The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-04-16
Putting an End TO Congressional Gerry
Wandering.

The majority of the Committee on
Elections of the House of Representatives
has agreed to report back faVorably a bill
introduced by Mr.. McComas of Maryland
to provide for permanency in Con0res-
sional districts aud to prevent n chance
majority of a State Legislature, chosen
IN the middle or at the very close of
decennial period, from indulging in its
favorite Democratic amusement of chang
ing boundary lines. az in Ohio, so as to
grab from three-foufths to four ffths of
the members while being in the minority
in the State. The bill is in substance:
After each national decennial census
of population shall have been completed
Congress shall determine the number of
Representatives in CONGRESS and reap
portion the same among the several States
as entitled, and the Legislature of each
State elected next after such apport.on-
ment by Congress shall redistrict each
st under the restrictions and Iegula-
tions as to population and territory here
in betore provided: and such redistricting,
when made by such State Legislature,
shall not be altered by any succeeding
Legislature during the term of ten years.
The regulations" are that the districts
thus made shall have as nearly ms prac-
ticable an equal number OF inhabitants,
so that the most populous shall not have
over 10000 more persons than the least
populous. THIS still leaves the Demo-
Gratis in a st tie like Illinois, were they to
control it, q chance to steal member
more III n they were entitled 10 by Civ
ing 10 their districts the lowest number
of people and TO the Republic IN ones the
highest. But 10 do that nicely il would
be necessary to divide counties. which is
never popiNar, hence this slight margin
OF 1900 between hi hest and lowest, or
a variance of 1900 from the average,
does not open the door to much frau |.
The distlic must also be composed of
territory which is contiguous, a Looming
aud as far as possible compact. Such
spra ling, ungainly monsters as the
Democrats have carved out in Ohio and
some other States will not be tolerated.
The Democratic members of the COM
mittee and of the House nd Senate will
of course fight this bill because it is aimed
at fraud. They have no constitutional
objections, for the stanchest friends of
State rights" cannot deny that Congress
has as perfect right to regulate the cleo
ton of members of the House as a State
has of members of its Legisl lture. Con-
gress has power over the time, place, and
manner" OF holding the elections of Rep
resentatives, and no State Legislature
should be permitted to stick its fingers in
a pie which does not belong to it.
Enough is conce led the States" by the
recognition of their equality in the Senate.
Congress can go farther than this bill
does AMI be within its prsregatives. 1t
can do the districting itself and it can
direct the conduct of the election of
House members. 1t can locate the pc Is,
select the judges, and dispense utterly
with State machinery in the casting of
the votes or the returning of the result.
But II has not chosen as yet TO take the
matter entirely into its own hands. 1t
has merely said that members must be
CHOSEN by districts. has fixed the ratios OF
population therefor, and has fixed the
date for the election of members. 1t is
nov preparing to 90 q step farther. 1t
has learned that occasional factious ma
jorities in certain States are in the habit
of gerTymsndering Congress onal dis
tricts TO snatch the control of the next
House, and il has decided that the time
has come TO end that sort of business.
The b II also SAYS:
Until the next apportionment of Rep
resentatives shall be made BY Congress,
conformably to the eleventh census, there
shall lie no change of boundaries of any
of the Congress sional districts in any
State to alter the same as they existed
when the Representatives of the Fifty
first Congress were elected, and the Rep
resentatives to the Fifty-second Congress
shall be elected from the same district,
composed of the same territory, and hav-
ing the same boundaries as those from
which the Representatives in the Fifty
first Congress were elected. any law of
any State heretofore or hereafter passed
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
haf ha ~, a. 1.
chosen this fall shall be chosen from the
same districts as those who were elected
in 1888. This knocks out that shameless
performance in Ohio by which members
of lie Sislature chosen last fall on Sun
day liquor law issue have made an APP
portionment under which tho Republi-
cans could not secure half the delegation
were they to carry ahe State by over
20, 00.-ChicdgO Tribune.
THE enormous defalc lton of Archer,
Tho DamOcrat Ctata Traacurar nf Nory