the number of repre-,
sentatives of that vote in Congress and
the Legislature. But this is really the
Republican claim, forced on it by the
fact that it has the power to give it
practical effect, and does not have a
conscience to trouble it in seizing upon
all it can get. Since the existing appor.
tionments give an undue number of
representatives to the Republican party,
and since it can maintain that prepOn-
derance Of political power by mulishly
refusing in the Senate, which it controls,
to agree to representation controlled by
the party vote, it stolidly clings to its
advantage and claims in its defense that
the constitution requires nothing but
contiguous and compact districts Of
proper population, and that any gerry
mander which can be made under these
restrictions to secure partisan advant
age is right and proper. If Senator
Patton's proposition to take the opinion
Of the people on this point was adopted
it would make the issue of the campaign
very clean and clear, and there is every
reason to believe that the peoples sense
of fairness would cause them to decide
that Democrat was worth as much as
a Republican in counting for representa-
tives, and that the old slave holding
idea that five negroes should only count
for three white men in representation
would not do for this generation.
Senator Patton's bill was summarily
voted down by the Senate Republicans
of course. They did not have any idea
of risking a decision by the people of a
point which they could decide in their
own favor. There was nothing in it for
them. Their committee gave as reason
for reporting against the measure that
it was not germane to the business for
which the Legislature had been con
vened in extra session by the governor
to perform. That is manifestly but an
excuse and a very poor one, since
this Legislature was called together to
make the apportionments, and it was
quite proper under the law for it to take
q recess and obtain the sense of the
people as to the principle upon which the
apportionments should be made. The
other reason given by the committee was
equally flimsy. They say that as the
strength of parties is constantly chang
ing, an apportionment made upon their
strength to-day would not represent that
strength in the next decade, which Is
true but the same thing is true of popu
lation. That is always changing; and it
is for this reason that the constitution
provides for decennial apportionments,
to the end that representation may be
made as just and even as the varying
condition of things will permit.
But though Senator Patton's PROPOSE.
tion has been rejected by the Republi-
cans it serves a very good purpose in
drawing attention to the issue between
the two parties. 1t makes it apparent to
every voter, without any elucidation or
opportunity for obscuring the issue,
that the Republican senators deny the
claim of the Democratic representa-
tives that the Democratic party should
have representation accorded to it in
proportion to its vote and upon this
issue we can safely go before the people.
THE Democrats in the Legislature
have resolved by large majority, in
caucus assembled, to stay in session, as
Uncle Jake Ziegler expresses it, until
the snow flies or the apportionments are
made. Very well. If they are content
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