St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-04
CRIME AGAINST STATES.
McComas' Anti-Gerrylnander Bill
is Reported FavorabIy.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. May 3.-Repre-
sentative McComas, of Maryland. today
reported to the house from the commits
tee ON election of president. vice-presi-
dent and representatives in congress,
his bill to prevent gerrymandering.
The report is long and includes an
elaborate review and discussion
of the constitutional questions in
vOlved. 1t says: The country
grows more anXius to secure
fair elections. Congress is justly urged
to pass national election laws to guar
antee a fair voting, counting and return
OfAthe election of congressman. In
states hostile to the exercise of the suf-
frage by colOred citizens. the enforce
ment of such laws may be difficult i'll
deed. The subject of national elec-
ton law is involved in the negro
problem. This anti-gerrymandering
bill may be effective in the white states,
where powerful miporities of white
voters are to-day suppressed by shame
full gerrymandering. At the last cleo
ton for congressman in Indiana, for
instance, the majority vote for con-
greSsmen elected three representatives,
but the minority vote for congressman
elected ten representatives. Such ger
) y q
eral government and the people of the
whole natian. This bill will atleast
compel representation of the suppressed
white minority in the white states. 1t
will check
RECKLESS GERRYMANDERING
in the states OF the black belt.and make it
easier for representatives elected there
in to obtain certificatiOn of election. 1t
Will respect equallyStateS rights and the
rights of the United States. 1t permits
the states to continue to make regula-
tons for the election of congressman.
but warns. the states that national
constitution has been adopted establish
ing a real, and not shadowy govern-.
ment, a sovereignty of the people
repoSed in an executive and the
congress; and that the congress
Will exercise, its power to make
or alter the state regulation
Of the time, place and manner of hold
ing elections for representatives in con-
gress. to secure districts more compact
as to territory, more stable in duration,
and to secure greater equality of popR-
lation behind the representatives in
congress. These'things the states have
failed to do Nh. Tucker, of Virginia.
submitted the report of the minority.
After bitter criticism of the bill. it
says: ''In this day the spirit of reform
is FESTIVE. 1t cannot wait. 1t would
break down presidents because they
are old. and sanction the Sug-
gestions of radicaiism because
they are new. 1t would take from the
states the privilege of arranging their
own congressional districts, as each
might think best for its own people. and
assigns that right to congress. against
reason, precedent and the constitution
itself. 1t wouli uproot the laws OF SOW
ereign states without cause, and sup
plant them with the unconstitutional
enactments of a partisan congress. 1t
would break down the representative
principle i'll our government by plac-
ing power in the hands of
the representative for the prop
er exercise of which he is
not responsible to the people whom it
affects. 1t would strengthen and en-
large the powers of a partisan officer of
the house of representatives, and in one
breath it would have congress COM
Eand the sovereign states of the Union
TO do its bidding, and in the next breath
prohibit their action. This spirit of re-
form must be arrested or consolidation,
despotic and hopeless. will be our
destiny. 1t must be checked, OF upon
the mournful ruins of state preponder-
ance will arise mammoth empire,
stretching its broad arms from the At
lantic to the Pacific shores; an empire
whose sway
Will Dwarf Imperial Rome;
Dourdless in its domain and limitless in
ITS authority: with no guide but its will,
no restraint but its own dScreti0n;
with no constitution but its fat, no law
but its own power: an empire decked
with all the gorgeous splendors of
centralized domain and proudly WELD
ing the scepter of its absolute sway over
the broken and crouching victims of its
ruthless usurpations." Mr.. Frank, OF
Missouri, signed neither the majority
nor the minority report. He has framed
a dissenting report, in which he says
that the most cOgent reason for his
refusal to give assent to the views of the
majority is that the measure will be
very unpopular and distasteful to the
minds of the people, who are not law
yers and who are unable. to draw a dis
tinctiOn between an eX post facto and
retroactive law. Under the constitution
of the United States no TX post facto
law can be passed. Under the constitt-,
ton of all the states no eX post factU
law can be passed, and under some of
them no retroactive law can be passed..
A retroactive law is always regarded
with great dlsfavor, and the people will
not sustain congressional action IN the
way the bill proposes.