Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-10

In connection with the study of the gerry
Wandering evil il is interesting to examine the
genesis Of representation. Beginning with the
patriarch of old times-the first times in
fact-the earliest representative OF the human
race was the father OF the family. The
representation principle is found later in
the chiefs CT kings when in Greece, Etruria,
Latium. Germany, Norseland. Gaul, Ireland
every where except in the far east and the
south (omitting Carthage and Lybial there
was form of representation. But it was
reserved for the great Teutonic race in its
English branch TO develop This principle and
here in Parliament and Congress it mas reached
iss highest development. From the knights of
the shire sitting as the commons with the
borough members sprang the burgesses in
Virginia and the general court in Massachu-
sets. The United States Representative was the
lineal descendant OF the Colonial Representa-
tive. At first the Representatives in Congress
were chosen on general ticket-that is, they
were elected by the whole people of the several
states voting for all the Representatives. But
local representation. always dear to the Eng
Iish race, gained ground over the early prac-
tice and by the year 1888 only New Hampshire,
New Jersey and Georgia elected their men,
bers of the House by the old method. Then
the seating of the New Jersey democratic dele
CATION by the democratic House after a bitter
contest induced the next Congress. which was
whig, TO pass act providing for separate
elections in the various districts. The demo-
Gratis at first did not acquesce In the law, but
finally yielded 10 the eyiden. will of the peo-
pie to locsliZe these elections. In the New
Jersey case the election of speaker and or
ganization of the chamber depended on the
admission of the democratic contestants. The
new system has worked well in its fifty years
trial. and the chief objection that lies to it is
that sometimes the best men are not nomi-
mated because the best men happen to
live in districts where they cannot be
nominated or cannot be elected. Under the
general ticket system they could. The COM
pensItion is III the closer representation af-
fOrded b. requiring the election TO be held by
districts. There Is nothing, however, to pre-
vent district from going beyond its bounds
and into one of the other districts of the same
state to find q nominee. 1t is occasionally
done. Bu: the preferred way is for an aspiring
statesman who does not actually reside to claim
n legal residence in particular district which
he desires to represent in Congress- The next
material interference with elections by the
federal power was III the Congress following
the Tweed revelations of 1868, when super
visors were appointed on petition. In 1872
law was passed by Congress requiring all the
Congressional elections to be held on the same
day. The federal elections BILL like the propo-
sitions against gerrymandering, marks the
vigorous movement now in progress to make
radical alterations IN our system of representa-
ton, to the extent that this can be accom-
piished through Congressional Intervention
without constitutional amendment