Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-06
CAMPAIGN INVENTIONS.

There is an element of truth in the
assertion of the Philadelphia Inquirer that
there is a resemblance between this campaign
and that of 1882, in which Governor Patti
son was elected. There are many points oi
resemblance, and in saying that the next
Legislature will be called upon to make
Congressional and legislative apportion-
ments, the Inquirer recognizes one of them.
This single point, on which it makes a cor
rect statement, must be acknowledged be.
fore proceeding to notice the other respects
in which that organ depends on its iuven-
tion for the statement of facts, as follows:
Owing to the election OF Governor Pattison,
and according to Senator Cooper, his determin.
alton to wipe out the Randall district the last
apportionment was deferred until 1887, although
the State Constitution expressly declares that
the reapportionment into Senatorial and Rep
resentative districts shall be made at the first
session of the General Assembly after the cen
sus. 1t was in an unseemly contest with the
Legislature over the reapportonment of the
State that Governor Pattison spent five hun
dred thousand dollars of the States money.
This is a striking example of campaign
fiction. 1t relies on the forgetfulness of the
public for Its success. Nevertheless, the
impression which Governor Pattison made
by his steady insistence that the Legislature
should do its duty, had SO great a share in
establishing his popularity, that fractures
of the truth in this connection are more
dangerous at the breach than at the muzzle.
The one truth in the paragraph quoted above
is that the Constitution requires the appor-
tionment to be made at the first session
after the census; and the statement of that
fact calls attention to Governor Pattison's
unwavering and persistent demand upon
the Legislature TO perform its duty, and to
the refusal of the Republican managers to
obey the Constitution.
As to the assertion that the failure to re-
district the state was lowing to the election
Of Governor Psttison," that is easily reeog-
nized as an effort of the partisan imagina-
ton. Everyone knew at the time that the
reason why the apportionment bills were
not passed was that the Republican mana
gers could not get them passed in the lower
branch of the Legislature so as to suit
their partisan interests. Consequently
with that fine disregard of the Constitution,
of which the present Republican can
didate is an eminent exponent, they
adjourned without having passed the
measures req uired. Governor Pattison did
not delay any apportionment measure, nor
had he the opportunity to do SO. But
be did exactly the opposite of what the
Inquirer asserts, by calling the Legislature to-
,rafber IN perf form the dutv If had omiftad II
was in its refusal to perform that duty, and
voting its members a pertdiem for long
session spent in doing absolutely nothing,
that the Legislature, instead OF Governor
Pattison, wasted about $780, 600, and delib-
erately nulIifed the constitutional require
ment
OF course, it is necessary for the Inquirer
to resort to fiction in the manufacture OF
campaign arguments on State issues. But a