The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-09-14

1t Is the universal judgment of the
public press that the party which stands
in the way of fair apportionment bills
is not only responsible for the extra
session of the Legislature, but is like
wise blamable for the unnecessary
length to which the session has been
drawn out. The constitution, both in
spirit and letter, requires reapportion-
ment OF the state into senatorial and
legislative districts at the first session
OF the Legislature succeeding each
decennial census. Failure to perform
this duty violates the letter of the orga-
mic law, as expressed in section is,
article 2, of that instrument The
spirit of the constitution, which guar
antees equality in representation, &C
cording to population, is equally out
ragged by the failure to pass bills. The
industrial growth and increase in
population of some districts entitle
their people to a proportionate increase
in representation, and the failure to ac-
cord them the advantages of their own
industrial development, is as unjust as
to refuse the protection in person and
property that laws promise.
This being the case, the only ques-
ton that remains to be determined is,
which party has failed of its duty /?
The Legislature is equally divided, one
House being Republican and the other
Democratic. If they had been alike
earnest in the desire to comply with
the constitution, bills looking to that
end would have been introduced in
each and pressed to passage, thus Civ
ing ample time during the regular ses-
sion TO come to an agreement through
the medium of conference committees.
The same spirit would have served 81
milarly to secure the passage of fair
bills. The representation of each
party knew full we'll that it would be
impossible to force upon the other
measures that were manifestly unfair.
The Senate, with its Republican ma
jority, served as check to restrain the
partizan tendencies of the Democratic
house, and vice versa. The governor
held in the veto power a wholesome
restraint on both the Houses, where
constitutional infractions were involved.
Thus there was no opportunity for ex-
cesses in any direction, and an earnest
desire to pass apportionment bills would
have led both parties in the plain path
of fairness.
What do the records show in these
matters ! The Senate offered no bill of
apportionment until after one hundred
days of the regular session had been
wasted. Adjourning regularly three
days of each week for the want, as was
alleged, of work to occupy the time,
the senators made no effort to perform
the duty which the constitution imposes
in mandatory language, until bill, re-
tarded by every device of parliamen-
tary tactics, was completed in the
House, buried month subsequently in
the committee of the Senate, and then
took its place to be buffetted about
And delayed in its progress so that the
close of the session would find it i'm
perfect and incomplete. The Republi-
can patty leaders had boasted in the
beginning that there would be no APP
portionment, and this dilatoriness is
substantial evidence that they were
determined to carry out the boast. In
q body of comparatively small mem.
bership, q fair bill ought to have been
read in place, referred to committee,
reported therefrom, and regularly press
ed to final passage within thirty days
from the beginning of the session,
while in fact, fully five months elapsed
before any bill reached that stage of per-
fection, and those that were permitted
to 60 through were so obviously unfair
and partisan that the concurrence in
them would have been qualification
TO the members of the coordinate
branch.
In the political complexion OF the
bill, the Republican Senate was as un-
fair as it was tardy. BY the vote of the
two parties IN the last presidential elec.
ton, to borrow the language of Repre-
sentative Lowrie Republican, the
Democrats are entitled TO 13 districts
and fraction, and the Republicans to
Ia and q fraction. The bill which
was framed, pressed and passed, give
both fractions to the Republicans and
allowed them fifteen districts against
thirteen. This, Mr.. Lowrie by impli-
cation, admits was more than fair--it
was generous. But how was it receiv-
ed by the Senate The Republican
majority of that body 30 amended it as
10 give the Republicans 10, the De-
nocrats 7, and leaving two districts so
close as to admit of doubt. The pro
liabilities are that the doubt in each
case would have been resolved in ia
vor of the Democrats, but even then the
disproportion was so manifest that the
asking it was tantamount TO declaring
that no bills should be passed. This
wilful violation of the constitution is
what caused the extra session to be
called, and the Republican party is
clearly and logically responsible for it