River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-12-17

ment of condemnation either of the system o.
its administration. II Is NOS claimed that
either Is perfect, but believe that
TALLY, and that the system is incomparably
better and fairer than that OF appointments
upon favor, / have during the year extended
the CLASSIFIED service 10 include superintend-
ents. teachers matronse and physicians in the
Indian service This branch q the service is
largely related To educational and phiRnthro-
pic work and will OBJ iously be the better for
the change The heads OF the several execu-
tive departments have been directed TO es-
tabish at once an efficient record as
the basis OF comparative rating OF
tae clerks within the classified service with
view to placing promotions therein upon the
basis Of merit l am confident that such a
record, fairly kept ana open 10 the inspection
OF those interested, will powerfully stimulate
the work Of the departments and Will be ae-
cepted by al as placing the troublesome matter
OF all promotions upon Just basis. recon-
mend that the appropriations for the civil serv-
ice commission be made adequate TO the in-
creased work Of the next fiscal year.
Safety Appliances for Railways.
j have twice before urgently called the attens
ton OF congress To the necessity OF legislation
ployes. but nothing has yet been done During
Lhe year ending June 30, 1890, 500 brakemen
we're killed and z sii MANNED while engaged Ia
coupling cars. The total number OF railroad
employees killed during the year was ? AL, and
the number injured 223a0. This Is "A cruel and
largely needless sacrifice The government IS
]
the lives Of shipwrecked seamen; every
vessel = rigidly Inspected and re.
Safety SAFETY appliances All this 4 good. but how
shall We excuse their lack OF interest and ef
fort in behalf OF this army Of brave young men
who in our land OF nj cree are being sacri
feed every year by c continued use OF anti
quated aud dangerous appliancesi law re
9urtng OF every railroau rnEusru 10 Interstate
commerce the equir meut each year Of given
per cent OF its freight ears with automatic
couplers and air brakes, would very soon and
very greatly reduce the present icarfal death
rate among railroad employees.
Presidential Electors.
The method Of appointment by the states OF
electors OF president aad vice president has
recently attracted renewed interest by reason
OF departure by the state OF Michigan from
/ the method which had become uniform In all
the states. Prior TO 1882 various methods had
! been used by the different states and even by
| the same state. In some the choice made
| by the legislature In others electors were
chosen by districts, but more generally by the
The movement toward the adoption Of the
last named method had an early be
ginning and went steadily forward among
| the states, until IN 1872 there remained but
single state, South Carolina, that had
not adopted it, Tha, state until the civil war
| continued II choose its electors by a vote OF
the legislature. but after the war changed its
method and conformed TO tue practice OF the
| other states. For nearly sixty years all the
states save one have appointed tner electors
/ by a popular vote upon a general ticket aud
! for nearly thirty years this method was uni
NefsGi After q lu4l test ti Olutf nleLnOuSt Will
out important division or dissent IN any state
aud without any purpose Of party advantage,
| as we must believe but solely upon the con
! siderations that uniformity desirable
! and that general election IN territorial divi-
/ sOns not subject TO change was most consist
ent with the popular character C.; our institu
tons best preserved the equality of the voters,
/ and perfectly removed the chOics Of president
/ from the banefu Influence OF the gerry
/ mander." the practice Of all the states was
/ brought into harmony. That this concurrence
should now be broken Is. 1 think, an unfOr-
| tunate and even threatening episode, and one
| that may well suggest whether states that still
give their approval to the old and prevailing
| me thod ought not 10 secure. by a constitutional
amendment. practice which mas the apTroval
/ Of al
| The recent Michigan legislation provides for
| choosing what are popularity known as the con.
| gression1l electors for president by congress.
\ siOnal districts, and the TWO senatorial electors
| by districts created for that purpose. This leg
| islation was OF course, accompanied by a new
| congressional appOrtiOnment and the two stat
| utes bring the electoral vote Il the state under
| the Influence Of the "gerymander' These
| gerrymanders for congressional purposes are
| ia most cases buttressed by gerrymander OF
/ the legislative districts. thus making il impos
sible for majority of the legal voters Of the
state to correct the apportionment and equal'zs
| the congressional districts A minority RUE IS
| established that only "A political CONFUSION can
| overthrow. have recently been advised that
| IN one county of q certain state three districts
for the election Of members a the legis .ature
! are constituted as follows; Oae has 5000 pop
ulation; one 5000, and one 10000; while IN an.
I OF her county. detached non contiguous sections
| have been united to make legislative district.
These methods have already found effective
| application to the choice of senators and repre-
! scntatiycs in congress- and row an evil start
| has been made in the direction OF applying
| them to the choice by the states OF electors of
| president and vice preside mt. II this is accom-
! plished we shal then have the three great de-
/ partments OF the government IN the grasp OF
| the ''gerrymander," the legislative ami exeeu-
| tive directly and the judiciary indirectly,
| through the power Of appointment.
/ An election implies a body OF electors having
| prescribed gu ihcations, each one OF whom
has an equal value and influence in determin'
I ing the result. So when the constitution pro
! vides that each state shall appoint telecU,
/ lin such manner as the legislature thereof
| may direct a number OF electors etc" an
| unrestricted power was not given to the legts-
] lltures in the selection OF the methods to be
| guaranteed by the constitution to each state
ana The power given BY the same q,
| the states to p escrIbe methods for
| the choice by the state OK electors must be ex-
| ercised under that limitation. The essential
| features OF such "a government are the right Of
/ the people to choose their own Officers and the
nearest practicable equality Of value in the
| SURFACES given in determining that choice 1t
| viii not be claimed that the power given to the
! legislature would support law providing that
| the persons receiving the smallest vote should
he the electors or law that allows that the
electors should be chosen by the voters OF a
| sing congressional district. The state is to
| choose. and under the pretensc Of regulating
| methods the legislature can neither vest the
! not conformable to republican Institutions.
The Gprrymander Must Go.
/ IL is not my purpose here TO discuss the ques
| tion whether a choice by the legislature or BY
! the voters of equal single districts Is choice
| by this staff, but oAiy 70 recommend such regl-
I lations OF this matter by constitutional amend
| ment which will secure uniformity and prevent
| such a liberty OF caoice If 1t exists. offers
| temptation. Nothing just now Is more 1mpor-
tant than so provide every guaranty for the
| uhgI1ufgly fair and free Choice by equal SUI
| frage within the respective states Of all the
| officers Of the national governments. whether
| that suffrage is applied directly, as In the
| choice OF members of the house of representa-
tiyes or Indirectly. rs in the choice OF senators
/ and electors Of president Respect for public
| officers ana obedience to law will not cease to
! be the characteristics Of our people until our
| elections cease To declare the will ~ nalorities
1 fairy ascertained without fraud oppression
| or gerry mander.
our Chief Nstionai Danger.
! II were called upon TO declare wherein our
! chief national danger lies, should say, without
| hesitation, in the overthrow OF majority con-
| troll by the suppression or supervisors q the
| popular suffrage. That there Is real danger
| here ali must agree, but the energies OF tf-se
who see it have been chiefly expended in sry-
| ing to TX responsibility uloa the opposlie
! party, rather than in efforts 10 make such prac-
| tees impossible by either party.
| Is il not possible now TO adjourn that in:cr-
| minab'e and inconclusivc de bate while we take,
! by consent one step in the direction refoLh
ny eliminating the lerrymander which has
DttN ucHpuutt<A ~ az Ie Ai'Ss a. ga tttiiuNhNt
in the selection Of electors Of president and
members Ct congress-
Frauds against the Suffrage.
| An attempt was made in the last con
! gress TO bring to bear the constitutional pow
| ers Of the general government for the cor
| rection OF frauds against the suffrage II ism
/ portant to know whether the opposition to such
| measures is really vested in particular features
supposed TO be objectionable or includes any
| proposition to give TO the election laws Of the
/ United States powers adequate to the correc-
/ tion of grave and ackuow icdgct evils. must
vet entertain the hope thar 10 Is possible TO SO
| cure a calm. patriotic considera ton OF such
/ constitutional statutory changes as may be
necessary TO secure the choice Of the officers Of
! the government to the people by tair appor-
| tionments and free elections.
have O. ludsd TO the gerrymander as AFFECT
| ing the method Of selecting ectOrs Of preSl-
! dent by congressional districts. but the pri-
| mary intent and effect OF this form of political
| robbery have relation 10 the selection OF NOM
bers of the house Of representatives. The
power OF congress is ample to deal with this
| threatening and intolerable abuse. The IN
be found in a willingness to confer as TO rem
edies and TO put into force such measures as
| will most effectually preserve the right OF PEG
! pie 20 free and equal representation.
4 Commission Needed.
! believe il would be possible to constitute
| commission, non partisan in its managershlp
| and composed Of patriotic wise and impartial
| mep, to whom consideration OF the question
/ OF the evils connected with our election system
| and methods might be committed with good
| prospect of securing unanlmtty IN some plan
! for removing or mitigating these evils The
! constitution would permit the selection OF the
- at in ha ma