The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-12-11

/ electoral vote OF ths state uu Ter she iu1u- !
1 manders for con 90 essiouaI purposes are la 2
] most cuses buttrcsso By "a gerry ruand-r Of d
| the legislative districts. thus maying az iun-
! 20 aible for a Uluior - OF she legal
/ apportso tmeut and egualIzs the cor
l gres ionaI districts muor-ty rule
i eonvUis on can ovsrtir,ve- have recentiv
/ been advis a that In one coun'y q a certain .
! state three d. -trI-ss for thc -ectlou OF utm-
! bers OF the IeEI-iature are constituted as .
I folioWzs bno has 500 ponulat on one %
I detaclzi ..oa-cor,rf-s f-srlorl- -e.tToD- bay,
been united 60 IKE a legislative d strict
I Thee methods have already found eff ct We
! appir alton % the choice OF sen 1tor5 nud rep
] has be n made iu ths direction OF applying /
them 10 the choice by tha 50 ttos Of electors I
] OF president ant vire president II ghis is
I ucoo % np'- 10 "a We sh hih lhen ave thr-e
/ great dep frtmants Of the govern mCut iu gus
| Era-p OF the Eerryrnander, tine legislative
ana rue executive directly and the judiciary
! indirectly through the power OF appoint
! An election Imp'J"s "a body OF electors hav-
/ ing prescribed qualihl utious e rch one OF
! whom has an equal value and Tguucncs in
/ determining ne result So when the cons &
/ tuition provides that each state shall
/ appoint tslect) in such mGuucc
the g stature thereof may direct
! number OF electors" etc an IN
restricted power was nos given 60 the lCEis-
latures iH the sele tIou OF ia .thois 90 be
used A republican form og governments IS
l guaranteed - the CouaJitutiol 60 each state,
| and the power given by The same instru-
I mcut 20 the legislatures OF tue states 90 pre-
| scribe msthods for the choice by th- state.
| OF electors must be exercised under that
! Limitation Iho essential features OF such
government are the right OF the people to
choose theIr own officers and the nearest
| practicn3lC equality Of value iu the sunrageE
given In determining that choice
It will not be claimed that che power given
20 20 INC 4eB Bia'at-fe "ouil support law pro
est vote should be the electors Of a law that
AL electors should be chosen 10y the voters
OF single co gress tonai district. am
under the prcteuse of regulating methods
! the Legislature can neither vest the
| right OF cho ce elsewhere nor adopt
methods not conformabIc 60 republic IN
institutions lt is not my purpose here
choice by the legislature or 10y the
voters OF equal sinziu districts ts
! a choice by tho stat, but only 20 recon-
mend such regulation og this matter by CON
Z stitutiouni amendment viii secure uni
I f0rmItv and prev mt that dIsRracefuI par
I tisan iugElery 60 which such "a lib -rsy OF
/ choice, IL it exists, offers a tcm ptatiou.
! Nothing Just now Is more Important chan 10
/ provide every guaranty Tor thu absolutely
| yTIthI1 tlIe ros7,rrti,s s,rs5 f II ti d, a. fI41
/ OF the national government whether that
! suffrage is applied directly iu the
choice of members of tAe house of rep
| OF senators and electors of president Re-
! spect for pnbl-c officers anu obcdien 20 TO
/ law will nos ccuse TO be the charactcrIstIcs
q our people until our el"ctlons cease to
I declare the vii OF mnJoriUies fairly usCer-
tanned, without fraud, suppression or gerry
ianhaer' IT were ca leo upon 90 declare
. | WuerC.n our chief national danger lies I
Z
throw "E majority control by thc suppress
sion or pervcrsiou Of the popular suffrage.
That there Is "a real dau-er here all must
agree. nus ine energies OF those who sea it
have been chlenT expended Ia trying TO nix
resp 2n1ioiity upon the opposite party,
impossible by either party
: | Is it not possible now 90 udjourn that In
terminabIe aud IucOncluslvo debate uhI @
! We take by consent one step In the dirso-
| tiou OF reform by eliminating the g-rrvman-
% de. which aas been IenotIuctI Nv an r5artfgz
ION Of eli
. ! president and members Of cougressg
I AL the states have. acting fre Iy and sep
! | ar.tzIy, determined shat thu choice OF elect
% | ors by general ticket Is tho wIscst
70 | and safest method, uuI it wouId seem
q | there coul b. no obi -ction TO a coustitu-
5 tonA "lhsH4 h'tt IlaNlhs tAat method
. ! permanent II a legislature chosen in one
Z / year up n purely local questions should.
g pending presi ientit. contest, meet rs
4 | scind the law for choice upon a general
Z ors by the lcsislatures ana thls trick should
/. / determine enc result, it IS not too muc1 TO
p say that the public peace might be seriously
| and Idoly endangered
= have alluded 20 the "gcrrymuuderH' as
n an citing the method OF SOLICITING electors oi
d p esidsnt by congregational districts, hut the
:. / n fmarv intent and effect OF this form 1i
] political robbery % I'VE relation 60 the srIrc-
tiun OF mcubers of the house Of reDrescr1.
tativ-s- The power Of co rgFsss ls ample "a
N ! deal with THE threatening aud iu1oIernb bIr
+. / abuse The unfsiifuu tcst ~ srurrritI i7
b. / elect on reform will ba found IN a willing
II ness to confer as TO remedies and 20 puJ inty
IS / force such IA Husures as vii! most cusctu IIIy
I
n ! "a al approximation
.- | An attempt was made Iu last onrrezs tr
l. / bring 60 bear the constitutional % psvcr c
the general governments Tor she correctio
n | OF frauds az D ust the suffrage It is fmu0r-
Ia tant 20 know whether The opDosit on t. sucI
b. | measuFe' l7 nc NY vested ln p"rucula
s. featur supposed to be Objectionable or u
10 cIudes any prop 1-ition 20 give 70 the cles-
L. tion laws OF the United states adequacy ts
is | the correction OF ErIve and HcsuoUIruEc.
is evils must yet entertain the hop that O.
20 is TogSIhie 20 secure calm. patriotic con
~ sideratIou OF such constitutional or statu
tory chang as mav be noe sssarF TO secUr,
e. the choice OF tle onIsers OF tJe goveruulcnl
h to the people by fair a1portio Imeat au.
le IbeIicve IL would be. possible TO constitute
iE a commizsiOu. non partisan in its member
IT, ship AMI composed OF patriotic wise ant
iy impart aI men, 60 whom U con 'derat on o.
Be the question of the evils connected W th Gu
be / elect on system and methods might DO com
c. / mitrea with "a good prospect Of securing uu
ne anlIntty On some p aA @ LoE removing or Wil
D gntiu those 'E4-. A"e constitution ""ul
a I permit tue selection OF the Commiss |on O.
&c be vested lu the supreme court 90 that met o
al would give tEs best guaranty OF impartial
ThIs commission should be charged Wit
the duty Of looking into thl subj -ct OF Ga
| law OF a. -ctlHns ns related 90 tue choice G
as omeers OF the national government with
lr viCw 90 securing TO every clectgr a free an
- | unmoIcstcd exercise OF the suffraps AM d
near an approach - an equality OF value
erch ballot cast as Is rt' ainubie-
e While she policies OF the gene % govern
- ment upon the tariff upon the restnra-io
- OF our merchant marine upon sue rlvo- an
% ! harbor tmpFuvcm nts ana o-her such mIl
~ ters OF grave and general concern are liub
~ 1 TO be turned tHis way OF that by ths result
--s ! OF con rrgEsioual elections and admin t5tE.
ii- tive policies, ~Ometimea Involving issue
~ ! that tend TO peace or war 10 be turned tA
~ | way that b. the results OF a pres
pc ] Dental election. there Be- q ghtful intere
~ / n all ths states and iu every cougr=-7iou
e1 district that ~ go not be deceived OF silence
~. | By the uuIaclous pretenHs shat rAe questic
LI Z Of any body cf legal voters lu any state or
5te any congress ion q district 20 give their su
~ ! graEes freely upon these general questions
by -, f--j y, a - r,,ffTt-orz Of zufrsg
-ar -t-rr - T---,,.-T - 49, Tsv nd orly there
he ! 49,, .1.1,-,T an 7,~, see man ! ouEd r
zty 80 ~ ---ist IL NJ -.v,-eal Ia and ma
eI / .rf,-,-,- s, 10 f,- a 1o1rgIsotfor tbst sbr
En- sE------f --Trt, .-rs4or r11U..ezn and n
his s - tlr ri-ll- r f-1-gles -rl,l il-1r71 =
OF L-y. not Ey preiu lice ald cruelty"
- To the .consluerat on Of these very graz
- I questions invite not only she attention
.S' ! congress, but that OF all patriotic citizen
- ! We must NOT entertain the DEUS that %
= ! naa1-. l--o ea..al % r.Z-ll q l-ea BAN