Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-27

he HERALD
The Odd Wandered Districts.
Our esteemed contemporary, the San
Francisco EpeainD Post, in its issue Of
the 2lst inst, undertakes to discuss the
pros and cons of the odd numbered sen
atorial districts question. From the first
II has been conceded to bo an intricate
problem --ono which might well tax tho
learning and ingenuity oi the ablest law
yers. The Post conveniently ignores
the fact that the Republican Legislature
of 1881 neglected to make the appor-
tionmont Of the State contemplated by
the new Constitution. The present
anomalous condition OF things in our leg
islative politics is due entirely to this
omission. Every provision Of the new
Constitution goes upon the assumption
that tho State would bo at once appor-
toned under the new census. The sys'
TEN of retiring the Senators from the
odd numbered districts was predicatod on
snch new apportionment. For an intel
iigent appreciation OF the situation this
fact should not be overlooked. With
out this beacon light. we are liable to be
dashed upon treacherous straad and
wrecked beyond redemption,
In order to outline this phase of the
matter with due distinctuess we will
quote Section 6, of Article ". of the
new Constitution, which the Post care
fully ignores. 1t is as follows;
The census takcn under tho direction OF the
Congress Of the United States In the year 1850,
and every ton years thereafter shall be the basis
OF fixing and adjusting the legislative districts;
and tho legislature shall, ut its hrst session nf-
ter each census, adjust such districts and reap
portion the rerssentstlon so as To preserve them
rs near equal in population as may be.
That is to say, the present organic law
OF California provided for the re.distrct-
ing Of the State at the first session after
each census. The Republican Legisla-
ture of 1881 having failed to discharge
this imperative duty, the operation OF
the new Constitution as respected the
odd numbered districts was necessarily
deferred until the State had been re-dis.
tricted under the new census. The Demo-
catic Legislature, which met in 1883, at
once proceeded to acquit itself OF this
constitutional obligation. In the very
nature Of things the constitutional pro.
vision could only become operative when
the conditions prescribed by II had been
complied with.
That this was cmphatically the intent
Of the men who framed the New Constitu-
tion is shown even more conclusively by
Section o, of Article w., which reads;
'The Senate shall consist OF forty members and
the Assembly OF eighty members, numbered rs
hereinafter provided. The seats Of the twenty
Senators elected IN the year 1889 from the odd
numbered districts shall bo vacated vt the expi-
ration OF the second year, 50 that one half the
Senators shall be elected every two years. pro
vidod that nll the Senators elected at the first
election under this constitution shall hold office
for the term OF thres years.
Here we have the emphatic stipula-
tion that al Senators elected at the
''iirst election under this constitution
''shall hold office for the term Of three
''years." That is to say, under the new
superintendent all the Senators shall
hold for at least three years. Were the
Senators from the odd Numbered dis.
tricts TO be declared ineligible after the
expiration OF this Legislature they would,
in reality, only have held Office for two
years.
The leaders of the Republican party,
rs result Of their own folly, find them.
selves confronted by the following array
Of Democratic Senators from the odd.
numbered districts:
First. San Bernardino and San Diego coun-
ties; wolkskill. Democrat
Third. San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and
Ventura counties; Brooks, Democrat.
Fifth. Madposa, Merced and Stanislaus coun'
ties; Spencer Domocrat.
Seventh. Santa Clara county; Murphy and
Maddox, Democrnts
Ninth. San Francisco; that part north OF
Washington street 10 First avenue, and from
Firs. avenue north of southery line OF Presido
reservation to the ocean; Mccarthy and liarri'
gan, Democrats.
Eleventh. San Francisco: tina, part bounded
by Market and Fourth streets, Channel street
and the bay; Keating and Nelson, Democrats
Thirteenth. San rmnciseo; that part bound.
ed by Point Lobos avenue, 'iclry, l.aikin, Mark
ct, Eighth, Channel and Fourth streets. the bay,
county line and the ocean; Sullivan and Gro
nan, Democrats.
Fifteenth. Contra Costa and Marin counties;
English, Democrat.
Seventeenth. Calavcras and Tuolumne ooun'
ties; Reynolds, Democrat.
Nineteenth Solano and Yolo counties; Kelley
and Burke, Democrats.
Twenty.frst sonoma county; Johnson, Dem.
oerat
Twenty Third. Alpine and Ill Dorado countie';
Frazer, Republican.
Twenty.fiith. Sutcr and Yuba counties;
Chandler, Republican.
Twenty Seventh Del Norte klamath, Ilum.
boldt and Mendocino counties; Ryan, Democrat
Twenty-Ninth. Colusa and Tehana counties;
Costa, Democrat.
just there is the milk in the cocoanut!
In view of the tact that there is TO be an
election for United States Sen
ator 10 succeed Senator Farley.
by the next Legislature, this
ugly total is rather disheartenng to our
Republican friends. That the Post
appreciates the importance of this view
of the matter is very plain from the fol.
lowing. 1t says; at follows, there
"fore, that should an election not be
''held, eighteen Democrats out of II total
'of twenty representing the old number
''ed districts would hold their seats in
'the Senate, aud vote to elect the United
Estates Senator to succeed Farley
considering how evenly balanced
''parties are in California it will be seen
''that this would give the Democrats a
VERY great advantage. Making every
allowance for the rcvulsicn of popular
''opinion,s owing to the miserable fiasco
''of the extra session, Republicans will
"agree with us in thinking that it is not
''safe to leave this advantage with their
''politieal enemies, when they have
illegal right to elect men of their own
'party To succeed them. That a
majority OF these districts il apgealed
''to this year would elect Republicans is
admitted, and it is the knowledge of
"thjs which induces tho Democratic
''leaders to attempt to evade the law
Jess so 1t would indeed be very
unsafe to leave such an advantage with
the Democrats, but how are you going
to help yourselves, friends and fellow
citizens! Your fellow partizans in the