New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-17
AN INFAMOUS STEAL.
HOW THE DEMOCRATS EXPECT 10 GRAB
FIFTEEN CONGRESSMAN IN OHIO.
HACKING THE STATE INTO LITTLE PIECES AND
THEN JOINING THE PIECES so AS TO
MAKE DEMOCRATIC DISTRICTS.

Cincinnati Oct 10 (speciaD.-The Act Of tho Lee1s'
istur, OF Ohio passed March II, 1890. creates the
worst ger3 mandcr ever known In pohueA Cnoss
H. with Republican majority Of $4,000 10 tne Sssto'
tile Democrats expect to elect nftecn oot o. tno
one ConRressmen This was their Intention In pass
ne the bin. and II viii b accomplished unloss sense
Of it, injustice should influence tho people tist
Republican Congressional candidates VIII run aheeo
Of their ticket. Tho state has been regularly as
tricted By the Legislature elected the year following
the decennial census. In 107e tho Democrauc 10y
slature elected the previous year broke over Ae gen
erai rule and before tho end Of the decade osc.eo
the state for partisan purposes. Tho following
autumn. although tho Republican candidates for Con-
gress had an aggregate plurality over their Demo.
cratic opponents Of 10000. the Democrats elec"o
eleven out Of twenty Congressman. This FORTY
uas corrected by the next Legislature, which rcstoreo
the districts to the boundaries fixed In 1857. III
1es4 tho Democrats again made q gerrymau"oT' uP-
roofing the apportonment made under the isst 10
connial census. The following autumn, although there
WAS Republican plurality OF 10000. the Democrats
elected eleven out of twenty Representatives. TINS
eerrymander was corrected BY the Republican Lesis
Iature elected IN 1885.
Nv tho election In 1885 the Democrats again OBJ
tained majority In the Legislature and proceeoeo -
usual to create . gerrymander. II tho hepuohctS
apportonment unfair every considerauon OF
equity and justice would have dictated that the ap
which, a. has been shown, with 10000 moro Republ'
ran than Democratic voters In the State, the De-
bocracy had nevertheless elected a majority OF Con-
pressmen) should be restored. But instead OF dong
that, tho Democratic Legislature In 1890 adopcd
far worse gerry that has ever boon attempted
Tho boundary line between the two districts In Hamn-
ton County and the formation OF . district rom
part of Cuyahoga County arc perhaps tie worst ex'
amples OF their fraudulent ihtent. In Hamilton
lie
Is to seem Iaughable, but upon examination VIII DO
found to have been located very carefully with reaer
ence 10 tho political complexion Of the precincts
upon 1t. ST.,
Thirty of the forty wards Of tho City OF Cevo'
land were cut out the territory INTENDED TOT the
XXth and XXIst districts. IT oroer thaV .''c
Democrats might grab another district the counties
NJ Huron. Summit Lorain and Lake, and tho rural
norton OF Cuyahoga County, which gave Repuoh
ran majority Of between 1000 and 5000, were
saddled with the five remaining wards OF Cleveland also
heavily Republican. This gave the Democrats I"o
districts by small maortcs and the Republicans one
with an enormous majority In other words they ar
ranged this line as to grab two out Oh thrce ds'@
In q community largely Republican
Tho absurd claim has been made that the Repnoh
have in the past gerrymandecd the state In the
same manner as the Democrats. One simple compari
son Is q conclusive answer to this claim INC hc
publlcans have never dstrcted Ohio so that the ma
iorty In the State has not been In harmony Win INC
majority of the delegation In Congress. That Is, II
there has been Democratic majority In the state, the
Democrats have obtained majority In the Con-
,ressona decgaton If There was Republican ma]orit!
in tho State the Republicans have obtained majority
In the Congressional delegation. on the other hand
the Democrats have dstced the State except In
such way that with a Republican majority IN the
State sometimes nearly 10000, there ha, been Demo
cratic majority In the Congressional delegation In
1888 the state gave Harrison apout 1900 plurality
sixteen Republicans and Gvc Democrats were eected
to Congress. But IL the majority were reduced 70 VOo
In each Congressional district, 20 as 10 icave HarI
son a plurality OF only 900. there would have Deen
eleven Republicans elected and ten Democrats VI
the vote for the Republican state officers elected Eist
autumn by majOrtles OF o,75i to 400. there would
have been twelve Republicans and nine Democrats.
Further still, whenever a Democratic majority mas
been given In the State. under the Republican ap
In tho Congressional delegation. In 1907 with
majority OF G,oOO in the state, there were
thirteen democrats to five Republicans In 1874
with q Democratic majority OF 1900 In the state
there were thirteen Democrats to seven Republicans
In 1882, with Democratic majority on the Con-
gressonal vote OF $4,000, there were thirteen Demo
Gratis to eight Republicans and contests two changes
were made, leaving the delegation fifteen Democrats
to six Republicans. at. -, 49,,
NIT tamely to this Democratic outrage. Oh
course the Republicans In many places so over
torne that eectua resistance to tho geymander Is Inn
possible. But they will make themselves felt In the
elections for members of the Legislature and the crime
will be surely undOne.