New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-29
THE CONSPIRACY BEATEN.
PRACTICAL SURRENDER OF THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATS.

poPuLAR SUPPORT - RESIGNATION OF
CLERK DIcKEY-INFoRMAL CONFER
nNcE OF REPUBLICAN SENATORS.
rar TELEGRAPH TO TIE rRIBUssl
Concord. N. H., Nov 2s.-The Democratic con-
spiracy in New Hampshire is beaten already. The
truth is, it never had much real vitality. II was
the child of electon-night bluster. and though
II thrived Justify for brief week, at no time
was anything needed to cause its demolition but a
little frank Republican courage. In courage the
New-Hampshire Republicans arc rich. and by Gov
ernor Goodell's proclamation summoning an extra
session of the Legislature of 1880 they served no
tice ON the Democratic leaders that the rape of
the State could not be accomplished. This was
enough. The Democrats, in effect If not in form.
surrendered. They were without cause. without
arms and without following. and one after an
other they have been acknowledging the force
Of the conclusion tersely expressed by the Hon.
Harry Bingham, their leader-in-chief. yesterday.
vheu he told one Of his hcnchmen that :" 1t
wouldn't be safe to do anything violent" This
means that in Mr.. Bingham's opinion he and his
fellow conspirators have no popular support. In
that be Is right The Democratic scheme is aimed
at an end SO dishonest by means so reckless that
IL has at no time received the approval OF the
Democratic masses. They have stood aloof won
dering what sort Of revolution their leaders were
trying to get up. Many of the leaders were them
selves afraid of their own audacity. They went
much further than they intended, borne along by
the force of their first grand rush.
They started of under a misapprehension. On
election night they undoubtedly believed they
had carried the Legislature and elected their
candidate for Governor. They were deceived into
this belief by the returns on the Congress ticket
and by the reports that came from everywhere of
Democratic tidal wave. They went to bed half
drunk and wholly happy, but when they read in
their own organ. "The Manchester Union,' the
next morning that there have been elected to
the Legislature grand total of 1ss Democrats
and 1eO Republicans" they were disgusted and
angry The more they thought of It the more
dsaGreeable it seemed. and finally they reached
the conclusion that there was mistake some
where. Then the conspiracy began. OF course the
first thing to he done was to make their organ
eat its words They went for it with sharp
stick and 1t gave in hifmbly. 1t said that when
it said what it said it didn't mean it at all. but
something wholly different. 1t professed to be
highly indignant that any one should have sup
posed that it meant what it said. and it nOmi-
nally denounced everybody who lacked the pene-
tration to see that by Republican majority of
q was really meant a Democratic majority of 12'
"The Union feels bad about this matter and
entertains particular grievance against Senator
William z. Chandler whose perversity and stupid
fly in denying its right to say one thing and
expect its readers to infer another it thinks be-
yond all bounds.
"The Union having been fived the Democratic
eaders unfolded their plan. To understand it, one
must know that in New-Hampshire the ancient
New-England custom still prevails of representa-
ton in the lower house by towns and not by AS
sembly districts The State is not divided into
definitely bounded districts, but evsry town or
city ward containing 600 Inhabitants, according
to the latest Federal or State census is entitled
under the constitution to one Representative But
there are many towns and settlements containing
less than coo inhabitants and they have been
dealt with in two ways. Thirty of them were
grouped in fourteen classes, each class composed
of two or three towns, and each class entitled to
one Representative. But some of them were
isolated and could not conveniently be thus
grouped and these were permitted to send
Representative to the House for that proportonate
part of each decennial period as the number OF
their inhabitants bore to 600. This sounds COM
plicated, but it isn't The State takes no GEN.
sus Its representation is based the Federal
census, which is taken every ten years.
The New-Hampshire Legislature is elected and
towns can be represented as much of the time in
ten years as its population warrants, and the
Legislature, after such census. fixes the term or
terms during which these pro rata towns shall
fill seat in the House Now in 1887 Con-
stitutional Convention met in New-Hampshlre
aad it abolished the classcd-towns arrangement.
Local jeaouses had rendered it source of friction
and trouble and the convention decided to place
all small towns on the pro rata basis, and to give
them all whatever representation in ten years
they should be entitled to under the census. Ii
directed the next Legislature which was that OF
1880. TO pass bill saying how these towns
should elect in 800, the presumption being that
after the new census subsequent Legislature
would rate them for the decennial period;
Unfortunately the legislature S. OF sS lssS 1aen S;
covering the matter, but 1t was smothered IN
the House. There were thirty OF these classed
towns and two small settlements not SeE III,
most populous ones and authorized them 70
vote in the election Of 1890. But when the PHI
came into the House Mr. Bingham pro.es'epa poIh emao
iican aerrymander." How far it had that char
acter is disclosed by the result of the recent
election nine Of these iieen 'oThs srn nae IL gooa
deal of grim irony in the fact that II MI flhgha
had only let that bill pass he would nave peer
within at least snatchng distance OF the ;s ssa. 1
the United States Senate toward Wmch MS ain-
bition has so long goaded MIN.
But Mr.. Bingham flbustered instead. and the
bill failed. The classed towns therefore; were
left in this position The Constitutional Con-
vention had taken from them their old rights OF
representation in classes and had left the right
Of representation, not this year, or any year; but
q time to be fixed by the Legislature and the
they all held elections on November 4, and when
the Legislature OF s9l meets. thirty-two persons
will come to Concord from these thirty small
towns and these two incorporated settlements,
many containing less than 100 inhabitants. count
ing the latest baby, and each will claim scar
as classed towns of course. They have no rights
towns they have no right. for pro rata election
must be authorized They cannot plead the
Constitutional privilege, for that is based on
a population of 800 What their contention is
n. n.,a Laa aftonnnfad fo exnress hut Harry Ring