New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-07
THE GERRYNiNDER BLOCKED.


In the present intense condition OF politics
at Albany we have no hesitation IN saying
that the act of Senators Brown and Walker III
voting with the Republican members OF the
Senate to recall Hills scandalouS gcrryman-
der bill was one Of the most courageous per
formanccs of duty that have challenged public
admiration in many a day For 1t was both
confession and atOncmcnt. Ii not only ac-
knowlcdgcd error but il made amends, and 1t
was done in open defiance of the Democratic
bosses and with the red eyes Of Hills chief
officer glaring malice at them. That they have
had to stand heavy discharges of cNccia'lon
not only from Shcehan and Cantor. but from
such superior Democrats A. McClcand ana
Parker. whose loud professions of morality are
beginning To become little wcariSomc we can
well imagine. But, if they know ii, and We
dare say they do they will have the honor and
applaIIsc of every fair-minded man in the state,
and. happily the r-minded men are in the
majority in both parties.
Tuesday nights gcrrymandcr was m utterly
Infamous proceeding. a. knaySh in mode aS in
essence The Democrats had brought in Re
apportionmcnt bill three weeks ago, which.
while highly unjust, was probably a fair aS
could be reasonably expected from Demo
cratic Legislature. 1t was gross imposition
on the Republican minority of Kings County
10 which. with 10000 votes was allowed not
a single one Of the county's five Congressman.
It's worst feature, however consisted in con-
stitutng III 900 as the divlSOr for Democratic
communities and $4,000 or more As the di-
visor for Republican communities. In this way
it gave at least four Congressman 10 the De
mocracy 10 which they had no shadow of right
However and while fully approaching this
PARTISAN injustice, the Republicans, il the truth
were confessed, were rather surprised at getting
off 50 easily They expected from the shame
less trckstcrs in power at Albany much
mcancr result And Tuesday night proceed
ing, prove that their original fears were we'll
grounded.
1t never was the intention Of the lllll-Tam-
many gang 10 pass the bill they first brought
in. What they intended was to get false
reputation for something like fairness, and
then. aS Senator O'ConnOr so APPLY put II. 10
make the Republicans choose between giving
them a certificate of good character or the
passage of rcapportionmcnt utterly and
completely dishonest. This scheme was pre-
cipitatcd by Hills arrival in Albany. 1t has
been the inyariablc history Of every particular
~ dirty measure enacted by this Legislature
that its passage was preceded by the sudden
sWOOping down Of Hill. Tuesday afternoon, he
! occupied the Governors room in the Capitol
! for three hours, and then and there the job
was arranged The boundaries Of six districts
were changed, creating a crrymandcr rs in
dcfcnSiblc Us ever partisan ingenuity invented.
V.aS nbs ~ fn mi an
and when Cantor, as Hills mouthpiccc, arose
| to make his first amendment not even the
members of his own party knew what he pro-
posed to do. His first attack was made on the
district Of which st. Lawrence, the county
! represented in the senate by Mr.. Erwin, the
! Republican leader, was part. Both cunning
and malice were shown III this proceeding.
| Mr. Erwin, not understanding how far he was
! being made the victim of smart conspiracy
pleaded for Justice, and offered to vote for
the original bill if the lines of his district were
restored This was what Cantor was waiting
for Well knowing that the Republicans Il
body would not 60 with MIR. Erwin on that
matter, he offered To accept the proposition if
the Republican leader would guarantee that
the bill would be supported by his colleagues.
As he knew and desired, no such guarantee
could be given, and then he proceeded to force
through all the changes Hill had directed The
shame of this business was not fully perceived
By Senators Brown and Walker until after the
session adjourned, and their manly retraction
was the simple operation of conscience and a
sense of political honor. 1t is presumed that
they will carry their work to its Legitimate
end and. at the very least will compel the
passage of the original bill. Sheehans impu-
dent threat, delivered with barefaced effrontery
directly from the chair that the " resolution
TO recall required the concurrence of the As
sembly, which would never be given" would
lead to his impeachment if there were an hon
orable majority at Albany. The character of
the Assembly majority is proved by the fact
that it verified Shechans prediction and re-
fused to permit the bill to be recalled. The
duty Of the Senate is clear. 1t should be firm