The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-13

On sober second thought. after . careful
weighing Of The pros and cons. intelligent
Republican opinion. - reflected IN the
columns Of leading journals Of all sections.
seems to be more than doubtful Of tho
wisdom and expediency Of the bill intro
duced by Mr. McComhs Of Maryland.
famiIiariy known as the anti-gerrymander
bill It Is probable thar not less than IS
per cent. OF the Influential Republican
papers at least doubt the wisdom Of the bill
As measure OF party policy, though all
agree that the evil il Was intended 70 cure
5 monstrous and indeiensible.
Gerrymanding is wrong, and should be
stopped. To stop il by congressional legis-
lation il one way. and BY the force Of pub
lie opinion il another. To accomplish the
object by the FIRST method the McCombs
bill provides that at the legislative session
next after each decenninsl census An APP
portionment shall be made in each Of the
states on the basis Of that census. which
may not be changed until alter the next
succeeding census. This would be effectual
for the prevention Of frequent changes, but
on close study il Is apparent that it would
not be certainly effective to prevent
gerrymander. and ii not. then it would
prevent for ten years the correction of one.
no matter how outrageous. An apportion-
ment unfairly made at the first session
Of the pending census would have to stand
until after the year 1900. Thus with refer
ence to the moral view Of the question,
greater evil would result from the attempt
TO cure the lesser one.
From party point Of view it is well to
remember that within the next decade
there is more probability that southern
states which are now Democratic may be-
come repubiicanized, than thatVny Repuh-
lican northern states will change their
status. In some Of the southern states tho
protective policy has gained strong foot
hold, and promises to make . rapid
growth. In several oil them the Farmers
Alliance and the prohibition movement are
seriously demoralizing the hitherto omni-
potent bourbon forces. Before the next
decade shall have been completed it is
hardly questionable that republicanism
will have cut q pretty wide swath in the
.soiid south" Before the half of it shall
have passed West Virginia and North
Carolina almost certainly, Tennessee quite
probably. Old Virginia, Alabama and Geor-
gia possibly, may be marching under the
republican banner.
At all events there viii have grown up in
these and other southern states more lib
cral and iuster sentiment, which would
not approve of. but would insist upon q
rectifcation of 4 gerrymander Is indefeasi-
bic as is Likely 70 be made IN some o. those
states, within the near future. On the
other hand, II the lessons OF experience are
OF any value. there is every assurance that
in those northern states in which such out
rages have been or are likely to be perpe-
trated. public opinion may. with compare
tive safety, be trusted to right the wrong.
Our people are somewhaterratic; they may
appear tickle at times, but for long and
steady pull the Republican party can fear
iessly risk the consequences Of leaving the
state legislatures free to make such adjust
ments in this respect as demand for fair
and equal representation may seem to re-
quire, and il is quite certain that there will
be many instances oil over the country, in
which what would be fair and equal in
1890 would be far otherwise in 1900, or even
in 1895.
1t is best on general principles to allow
each state 10 make its own apportionment,
and the Republican party need have no
uneasiness about suffering from adherence
TO this rule. II can safely trust to public