New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-01
THE ENUMERATION MATTER ONCE MORE.

THE ENCMEh11ION Md Il LEN O~'tb -nN'A%'
Some of the Democratic newspapers reason
that if their party can secure the Legislature by
resort to pure technicalities it will be justified
in doing so, because there has been no reappor-
tionment Of the legislative districts as there
ought to have been, and as there would have
been if a specific mandate OF the Constitution
had been respected. The New-Yorll correspond
emit of "The Philadelphia Ledger" rejecting this
view writes that 90 the Republicans would GER
tainly have strong case with the people In tins
matter of the organization of the Senate were II
not for the fact that they have themselves, by
preventing an enumeration and reapportionment
of the State, deprived the Democrats for years
of their just representation in the Legislature"
Now. there is one effectual answer to all this
sort of talk. The failure to secure reappor-
tiOnment was not due to the Republicans, but to
David B. HILL Section of Article I'LL OF the
Constitution provides that AN enumeration of
the inhabitants of the State shall be taken under
the direction of the Legislature in the year 1855
and at the end of every ten years thereafter"
The same section also provides that the Senate
districts shall be altered in accordance with the
enumeration. Very good. The enumeration
ought to have been taken in 1885. The Legs
latlme of that year was Republican in both Its
branches, and Obeying the Constitution, 1t passed
an Enumeration bill. II has never been pre-
tended that this bin did not meet every conSu-
tutiOnal and statutory requirement; 1t has never
been pretended that if it had become law 1t
would not have fully secured the necessary
enumeration. The measure was modelled after
the Enumeration Act which was passed in
1875, and which met the approval Of samud
]. Tilden, who was then Governor Neverthe-
less this unimpeachable bill OF 1885 failed to
become law, and failed simply because Gov
ernor David b. Hill vetoed it. more des-
picable display of craftsmanship was never mado
by high public official Hill deliberately slcri-
feed enumeration and the reapportionment OF
the Senate districts in the face of a mandate OF
tbe Constitution, because he feared That the
Enumeration bill gave the Republicans too much
patronage Under law passed in 1885 it was
made the duty of the Secretary OF State to name
the enumerators In 1856 the Secretary of state
was Republican Rather than give HIM these
appointments Governor Hill refused to sign the
bill There is not an intelligent falr-minded
Democrat in the State who will not concede that
this is an accurate statement OF the reason why
there was no enumeration in 1885. David b.
Hill, and David b. Hill alone, was at fault. The
Republican Legislature of 1885 gave him two
opportunities Of signing an Enumeration Dill,
once at the regular session and again at special
session. But he embraced neither of them.
All this is ancient history. But in view OF
the attitude of Democratic journals toward Hills
nefarious attempt TO steal the Senate it is in
order to return to it. The case against the
scoundreIs who are endeayo w. TO count in Dem
ocratic Senator'S on bogus returns is not improved
by reference to the enumeration incident. Ii
is, in fact, made worse. For Hill proved in
1885 that he despised the Constitution that he
did net purpose to obey its injunctions in case
they interfered with his purely selfish and par
tsan schemes Frauds on the ballot-bOx come
easy to that sort of a man.