The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-01-13
Concerning Prescription.


The Argus processes to see in the fact
that Names congressional delegation is SOL
idly Republican the effect OF what 1t calls
Mr.. Blaine's prescription. "The apporiion-
ments," it passionately exclaims Christie all
over with prescription and unfairness." Po-
H;ical prescription would seem to be rath-
or dangerous subject for the organ Of par
ty which has jost elected President by
means OF the suppression of the majority of
the voters In four or five States to tackle.
But the valor of the Argus occasionally,
though not often, gets the better of It's dis
erection. 1t did yesterday when it preached
It's long sermon on Republican prescription
in Maine.
The lecturer who took for his subject
Snakes in Ireland" exhausted it in one
sentence. "There sre," said he, ''no snakes
in Ireland" Had the Argus confined itself
to facts its sermon would have been equally
BRIEF There is no political prescription in
Maine. Men vote as they please, and their
votes are fairly counted and declared. The
only instance of political prescription in
many years was when the Garcelon council
undertook to count out Senators and Repre-
sentatives fairly elected by the people,
That piece of prescription the Argus has al
ways defended.
The Argus attempts to show that the
Democrats have been prescribed by q skill
full gerrymander of The State by the Rspub.
leans. But the attempt is failure. The
Maine delegation in the present Congress
was not elected by districts, so the Argus
cannot attribute the fact that it is solidly
Republican to gerrymsnder.
The congressman elected last September
were elected by districts, but they are all
Republicans not because of the skillful
construction of these districts. Had the
Democrats q month before the September
election had the power to carve the
State into districts to suit themselves they
would not have been able to make district
that = month later would have elected a
Democratic congressman, unless the law
relating TO the subject had been utterly dis.
regarded A gerrymander which would
have made 8 Democratic district in
this State last fall would have been the
most astounding work Of the kind the
country has ever seen.
And what is true Of the Congressional
districts is equally true Of the Senatorial
districts. 1.-THE $4,000 Republicans with
80 Senators, and the 10000 Democrats with
not onep' exclaims the Argus. Well, what
of il? The Constitution of Maine provides
land the Republicans did not make that
hat the Senatorial districts shall "conform
as near as may be to county lines" The pres
ent Senatorial districts conform exactly with
county lines, and no change in these lines
has taken place for quarter of a century.
It is absurd therefore to charge the Re.
publicans with gerrymandering the Sena-
torial districts. The Republicans carried
all these districts in September simply be-
cause they had a plurality of votes in all
the counties. Only a few years ago the
Democrats carried majority of them when
they were arranged precisely as they are
now.
AS for the offices it is true that under Re-
publican administrations they have been
held chiefly by Republicans. And this is