Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-05-29
THE McCOMAS BILL.
EVEN OHIO REPUBLICANS ARE
b, AFRAID OF 1T,
The Men Whom It Was Devised to
Benefit Think It Too Dangerous q
Noveltyt 70 Play With. .- t.

The Men Whom It Was Devised to
Benefit Think It Too Dangerous a
Novelty 60 Play With. -:
The McComas bill is the Wickham
bill with its nakedness covered up. |
Wickham's bill was shoekingly nude
proposition that Mr.. Wiekharn and his
is Republican colleagues from Ohio and
their co-partners from other States
should enact that the people OF ONO
should re-elect Mr.. Wickham and his
Is Republican colleagues to the next
Congress. The prudery OF the Repub-
licans demanded that this unmodest
exposure of Republican greed and law
lessness should be draped with few
fig-leaves and Mr.. McComas volunteer
ed to act as the tailor for the occasion.
The Cincinnati Commercial Gdzette
has interviewed 8 Of the i6 Republican
Representatives from Ohio as to the
merits of the McComas bill, and con-
sidering the fact that nearly every one
of them has q strong personal interest
In the enactment of the McComas bill
it is astonishing how cold they are
towards it. Ofcourse they won't admit
any doubts about its constitutioDality.
A Republican politician, like the Apos-
tie Paul. insists that all things are law
| full unto him, though all things are not
expedient. It Is mighty seldom, how
ever, that Republican will admit that
anything in the immediate interest OF
himself or his party is not expedient.
| AS the McComas bill is In the immedi-
ate, and almost exclusive interest OF
these Ohio Representatives, their tim
idity about handling it shows that 1t is
n'Ss M: S1 Morey saws: "Any ambition
which I might have to go to the Fifty
second Congress could only be gratified
by the passage of the McComas bill,
would defeat the infamous gerry
mander enacted by the present Demo.
cratic Legislature in Ohio, and hence !
may be considered wholly disinterested
in my opinion that the. McComas bill
is not expedient party legislation at this
i time. Ieoncede the constitutionaiity
and the correctness of the principles on
(which the bill is based"
I Mr.. T.. B. Taylor, chairman of the
Judiciary committee, says: "Ihe bill
viii not pass. As regards the present
the policy is good one, but respecting
THE past Icannot say that consider tht
measure with favor"
]. Mr.. Boothman says of the bill: "Th'
principle is good one, but have my
doubts as to whether it will meet th'
views Of a majority.n St.ts
Mr.. Caldwell says evasively: 9TH
McComas bill being legislation pur
lsuant 10 an unquestiOned constitu
ltional right, but which has not hereto
fore been exercised by Congress, I deen
lit wise to be governed, BY the ex
: perience andiudgement Of the body o
, our party"
: Mr.. Smyser says with some caution
1.-THE only question as to the passage o
1.-THE bill Is one as to the expedience, AM
az to that my opinion is that 1t is
legitimate exercise of political power
My Judgment is that there is growin
: sentiment 10 favor OF the bill, and
), should 1t pass the House, there Is n
n doubt that the Senate willact favorabl
upon it,
Mr.. williams says, with commends
BILE candor: SIN Ohio this bill; II 1t bt
lcomes law, would be rerocative In II
character, distasteful to our people. an
!. will be regarded as purely politics
= measure 10 render certain Republica
y majority in the Fifty-second Congress
= in short, It would transfer gerrymar
i (iering, with aIl the discFedit the wOr
. Implies, from the Democratic Legisls
Iture of Ohio to the Republican Coz
Igress Of the Nation. I do not beiiev
the principle sound or just. Althoug
the gerrymsnder has made my dl
:, trict. hitherto doubtful, horelessl
"a Democratic, / shall vote against tE
y lMcComas bill; I would rather be- rigE
y = than be member of Congress"
- We do not believe there are man
y. Republicans who would rather
G. right than be members Of Congress, b'
we presume there are o good many r
publicans with sense enough TO see th'
If they voted for any such revolutional
scheme as the McComas bill propose
sr they would neither be right nor
lg members of Congress.
il Mr.. Burton prefers to have some OF
ps else fool with the torpedo. He say
4. "There can be no question as to u
!. tight Of Congress to control the divl
ion of the respective States into di
= tricts. This right, however, has new
er been exercised to so great an extent
lis contemplated by the McComas bi
On the other hand, the redistrictil
scheme adopted by the Democrats Ia
winter was one of the most villaino
ve partisan schemes ever attempte
to There is ground for Congressional !
ar reference In this case, ifit is ever to
- exercised. Iregard the decision of Y
- question as properly belonging, in q
~ first instance, to Representatives /.
III other States. So far a. lam personal
E. concerned, / do not care to, take ste
(, iooking toward the passage Of the N
Comas hiil. or any similar measure, b
IL majority of the Representativ
from other States think best to pass t
Is. Ibill. T will vote with them
"a tsMr. ButterWorth says. with fran
- ness and force: 81 do not approve
- the Nee bill. !. think until
m fFederal Government is ready and n
u. ognizes the necessity of taking chai
nd | Of and supervising Congressional el
mis- tions, regarding them as national ell
lks tions and therefore of first concern