Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-10-18
The Issue In Pennsylvania.

| III IL 100 late 10 nope Tor any conces-
sons in the Legislature on apportion
ment, and it now remains only to con
slider with which party rests the re
proach of failure and the effect OF this
inilure upon PARTIES in the November
election. If the Democrats Of the House
have given oflrnse by needessly pro
tracing the session in futile struggle
to secure an apportionment, the Pc
puhllcans of the senate have deeply
wounded the public conscience in de.
! family proclainipg an "ultimatum" and
| refusing to listen to any and all offers OF
adjustment. There are many voters in
! the state who will doubtless permit the
| cost of the extra session in dollars to
outweigh all considerations Of injury TO
! the commonwealth in the refusal TO
give the people equal representation.
| But there are great many more voters
who will hold the expense as Lightly as
dust in the balance, compared with the
question involved in this contest. For
one hundred years and upward the
principle of equal representation has
been the very political breath OF the
nostrils OF the people OF PennsylvanIa,
and never before in the history Of the
state has that principle been 80 deeply
wronRed as in this refusal OF the lePis
Iature to make an aPpor,ionmcnt in
accordance with the constitution.
by the failure to make an apporion
ment IN thi. legislature no representa-.
tive Of Pcunsy lvania will sit 10 congress
or the general assembly under a new
apportloument until 1857. ThI-amounA
practically to a denial of the rights OF
equal representation, 1t cTtrnd- the
fraudulent ferrymandcr far beyond the
term. and thus more deeply pulluies
tho source Of political life in the com
monwchlth. In popular state IN which
the representation II fal-c and irauiu.
lent every other political evil and ln.
guilty will Tu.h to hasten il, ruin.
Who, then, are responsible for this
condition Of things In the last cleo.
ton the state was nearly equally divided
politically, the Democrats clcctine a
large majority IN the house, notwI,h.
standing the uujus, manner in which
districts are now formed Bot, taking
the average vote Of the state, the r..
publicsn- in fair apporlionmcn, would
tc entitled at most to fifteen of the
twenty eight member. Bat the Demo.
Cra,s concede TO the Republicans seven.
teen members and claim eleven. This
liberal concession is me; hy the Ecpub.
llcaus OF the senate with a claim Of
nineteen members, or more than two.
thirds Of the representation. To so
fbErantly dishoucst and impudent
clam the Democrats Of the house could
not yield without betrayal of their cor.
stltucuts and violation Of the oath to
support the constitution. Yet this is
the "uItimalum' with which the senate
has practically closed i,s sessions The
present gerry rymAudcr, notoripu.ly fraud
ulent as it il, gives the Democrats Of
Pcuusylvania larger representation IN
congress than Is offered in the senate
ultimatum.
For the state senate the present ma
iorily in that body claim thirty Of the
fifty members. when they cannot get
more than that number from the people
under an apportionment in which Leb.
anon and Delaware counties are scpa.
rate districts. The Democrats are will
ing 10 conccdc them twenty eight Of The
fifty districts. and that !. not enough
out Of this dispute comes unmistskably
the fact that the senate majority would
accept nothing that did not promise
them all the parti.an advantages Of the
existing gerry mander. In seeking what
the constitution does not warrant theY
. nave bf-At - fi li'3N hNlhAA ~ AlfFl AbAAH
dence in the popular Judgment. II
they had more faith in their cause they
would not take refuge in the tricks and
articles Of gerrymandcr, but they would
consent TO an equal spportionment and
leave the result to the people. But,
though they may defeat apportionment,
| they cannot prevent the people from
/ taking verdict upon their action 10
the approaching November election
and unless all signs fail the verdict will
be vet more decisive than that which
has just been pronounced in Ohio. The
people of Pennsylvsnis will bear much
with patience, but they will not tamely
submit To an insolent denial Of their
| most sacred riphta OF representation. -