Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-01
A MAJORITY WITHOUT PRINCIPLE.

The present legislature is making a
name for itself as the most intensely
reckless partisan body that ever met in
this state. The majority stop at moth
ing to gain a partisan advantage, and
are using "the previous question" IN
most shameful manner to gag debate
upon their indefensible measures. They
have accepted the Vorheis congress
iona apportionment bill in spite OF Its
palpably partisan division of the state
to districts with preponderating Re-
publican votes. BY violent gerryman-
der which groups the Democratic coun-
ties with Republican counties IN way
to give the latter the majority, they
hope to secure their party IN congress
for the next decade. This bill was
formed for no other purpose than to ex-
clude the Democrats OF California from
representation in that body. Had the
four citrus counties been placed in one
district as would have been just and
natural, from their population and in
terests. it would have been necessary to
have made another district out OF the
southern coast counties and the San
joaquin valley counties, But that
would not do, as the Democratic coun-
ties OF the valley might have over
slaughed the Republican counties of the
coast. Hence to neutralize the Demo-
cratic votes OF the valley counties the
citrus counties are split in two and at
tached to counties with which they have
no affinity OF interest in their industries
and products.
A contemporary, which never misses
an opportunity to make itself ridiculous,
has advanced the fiimsy argument that
bv this division the citrus counties will
have two instead of one representative,
because, having the preponderance OF
population in each district they can in
sst upon having their own representa-
tives Whilst it is not true that at least
one OF the districts will have larger
vote in the citrus than the non-citrus
counties, it does not follow that the lar
gest community in q district controls
nominations. The San Francisco Chron-
icle has just called our attention to the
fact that for ten years Alameda county
has had immeasurably the largest COM
pact population in the Third congress
sional district, yet it has never succeed
ed in getting one of its citizens into con-
gress. We need not, however, go to
Alameda to make our point. Los An
geles, with single exception, has never
had representative of its own neither
house of congress, imperial county in
wealth and population as it has always
been.
But the legislature has not only shown
the cloven hoof in the congressional ap-
portionments. In the legislative district
bills the same outrageous system OF ger
rymandering is glaringly perceptible.
The strong Democratic wards in this city
are placed in the same senatorial dis
trict with Pasadena, Monrovia, ETC., and
thus neutralized solely for the partisan
gain of the Republicans. The same
gerrymandering OF the legislative dis
tricts has been made in San Francisco;
and the complaint about the way in
which the extreme northern counties
have been treated in this shameful
measure has been loud and indignant.
The way in which San Francisco has
been carved UP will be seen from the
protest Of Mr. Armes, member OF the
assembly from that city. In the debate,
when the preyious-question gag was
about to be sprung, Mr.. Armes said
that in the bill only five assembly dis
tricts out of eighteen we're Democratic,
and only two senatorial districts out OF
the nine are reliably Democratic.
Almost the entire Democratic vote of
the city is punched together in five
assembly and two senatorial districts.
In the Democratic districts there are
400 to 600 more votes than in the Re-
publican districts. For instance, the
Forty-second is Republican, with about
2900 votes, while the Thirtieth, Demo-
cratic district, represents voting pop
ulation of 5000.
Mr.. Jackson, the member from Lassen
county, entered vigorous protest
against the way in which his part of the
state had been treated in the senatorial
district bill. He said:
~ feel myself compelled to arise from
my seat and enter solemn protest in be-
half of the constituency whom 1 repre-
sent against the proposed gerrymander-
ing of the northern portion of this state,
as proposed by the apportionment bill
submitted to this assembly. Why was
it, Mr.. Speaker, that the five counties /
OF Shasta, SisRiyou, Modoc, Lassen and
Trinity were placed in one senatorial
district? Was it because those people
had not a single representative in the
Republican caucus to protest against
this infamous outrage? While / feel
that it will do no good-as we have been
informed by the honorable gentleman
from San Francisco, the reputed leader,
that no amendment will be permitted
in behalf OF my people, regardless of
political afiliation, protest against
this infamous outrage"
And SO it is all along the line. These
men think that because they are in the
majority they may, with impunity,
violate all the decencies OF legislation
and rob part OF the people OF their rights.