The record-union., 1892-08-22
THE PASSING OF THE GERRY
WANDER.

In Puritan Massachusetts, eighty years
ago, Governor Gerry ''maundered" (as
the word then'was for tramping around
in a sort of unlawful and begging mis-
sion) in the matter of new political
divisions and made it possible to elect
Legislature by minority of the voters,
and out of this came the most striking
phrase in American political slang. In
quaint old sketch of Gerry it is related
chat ''he was of great service to his
party" which is about as neat a bit of
biography as was the Vermont minister's
remark at the funeral of a swindling
banker that she was probably the best
De out of place to note further that more
recent Investigations pretty fully prove
That Mr.. Gerry had nothing personally
20 do with the measure that bears his
name, and that the bright Harvard
student who pushed himself to the Vice
Presidency was an excellent pattern of
ONANA ehhN NPSh POAASASoA bRAIS1s
But whatever its paternity, the gerry
mander is going, after having been for
many years the browning curse and
shame of American politics. Nor is it
hardly worth ones while to try and
hold any person or party responsible for
It. It has been an evolution whose fruits
hoor1 crofhnpa6 NV %ha
husbandmen who had the audacity to
pluck them. It is not likely
that for years any creation of political di-
visions by any party has been entirely
fair and it is because of the enormity of
its abuse that its now threatened expos
IRE and destruction will be made SO sure
and thorough. It has often happened
shat party has suffered so long through
the injustice and even the tyranny and
terrorism of the one in power that it has
lost hope and spirit, and for years hpsed
into shameful slavishness. But it has
more often come about that the minority.
after getting its turn at the apportioning
only TO do equal if not greater injustice.
This has gone on until fairness and COM
mon regard for the right of representation
has not for years been a recognized and
saving principle and policy in party poll
tics. Nor would mere protests ever have
broken down the accursed practice; nor.
indaod fNrn Isolated Al
separated cases of investigation and the
invoking of the judicial power at long
intervals. But the people have been
touched at so many points at once and at
time when the party harness is so loose
upon them that wholesome discussion
and movement have arisen not to be de-
feated or long stayed.
That a State Legislature may not be
elected according to the wishes of the
people. or to represent the whole people.
or made to depend very much on pop
ular majority, has become nearly as IA
miliar to the country as the old farce of
the ''Shoestring DISTRICT in Mississippi.
Nor has it seemed to shock the moral sense
of the politicians. Indeed, it is ONLY
because so vast interests became involved
at one time, and the issue raised in so
many States that the gerrymander is now
getting the attention which its infamous
scoundrelism has always deserved.
Very little credit will come to any
political party for this awakening. Gov
ernor HIPS sin and his party's sin in re-
districting New York was not wholly be-
cause of original depravity, but, rather,
8 desperate overreaching of themselves
in their attempt to square long-stand-
ing account; and much the same can be
urged in the case of Ohio, Connecticut
and Michigan. But what pity that the
courts could not long ago have been asked
to correct grossly unfair and corrupt
partisanship. There never has been
any other way out of the accursed BUSH
ness, for no party has yet arisen that has
had the rare courage of moderation, much
less of the high purpose, to do simple