The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-01-02
DESIGNS OF THE DEMOCRATS.
Their Real Motive In Opposing the APP
portionment Bill.

It seems to be generally agreed that
the Democrats in Congress will exhaust
every means in their power to prevent
the passage of any apportionment bill
next winter, but the real motive of this
opposition does not seem to be general
ly understood. The object is not to get
a new count, but to put off until the
Fifty-third Congress new apportion-
ment. The demand for a recount of
New York City is only a pretext and
excuse for putting off apportionment
until after the next Presidential cleo
ton. And that is sure to be the out
come if the Fifty-frst Congress fails to
perfect legislation on that subject.
The reason for this policy is not far
to seek. The main increase of popula-
ton was in States which usually give
Republican matorities, and have never
failed to return Republican Presidential
electors. The Northwest is growing
more rapidly than any other section of
the country. Such being the case, an
apportionment under each new census
is Republican gain. If Congress and
the President were Democratic and set
about making an apportionment in the
interest of the Democratic party it could
not be done. 1t would be an absolute
impossibility to figure out any basis of
representation which would seriously
cut down the Republican gain. To pre-
vent any apportionment would be the
only way to accomplish much in the
way of Democratic advantage.
It can not be stated with any pre-
cision how many electors are at stake
in this latest game of the Democracy,
but in a general way it may be said that
the number would about equal the
number from the States admitted since
the election of 1883. There is no other
way in which the Democrats in the
present Congress could do their party so
much service as by preventing an ap-
portionment until after 1892, especially
if they could throw enough dust in the
eyes of the people to blind the public to
the real motive underlying the hue and
cry about the census. As usual, the
enemy has allies in the Republican
press. The same newspapers which by
the advocacy of free-trade fallacies sow
Democratic seed in fallow ground have
thus far stood in with the opposition in
preparing the way for carrying out this
no-apportionment policy, and they will
probably keep it right up to the end of
the fight. When all is over they will
get their eyes open, but for all prac-
teal purposes they can be counted on to
be in alliance with the Democracy.
If the Republicans in Congress have
the same level Medicines in the short
session which they displayed in the long
session they will take good care to head
off this game. The details of the bill are
not important Whether the ratio of
representation be this or that does not
matter much in the general average.
No attempt should be made to specially
minimize the representation of the
Democracy. That would be alike silly
and unjust. Leave no room for any
plausible excuse for fighting the bill.
Compel the Democrats to show their
hand or abandon their policy. 1t is
hardly too much to say that, barring
cyclones" the decisive battle of the
next Presidential campaign is likely to
be fought in Congress next winter
Chicago Inter Ocean.