Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-03-21
AN INFAMOUS FRAUD.

can has the following strong editorial OF
Baldwin's Gerrymander Bill:
Arizona has had many Legislatures
which have left legacy of notoriety be
hind them as instance the "Fighting
Twelfth" and "Thieving Thirteenth"
Should the apportionment bill passed
by both Houses last Friday, become
law, the Sixteenth will pass in o history
as the "Disfranchislng Sixteenth" AZ
the Republican has before expressed it
if Mr.. BALDWIN has laid awake nights
for yeaI studying up some unjust
scheme of apportiontment he could not
have presented one more unfair than the
bill passed.
As to the Council, 1t places the con-
troll of that body absolutely at the die
tation of four counties. 'Bu, each
county in the district Is TO have Coun-
cilman," Will Say the supporters of the
measure. Granted that they viii, let
us see how utterly at the mercy OF the
larger counties the smaller ones are.
Take the first district, composed of the
counties of Mohave, Yuma and Maricopa
The two first named have a combined
population of Ais, while Maricopa has
1886. Is any one so foolish as to pre-
tend that MaricOpa will not absolutely
control the nominations of all parties in
4ha;- E-ay, r.
this were not so, by her superior vote
she can dictate with ease who shall be
elected from the smaller counties in ad-
dition to her own Councilman. Insthe
second district, composed of Yavapai,
Coconlno and Apache, it would be the
same, Yavapai county holding absolute
sway. Apache county has 1921 inhab-
tants, Coconino, reckoning on the basis
of the vote cast, has 1852. and the pre-
sent Yavapai 6343, 30 that Yavapai
could dictate the nominations and elec.
tions. So it would be again in the third
composed of Pinal, Gila and
Graham, the latter holding swey.
Then in the fourth district Cochise
would be practically without
in the Council. Pima
with her 1868 inhabitants,
would so oVertop Cochise, wit Il her 1888,
in voting power that the latter would be
without a voice. Even
should Pima be liberal and allow
CochIse one Councilman, Pima would by
her greater strength still control the |
other two. But she would not stop
there. Maricopa, Yavapai and Graham,
as the populous and powerful counties
ia the other districts, each controlling !
the three CounciImen from their re-
spective districts, Pima, as the power /
iul county in her district, W. uld want |
TO DO the same thing-and she would,
these four counties would say
who should constitute the Council.
The House apportionment is equally
unjust under this bill. Apache county,
With 4281 inhabitants is given two
representatives and Gil8 with ouly 202I
S likewise given two,while Pinal county
With 4251 inhabitants, only thirty less
han Apache, and more than Twice as
many as GIla. is gwen but one repre-
Could anything more unjust
De devised? Coconino has over 800 in
labitants more than Gila and Yuma
90 more, yet Coconino and Yuma get
)ut one representative each and Giia
wO. Again Yavapai with 6343 inhabi-
ants IS given I.ur representatives and
Pima with 1868, nearly twice ds many
5 also given but four. Ia ether words
I takes two of Pima county's citizens to
quail one Of Yavapar's and it takes four
# PInal county's citizens and two of
Apache's, Yuma'e and Coconino's to
quail one of Gila's.On may well exclaim,
hat Goes this, our Gila and Yavapai
ounties, feed upon that makes them so
uperior.
Again, Cochise county, with 693S in
abiia1ts, is allotted but three repre-
while Yavapai, with COO less
opulatlon gets four. Maricopa, with
O,9S7 inhabitants, nearly twice as many
s favapai, also gets but four represent
tires, yet as many as Pima gets with
er 1868 inhabitants.
No one questions the injustice of the
resent apportionment Of the House, by
'hlch Cochise and YavapaI county have
We representatives each nd Maricopa.
18th greater population than either,
as but Two, and Graham, with only
30 less population than Cochise, has
ut one. All admit this unfairness out
de of any political consideration. But /
he new bill just passed is even more un-
lir. 1t says to the people of part of the
ounties that they are Of but one half |
nd even of but one-fourth the impor-
lnce and value of the citizens of other
ortions of the territory, wien all know
lch is not the case. No man would
are go before the people and attempt
} declare that the miner of Yavapai
1unty was equal to two miners of Pima
ounty, or that one miner or cattleman
Gila county was equal to four of his
eighbors just over in Pinal ,ounty.
he measure is infamous nd how apv
ltelligent body could be ! by dema-
ogues into supporting IS past com
rehension.
1T is stated that young man from
Owa came down to Texas to secure Z
1me government land. He returned.
he cause of his so suddenly retracing
10 efo,,c 49,. IL. l--