River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-03-24
The Decision not a Partisan One
Three Democrats and Two Re-
publicans Concur in the
Opinion IF the
Court.

Three Democrats and Two Re-
publicans Concur in the
Opinion Of the
Court.
Early in this century a politician
named Elbridge Gerry contrived the
plan of so arranging the apportion-
ment of his state as to give a majority
of his party in the legislature by an
unfair apportionment in the legisla-
tive districts. \ wit OF that time
published a picture in which an ex-
ceedingly crooked district was map.
ped out and by the addition of a few
telling lines was made to represent a
fowl of hiGeous proportions. The
name given to this picture was "A
| Gerrymander" The wit was so keen
aud at the same time SO pat to the
question that the name of Gerry has
come down to posterity linked with
the disgrace of this political crime
which has thus received the name of
Gerrymanderlng.
The last legislature of this state at.
tempted to follow in the steps of this
illustrious leader and il making the
apportionment utterly disregarded the
correct principles which should gov
ern this important duty but in their
desire TO perpetuate themselves and
friends divided counties, alloting to
some far larger representation than
to others and in many ways, with
corrupt zeal, di regarded the honest
pricniples of appoftionment.
So great "a wrong aroused the heart
of the patriots of the state and an ac.
ton was brought in form which al
lowed the Supreme Court TO pass upon
the question.
The decision was handed down Tues
day and the question ably discussed
with the result that the act of the
legislature making the apportionment
is declared unconstitutional and hence
null and void.
Everyone who has the interest of
his state at heart must rejoice in this
decision. The fact that the Supreme
Court is at present constituted of only
two Republicans while there are three
Democrats adds materially to the
weight OF the opinions of the judges.
evincing, as it does, that the question
is not partisan or political one but
that it effects the most important of
our national rights, the one for which
our fathers fought and which, more
than any other, has been the corner
stone of our republic, viz, the right
of representation.
BY this iniquitous bill one county
has three members of the Assembly
while another, equally as large, has
but one, the reason being that the
first one could send three Democrats
while the other was hopelessly Repub-
lican in principles.
Arbitrary lines were drawn by
which counties were divided and as.
sembly districts constituted out of
these fractions.
The practical result of the decision
of the Court is that county lines must
be respected in making apportion
ments. That assembly and senator
ial districts must be each as nearly
equal as practicable. That counties
may be divided into two or more as
sembly districts where the popula-
tion is sufficiently large, but that
town cannot be taken arbitrarily from
a county and annexed to another
county for the purpose of constituting
an assembly district.
1t is a great credit to large number
of the Democrats of the state that
they accept the decision as sound and
right and that they rejoice with the
Republicans that the beginning of
better day seems at hand in the pro.
gress of right representation. The
result of the decision will be probably
the calling of special session of the
legislature at which it is to be hoped
a fairer spirit will prevail and that
the assembly and senatorial districts
will be so constituted as to give at
least fairly equal representation to
the voters of the state.
Great credit is due to Senator
Spooner for his noble and arduous
work in preparing the case for trial
and in making the argument before
the Court.
While the necessity for some rem
edy was evident from the first, many
doubted the jurisdiction of the Su.
preme Court in the matter thinking it
solely "A question for the Legislature
only and that while great wrong had
been done that there was no remedy.
bat the Senator was convinced that he
was right and the result proves that
he was correct in his opinion.
The importance of the questions in
volyed will make this a leading case
and it will doubtless prove a check to
the selfish acts of INSCRIPTIONS poll
ticians of whatever party that may
make such selfish and unjust attempts
to overthrow popular rights in the fu-
ture.
If John Bull really wishes a fight
as bad as the English tory news
papers say he does he has only to
tread on the tail of Uncle Sans
coat. which is purposelv trailing. to