The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-05-01
l ConEreaaIoIlI alerfIln.lntler.

N Congressional G1erryInander.
The Republican party have been
panic stricken ever since tile last
election BY the size of Mr.. Glove,
lands popular majority. The Re
publican party got into power not
by the peoples votes but by the
peculiar construction of our eIector-
nj system, which enabled Quay to
win the election by concentrating
his eorrupting forces OF. one or two
States. Now that they have slip
ped into power against u popular
majority they are at their wits ends
for scheme to still retain. control
in opposition to the peoples will.
Severafsehemes have already been
nnder consideration with this end
IN view. They virtually propose
to change our political system in a
manner that will destroy. its sub
stance but preserve its forms render
the results of elections foregone
conclusion, give to one party d
monopoly of power, and leave to
the other only enough vitality to
make the people believe that they
have still some control.
Che latest scheme IS attributed
to the Notorious Dudley of abIocks
of five" fame. Ofthe project which
he and others propose to embody
in bill, the following IS an outline:
eHCohgfess shall divide the differ
ent States into Congressional dis
tricts. Where State districting is
satisfactory Congress will adopt it
without change; where not satisfac-
tory Congress will redistriet the
State. The bill will further pro-
vide that all elections for Federal
offices shall be under the controI. of
the Federal courts, and shall be in
charge of the United States Marshal
in whose district the election shall
be held. 1t is believed that the Re-
publican representation can be in
creased by two in Tennessee, one in
Kentucky, two in West Virginia,
three III Virginia, three in North
Carolina, two in South Carolina,
two in Georgia, two in Alabama,
three in Mississippi, one in Florida,
ono in Arkansas, one in Louisiana,
and one in Texas - ~ =
This meant that wherever gerry
Wandering of Congressional dis
tricts, in the interest of the Repnb-
lican party, cannot be done by. Re-
publican Legislatures, it shall be
done by the Republican majority in
Congress. Particularly the South
ern States are to be governed by
Congress in matter in which home
rule will be conceded to the North
ern States, which with very few ex-
ceptions have Republican, Lcgisla-
lures. What the effects of such a
system, involving the nati0nhliza-
ton of appointment frauds, upon
the political condition of the coun-
try may be, is question in which
Mr.. Dudley and his associates are
probably not interested. But there
are other members of the Repubi-
can party. who cannot fail to per-
ceive that sectional legislation,
which seeks to subject the South to
a new partisan Reconstruction, y
must ronder thatsection more asolid"
than ever, and thereby defeat. it's
own purpose. OF course the politi
cal complexion of the Fifty first
Congress places practical obstacles
in the way of such a project, and no
one at this time can f0resee what
the outcome of the Congressional
elections of 1890 will be. This
scheme is truly Republican and
shows the view the Republican lead
ers takeiof- our system of popular
elections. The whoIesalebribery of
voters and the gerrymandering of
Congressional elections are merely
different methods of warfare
AGAINST popular gpyernment.-Reg-
tSter.