The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-19
PAIR

managers. Mr.. Charles L. Jewett and Mr..
Thomas Taggart, to be posing in favor of a
fair election in Indiana. The Democratic
party organization in Indiana is as much OPP
posed to a fair election and a fair representa-
ton of the people as the Democratic party or
ganization in South Carolina and Mississippi.
Murder and tissue ballots in those States have
been supplemented in Indiana and the North
by infamous gerrymanders, by double bal
lots" ballot-box stufing, and finally by out
right forgery upon election returns by the
use of knives and acids. A fitting common
tary upon the screed Of the Coy managers for
a fair election in this State IL to be found in
the outrageous and illegal gerrymander which
was passed in the Legislature Of 1885 by no
torious fraud and corruption. We have no
doubt, If the matter could ever have been
brought before q court for judicial inquiry,
that it could have been conclusively proven
that the most shameless corruptions were
practiced to secure votes for it's passage; that
high officials in the federal government bar
gained away Offices and the promises Of Office
to secure Democratic votes.
In view Of the false claim Of
the Coy managers in favor of fair
ness in the suffrage. we. give q brief
congressional and legislative gerrymander,
under which the people of Indiana are still
laboring. At the election for Governor in
1884, 237, 745 votes were cast for the Repub-
lican candidate, and 245. 40 votes for the
Democratic candidate. Forty mine per cent.
was cast by Republicans, and 81 per cent. by
Democrats. If it were intended that the
General Assembly should be what it ought to
be-a mirror of the public views of the State
the lower house ought to stand 81 Demo
Gratis to 40 Republicans, and the Senate 26
Democrats to "a Republicans. Again, if the
State be divided by counties, the Democratic
party has Sc per cent. of the counties in the
State, and the Republican party A per cent.
If it were intended that the General Assem-
bly, should be a just representation by coun-
ties, this proportion ought to be observed.
By the then existing Democratic apportion-
ment the Democrats were In possession of
thirty-three votes in the Senate against
seventeen Republican, and about the same
proportion in the House; yet even this did
not satisfy them. and the proposed law was
made, as they avowed, simply because they
had the power, and for the purposecf giving
sional gerrymander. as originally passed by
the HOUSE and submitted to the Senate,
the Fourth congressional district consisted Of
the counties of Jefferson. Ripley, Decatur,
Rush. franklin, Union, Dearborn. Ohio and
Switzerland. Six of these nine counties were
Republican; together they cast e total Repub-
lican vote of between Is. 900 and 10. 600, yet
these counties were so doctored by combining
them with Democratic counties within and
without the district that they could not send
a single representative to the State Senate.
The Republican. majority Of Union county
was swept away by combining it with Franklin
and Ripley. The Republican majOrities in
Ohio and Switzerland were neutralized by the
Democratic vote Of Dearborn county. In
order to defeat the Republican majority in
Jefferson county. the Democrats connected 1t
with the county Of Clark, with which it has
scarcely any territorial contiguity. Decatur
was, in like manner, joined with Shelby, and
Rush and Hancock. Thus the entire Repub-
lican vote Of six counties was disfranchised.
The Democratic county of Clark was made to
do double duty in voting for two Senators and
two Representatives. Il was joined with
Scott and Jennings for Senator, so as to over
come the Republican majority in Jennings,
and with Floyd and Jefferson for Represent
alive, to overcome the Republican majority
in Jefferson. Brown county, with q vot-
ing populace OF less than $500. also
aided in electing two Senators, in order to
defeat the Republican majorities in Monroe
and Morgan, respectively. Marion county
was deprived of its proper proportional repre-
sentation of three Senators and six Representa-
| tives, and was compelled to share one Senator
and Representative with Hancock and Shelby.
both Democratic counties, a plain violation Of
the Constitution of the State. The Demo-
cratic county of Hancock was much over
worked, having the right to vote for two SEN
a:ors and two Representatives. although its
voting population is barely more than 4, 600,
while Wayne county. with {, 1000. voted for
one Senator only. Clinton county. also. did
double service for the Democratic party in
the same manner, and Vermillion, which
heretofore had had one Representative of its
own, was compelled to share with Vigo and
| Sullivan the honor of electing one Represent
alive, it being necessary TO go through Vigo
to Sullivan for the sufficient Democratic ma
jority to neutralize the Republican vote
of Vermillion. The Republican majority of
Lawrence was disfranchised by combining it
with jackson for senatorial purposes, and
-.xI Orooco orJ Drho;s Co. <ha oio.<s1-