The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-03-10
ale SutellioIejuter.
ONCE Nos. vs. and ~ fourtccnth s,reot
TO PREVENT GERRY,iANplRiNG,
MIR. McComns' liiil-Gernantlerinr Don't
Pny-1ts Evils. l,'


MIR. Mccomns niil-Germantlesing Don
Pay-1ts Evils.
New York Timy.
Congressman McComas, OF Maryland
has introduced n bill In the House
Representatives tho purpose OF whic
Is to prevent "gcrymaudering" in the d
vision OF States into districts for the pul
pose Of representation in Congress
There Is no doubt rs to the power c
Congress 10 regulate this matter, an
hardly less doubt Ms to tho need OF som
restriction upon the carving Of State
into irregular sand eccentric district
ior tho purpose Of gaining m un
lair party advantage. The Consti
tuition requirea representation TO b
apportioned among the several STATE
according to tho number OF inhabitants
to DO ascertained by each decennial cen
stis. It leaves primarily to each Stat,
the power to prescribe for itself til,
times, places and manner OF }oldint
elections for Senators aud Representa-
ives. but reserves 10 Congress- the rich
at any time by law to make or alta,
such regulations, except rs to the plact
OF choosing Senator'S" Under this re-
served right Congress has pasned law.
regulating the manner Of choosing Sena
Tors, but 1t has propeflylef. 10 the States
the regulation Of the election OF Repre.
sentatives. Us n
All that tho Constitution originally
contemplated, apart from the power re-.
served to Congress to bc exercised when.
ever 1t might be deemed cxpedient, was
tho apportion,nent alter each census Of
the number OF Representatives to whicl,
the several States were entitled in pro.
portion to their population. They. might
provide for their election in any way
that might be deemed best by the Legis.
lature, except that the Representatives
must DO chosen by the people, and tho
qualifications OF electors must be the
same as for those entitled to vote for
members OF the most numerous branch
OF the State Legislature. There was no
requirement that Representatives
should be chosen from separate districts
within State, and there was at first
nothing toprevent them from being elect.
ed whollyfrom a State at large. The prin.
pie Of representation by districts was,
however, long ago established, and it has
been the practice Of Congress in it's ~.
portionment acts to make that require.
ment, and declare that, tho districts
shall consist OF Contiguous territory"
and contain las nearly Us practicable"
an equal number Of inhabitants. This,
in effect, only prevents districts from
being made up Of separate patched OF
territory, and does not prevent them
from being cut out in "shoes.rings," or
"horseshocs," or monstrous shapes in
imitation OF the original beast devised
by Elbridge Gerry in Massachusetts,. It
leaves to the Legislatures to Judge how
far it may be practicable" to include in
each district the same number OF inhab-
itants, and it does not prevent change
in the districts upon change Of polili.
cal control in Il Legislature.
The evident intent OF the Constitution
is that an apportionment Of Representa-
tives among the States made after the
taking OF q census shall stand unchanged
until after another census has been
taken, without reference to changes in
relative population in the meantime.
The principle Of representation by dis
tricts being established, its stability
ought to be secured against capricious
or partisan changes in the districts rs
constituted after each apporlionment,
and tho McComas bill forbids redistrict-
ing until new. census has been taken.
It also requires that the territory con-
shutting district shall not only be con-
tiguous but adjacent and compact" and
that the variation in population at the
time OF districtiug shall not exceed To-
900 between the least and the greatest
limit. The enforcement Of regulation
OF this kind would to great extent, if
not wholly, prevent the abuse
of gcrrymandering, which is q
gross violation Of tho representative
principle as established by the district
system. The propositionin the present
Legislature OF Ohio to redistrict the
State at once is justified by its advocates
on the ground that it was gcrrylnandercd
after the superintendent OF 1881 to the
disadvantage OF the Democrats, who have
now come into control. To offset that
alleged wrong it is proposed 10 gerry
mander it to the disadvantage OF the Re.
publicans. Not only do two wrongs not
make right, but such q practice OF
making changes to suit a change Of party
control in State would BIO afl unmiti.
gated evil in itself. It is on the same
principle Of following bad precedent
that tue whole gerrymanlering practice
has grown up. One party justifes it
when it has control in Stale because
the other party practiced it when it was
in control or is practicing it in another
State to its own advantage. Tho effort
is made to balance these party advant-
ages and disadvantages, and one party
pleads that it cannot afford to be honest
and fair because the other is not.
tits extremely doubtful whether this
ger1ymandering business pays, even if it
were to be condemned on no higher
ground. That tits wrongis not to be
disputed, but it is Improbable. 1t pro-
duces competition in iniquity like
bribery at elections. ,Bussit will be im-
possible to. stopi by appeals to the sense
Of honor Of politicians or legislators.
One party will keep it up because the
other party does not drop 1t, and one
State will continue to practice it because
other States do not leave of practicing
it. II all could be INDUCED 10 drop il
simultaneously, all might be satisfied
with the result; The only way this re.
suit can be reached is by effective legis.
luton by Congress, which must operate
upon NIL States alike regardless Of party
control. Such legislation, il it is practi.
cable, anaif it eau be made effective, is
altogether desirable. II the, gerry.
mander" can DO killed in Congressional
representation, it may also be hunted
out OF. legislative representation in the
States. 1t is certainly monster thai
ought 10 be destro yed. .. =. -t5E
IRON AND STEEL. MARKET. II
i Vast Consumption ana Largo Ontpu
| struggling for the Mastery,