The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-06-13

ON Thursday last. Governor Pat
tison called special session of the
Legislature to pass the apportionment
bills, all of which failed at the regu-
lar session. Extra sessions of the
Legislature have been frequently
called heretofore, on extraordinary
occasions, brought about by the ne
cessities of war, or by revulsions of
business, but this is the first one ev
er called by reason of political per-
verseness. or for purely political pur-
poses. Nothing but Democratic Gus
sednesss, and Democratic lust for
office and power, prevented the pas
sage of fair bills at the late session,
and now a Democratic Governor
calls, at large expense to the people,
an extra session, with the hope of
bulldozing the Republicans into ac-
cepting bills, which after session of
five months they could not be induc-
ed to acquiesce in. In accidental
power, brought about by divisions
in the Republican ranks, and know
ing that their control of the Legisla-
ture is only evanescent, the lead
ers of that party are determined to
wiring, if possible, from the domi-
nant party in the State, concessions
that will tend to their benefit long
after the people have deprived them
of the temporary power with which,
in an i'll advised moment, they en-
trusted them. 1t is to be remember
ed that the apportionment of the
State into Congressional, Senatorial
and Legislative districts stands for
ten years, and it is an unjust in
crease in their proportion of the
members of Congress and of the SEN
ate, for this term of years, that the
Democratic leaders are now strug-
CLING to secure. The failure to pass
these apportionment bills during the
protracted session just closed, and
the immediate call for this extra ses-
sion, are simply political movements
in pursuance of matured scheme,
by which the Democratic leaders
hope to steal certain offices from the
majority party of the State. They
know that their power is accidental
and not likely to be renewed within
the next decade, and that they have
nothing to lose by this exhibition of
greed, this squandering of the peo-
Piles money in an attempt to force
unfair apportionments, and therefore
the attempt to coerce Republicans
into the concessions they demand.
Not only Pennsylvania, but the peo-
pie of the entire Union, are interest
ed in this struggle. Therepresenta-
ton of the State in both Houses of
Congress for the next ten years is
involved, and the entire country
will look to our Republican Senators
to stand together and insist that
their party is not only entitled to
fair apportionment, but that they
shall have it.
1t is most humiliating sight to
behold a Governor, elected as a nom
partisan, a reformer, a pure and con-
man. thus lend himself to
a base use of party power, for the
purpose of furthering the interests
of partisan, who on accepting the
Office of his legal adviser, openly
declared himself candidate for u.
S. Senator, and is now struggling to
obtain that position, by forced
gerrymander of the Senatorial dis
tricts in an extra session of the Leg
islature, called by the Reform Gov
ernor, for that sole purpose. We
have an abiding faith in the integri-
ty, the manhood, the self respect of
the Republican Senators. and feel
assured that instead of being whip
ped like cringing school boys, into
making concessions, they will stand
by the apportionment which in
spirit of honesty they matured
and honestly voted for.