The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-11
GOVERNMENT BY GERRYMANDER.

prescribing uniformity in the method OF
choosing presidential electors, will COM
mand the assent of all the thoughtful and
patriotic men of both parties.
The action of the Michigan legislature
in passing law providing for the choice
of presidential electors by districts
twelve of them by districts corresponding
to the congressional districts, and the
other two by districts dividing the state
on a north and south line is return to
an antiquated method for transient party
advantage which has not been resorted to
since 1882. After the election of 1882
there remained but single state, South
Carolina, that had not adopted the method
of choosing presidential electors on gen.
eral ticket. South Carolina continued to
choose Its electors by vote of
the legislature until 1885, when she
adopted the general ticket method,
SO that since the presidential election OF
Grant in 1868, when Florida for once chose
her electors by the legislature all the
states have voted for their electors on a
general ticket save Colorado in 1876. Since
the second election of Jackson in 1882 no
state has chosen its electors by congress
sional districts after the method recently
enacted by the Michigan Democratic legis-
lature.
There is NJ present no constitutional OBJ
stacle to the legislature of state exer-
cising the most arbitrary power as to the
manner of dividing the state into districts.
he ~ he.
electors; it may order two chosen by
the voters Of the state on general ticket,
and the rest by the voters of the various
congressional districts, or it may consti-
tute entirely new districts specifically for
the choice of presidential electors, and SO
arrange the matter that no single elector
shall be appointed by the state at large.
Ali Of these systems were adopted by
different states. In Maryland, from 1904 to
1923 inclusive, electors were chosen by dis
tricts. Maryland was then entitled to
eleven electors. and the state was divided
into nine districts for the selection of these
eleven electors, seven of these districts
choosing one elector each and the other
two two electors each. By her act of 1881,
which applied to the election of 1882, the
state of Maryland was divided into four
districts. The first, composed Of all the
counties of the Western Shore except Balti-
more and Hartford, was to choose four
electors; Baltimore city formed the Sec
ond district. and chose two electors; Balti-
more county was the third, and chose-two
electors; Hartford county and the Eastern
Shore formed the fourth district, and
chose three electors. This was Maryland's
last experience with the district system,
and in 1888 the legislature passed an act
which, after reciting that sin most of the
states the electors were chosen on general
ticket, and that in consequence of the dis.
trict system in Maryland its votes in the
electoral college were divided, and, as a
result, the majority of the people of Mary
land were not as potential as those of
other states in the choice of president"
abolished the district system and adopted
the general ticket, which has since pre-.
vailed.
As late as 1923 New York and Maine in
the North and Maryland and Tennessee
among the slave states chung to the sys-
tenn of choosing electors by districts, with
the result of divided vote, except for
Tennessee's unanimity for her "favorite
son." New York choosing 20 Jackson
electors and 16 for Adams, Maine Jack
son and s Adams, and Maryland Jack
son and Adams. In the election of 1882
Maryland chose 8 Jackson electors and
nf
been divided between the candidates in
seven presidential elections preceding that
of 1882. These presidents make it clear
that the action of the Michigan legislature
does not lack historical standing or con-
stitutional warrant, and it is because the
abuse complained of is entrenched within
the law and the constitution that
President Harrison urges upon con-
gress 10 apply constitutional remedy.
There is no justice in the Michigan
Democratic law introducing the district
system in o single state for the avowed
purpose of securing temporary partisan
advantage, but it is 4 practical injustice
that has been wrought within the consti-
tuition and law, for the constitution pro-
vides that each state shall appoint its
presidential electors sin such manner as
the legislature thereof may direct" which
allows the legislature to prescribe the
mode in which the electors should be
chosen. whether it should be by the peo-
pie at large or in districts, or by the iegis-
lature itself"
In 1890 Michigan elected a governor and
a majority in both branches of the legisla-
ture. This legislature divided. according
to the census of $780, the state of Michigan
into twelve congressional districts. and by
means of a gerrymander gave the DEM
ocracy positive advantage in those dis
tricts. Each state has in the electoral
college vote equal to its representation
in congress, both senator's and representa-
tiyes. In order to complete the quota OF
fourteen electoral votes allowed to the
state Of Michigan it was necessary TO halye
the state into what might be termed sena-
torial-electoTal districts. If the Republic
ans should carry Michigan by 1900 to
1900 in 1892, they would probably not
get more than half the electoral vote;
they cannot possibly carry more than
eight of the congressional districts.
Had the Democrats carried Ohio and
Iowa in November last they would I'M
doubtedly have proceeded 10 Michigan
ize" both those states. Indeed, bill TO
change the mode of electing presidential
electors from general ticket to congress
sional districts was introduced in the last