New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-10

the United States is estimated by the secretary
to he this year S500,oOO,oOO more man an ~
meats 81 50, 900 900 more, and oil all proauc,s VI
fire farm 800. 900 900 more. IL Is not lnaPpIo-
priate think here 10 suggest that orr sauslac.;on
in the contemplation of this marvellous auuis,v s
TO the national wealth is unclouded Dy any ous
nicion of the currency by which II IS meas9reu
and in which the farmer is paid for the product
of his fields
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The report OF the Civil Service Commission
should receive the careful attention Oh the OPP
Moments as we'll as the friends, OF this refern' Inc
Commission invites personal inspection by oehar
tors and Representatives of It's records anu
methods; and every fair critic Will feel tha' SUCH
an examination should precede Judgment OF COLI
demnation either of the system or its adihihisu"
tion II is not claimed that either Is perfect pu'
believe that the law is being executed Win iii'-
partiaty and that the system Il lncomparapy
better and fairer that that of appointments upon
favor have during the year extended C.c lass
fled service to include superntendehts, oeacmtao'
matrons and physicians In the iiiulIh sci ~, nioo'
This branch of service Is largely related 10 educa
tional and philanthropic work and VIII obviously
be the better for the change ..... r,..or.,o.,ts
The heads of the several Executive Departments
have been directed establish at once an enciencs
record as the basis of comparatively ra.iis o ",
the clerks within the CLASSIFIED service W h;s ~
| IN nacinp promotion; therein upon the Dasis VI
| merit | am confident that Sucn recoru, Iailij
kept and open to the inspection oil those neteoe'
will powerfully stimulate tne Worh vi ,ie the
| ments and will be accepted by all as piaoihs u
| ,romhIesome matter of promotions upon Jl|
recommend that tie appropriations for the
Civil Service Commission be maze adequate "
| the increased work OF the next Ilscal year
PROTECTION FOR RAILROAD MEN
Ibaye twice before urgently called the attention
of Congress to the necessity of legislation for the
nrotection of the lives of railroad employees, puU
| notbng has vet been done. During the year
| ending June 30 1890, 500 brlkemen were Rlileo
| and 7,s4l manned while engaged in coupling cars
| The total number of railroad employees Killed ouf-
| ing the year was 2,451, and the number lhJureo
| 1890 This is cruel and largely hee"iesS
| sacrifice The Government is spending nearly
81 200, 900 annually TO slve the hves OF SUN
wrecked seamen every steam vessel is rigidiy IN
spected and required to adopt the mOst appiV'euu
safety appliances. All this is good but how shaH
we excuse the lack of interest ana eiort III pen a
| of this army of brave young men VINO IN our laio
| commerce are being sacrificed every year by tne
continued use of antiquated and dangerous aPPnI1
ances? law recurring 81 every each Year
| of given per cent Of it's freight cars wiuh auto
matte couplers and airbrakes would oolnpel an
agreement between the roads as 70 tne eud i very
| brakes and coupleTS to be used, ana "oulu 'It2
| soon and very greatly reduce the present leariul
| death-rate among railroad employees
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
| The method of appointment by the States Oh
| electors of President and Vice-President mas re-
| GENTLY attracted renewed interest by reason OF d
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 was made by the Legislature .
| in Others electors were chosen by districts, out
more generally by the voters OF the whoie o.asg
upon general ticket Inc movem lH .o%a au
| early beginning and went steadily forward among
J the States until In 1882 there remained put q
single State South Carolina that mad not aaa9'e e.
| choose it's electors by vote of the LEGISLATURE
| but after the war changed It's method, ana con-
formed to the practice th 81 te Hse save oae
appointed their electors by a popular vote upon
general ticket, and for nearly thirty years this
Sfter a fnli test of other methods, without I'M
portant division dissent in any State and with
| out any purpose of party advantage, as we must
believe, but solely upon the Considerations e eaC
ton in territorial divisions not subject to change
| was most consistent with the popular character
of our institutions, best preserved the equality OF
| the voters and perfectly removed the cholce OF
| President from the baneful influence OF the
| Qerrymander" the practice OF all the States
| was brought into harmony That this concurrence
] should now be broken is, / think, an unfortunate
and even threatening episode, and one tliat may
| we'll suggest Whether the States that stlll give
( their approval to the old and prevalllng niethoa
ment a practice which has had the approval of
| all The recent Michigan legislation provides IOr
| choosing what are popularity known as the Con-
gressional electors for President by Congressional
districts and tile two Senatorial electors by DIS
tricts created for that purpose ms Ieslsiatloh
| was of course, accompanied by new Oon-
| grcssional appOrtiOnment, and the Two statutes
| bring the electoral vote of the State under the
| influence of the gerrymander
"GERRYMANDERING.'
These gerrymanders for Congressional purposes
are in most cases buttressed by gerrymander or
the legislative districts, thus making it impossible
| for a majority of the legal voters of the State to
| correct the apportionment and equalize the Con
gressiona districts. minority rule Is established
that only political CONFUSION can overthrow. L
have recently been advised that in one county OF d
certain State three districts for the election OF
members of the Legislature are constituted as fol-
lows One has $4,000 population one, $4,000.
and one, 10000; while in another county, se-
tached non-contiguous sections have been united
| to make legislative district These methods
have already found effective application to the
choice of Senators and Representatives In Con
gress and now an evil start has been made III
the direction of applying them TO the choice by
the States of electors of President and VcePresi-
dent. If this is accomplished, we shall then have
the three great departments of the government IN
the grasp of the gerrymander, the legislative
and executive directly, ana the judiciary indirectly
through the power Of appointment
An election implies body Of electors having
prescribed qualifications each one of whom has
an equal value and influence in determining the
result. So when the Constitution provides that
each State shall appoint teect), in such manner
as the Legislature thereof may direct, number
Of electors" etc, an unrestricted power was not
given to the Legislature in the selection of the
methods 70 be used "A republican form of Gov
ernment,' is guaranteed by the Constitution to
each State, and tine power given by the same
instrument to the Legislatures of the States 10
prescribe methods for the choice, by the State, OF
electors must be exercised under that limitation
The essential features of such 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 will not be claimed that the power given ia
the Legislature would support law providing
that the persons receiving the smallest vote should
| 10 tn electnrs or law that all tine elnctnrs