The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-20
NoN.PARTIsAN REDIsTRICTING.
A Plan to Prevent the Further Perpe.
tration Of the Gerrymander.

The necessity is apparent to every one
that the present Congress should make
just apportionment of congressional
representatives among the States on the
basis OF the last census before it falls
into the hands of the Democratic House
just elected. The Cleveland Leader urges
that the districting of the States should
be taken from the Legislature and sug-
gests the following non-partisan plan:
If the work of redistricting id to be
well and satisfactorily done Congress
must do it. There are several methods
that Congress may adopt, any one of
which will secure the performance Of
this duty in manner that will db com.
plete justice to both parties, And all
parties, and command general approval
We have already suggested one or two
methods, and now offer another, which
every fair man will concede to be- ideally
just. Let the House appoint cpmmit-
tee of two Republicans and two Demo.
Gratis to present a redistricting bill cover
ing all the States. Let this com imittee
prepare or obtain maps showing the
county lines, rivers, mountain ranges,
and the population of each county ac-
cording to the late census also, maps
of large cities that would have to be di-
vided, showing ward boundaries, and
rivers, il any. Then let the committee
select, say, thirty-eight expert clerks,
to work in pairs, each pair to district
two States-six of the States elect only
one Representative each; lock these
clerks up in an apartment with no other
data than is above named for their guild.
ance, and in six hours, perhaps less,
they will have redistricted the whole
country with respect only to population,
geographical formations, and county and
ward boundries. The rules governing
the clerks should require the districts to
be composed OF compact and contiguous
territory, and that no district shall ex.
ceed or fall below more than five per
cent. OF full ratio OF population.
Under this plan the whole country
would be districted according to popula-
ton and geographical formations, and
without regard to parties. That is the
intent of the Constitution. It would
not matter whether the clerks were all
Republicans or all Democrats or half
of each. The two States assigned to
each pair of clerks to district could be
drawn by lot at the hour Of fcommencing
work. Having no means at hand of as
certaining the vote in the several
counties and wards, the work would
necessarily be done without regard to
party interests. Not knowing what
States they would be called upon to ]
district, the clerks could make no pre-.
paration that would enable them 10
work unfairly. All the committee would !
need to do would be to see that the
work was. done in accordance with the
prescribed rules, and report the results
to the House in the form of.a redistrict-
ing bill. The members of the committee,
and of the whole House., would know
little, if any, more than the clerks as to
the effects of the measure on party in
forests in the country a larss. Not
until after careful study could the
members from any State tsll how the
bill affected party interests II thsif par
ticular State. But they would all know
that redistricting bin prepared in that
way must do substantial justice to both
parties. and to all parties, mot only in
the country as whole, but also in the
States individually. Under thi5 plan
neither party In any State could possi-
bly, gain or lose more than one Repre-
sentative in excess Of its absolutely Just
proportion, and these slight and Losses,
if any, would inevitably balance each
other in the bill.
A redistricting measure without de-
sign to defraad or purpose to seize undue
party advantage is what the country
needs, and what it must have. The
matter will come before Congress with
in month, and free discussion Of the
subject in the meantime will assist to 4
satisfactory solution of the question.