The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-16
THE LEGISLATIVE GERRYMANDER.


The present gerrymander in this State
is notorious throughout the country and
has given Indiana bad prominence
politically. As scheme of political dis
franchisement there has never been any
thing so bad in any Northern State.
Under it the Democrats III the last cleo
ton got ten Represe natives in Congress
to:the Republicans three, although the
latter cast Ash more votes than the
former. The Republican vote by dis
tricts was 264,556, and the Democratic
vote 259,9s5, yet the former have three
Representatives and the latter ten. On
the face of it this is a mOnstrOus wrong.
The legislative apportionment and the
results under it are fully as bad, giving
a minority of the voters in the State the
power to elect majority in both
branches of the Legislature.
The only defense ever attempted of
this political outrage has been that the
Republicans did just as bad when they
had the power. If this were
true it would be no defense; but it
is not true. The last apportionment prior
to the present one was made by the Re-
publicans in 1872, under the census of
1870. The Legislature elected in OctO-
Der, 1872, met in extra session, and,
among other things, redistricted the
State. The Republicans had majority
In both houses, four in the Senate and
eight in the House. The legislative ap-
portiOnment bill was not calculated to
give them an undue advantage, yet the
Democrats made great outcry against
its injustice. Following is the written
protest which was presented in both
houses:
1. That in our opinion the said act is a
deliberate fraud and imposition upon the
rights and privileges of the people of Indi-
ana.
2 Because said act is a deliberate at
tempt to sap the very foundation of repre-
sentative government, by denying equal
and fair representation to the people in the
General Assembly.
8. Because it is a shameful violation of
that American doctrine that comes down
from the revolution. that taxation and rep
resentation go hand in hand.
4. Because said act is an infamy, passed
at the bidding of an INSCRIPTIONS partisan
influence, and cannot be defended upon any
principle or common right.
5. Because said act is plain and palpa-
bic violation of the Constitution of Indi-
ana, which requires that Senators and Rep
resentatives in the General Assembly shall
be appOrtiOned among the several counties
according to the number of inhabitants un-
der the enumeration made by law, which
provision of the Constitution is wholly dis
regarded and violated by the said act, and
is, therefore, null and void
This was the way the Democrats pro-
tested in 1872, when they thought their
OK was being gOred. Circumstances
alter cases. This indignant protest
against ga deliberate fraud upon
the rights and privileges of the people
of the State of Indiana is an interest
ing commentary on the present gerry
mander. But the protest was uncalled
for. The injustice of the Republican
appOrtiOnmentw was imaginary. The very
first election held under it disprOved the
charges in the Democratic protest, for
in 1874 they elected majority in both
branches of the Legislature. 1t could
not have been very unfair apportiOn-
ment in favor of the Republicans which
permitted the Democrats in the first
election under it to get a majority of
sixteen on joint ballot. Yet that was
the legislative apportiOnment which they
had denounced with so much virtuous
Indignation as can act of infamy,"" Sap
ping the very. foundation of representa-
tive government" etc. AS soon as they
got a chance to redistrict the State
they enacted law of which Senator
Voorhees, said he would feel personally
disgraced if it did not give them at least
sixty majority joint ballot, and which
has since become notorious throughout
the country as a masterpiece of political
rascality. The Republicans of Indiana
should never rest until they have re-
pealed this infamous appOrtionment and
enacted one in accordance with the Con-
stitutiOn and the principles of justice.