New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-21
THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
DELEGATES TO THE CONVENTION TO RE-
WISE 1T TO BE ELECTED IN FEBRUARY. :
PROBABILITY OF DEMOCRATIC PREPoNpERANCE
IN THE CONVENTION, AS A RESULT OF
THE GERRYMANDER SUGGESTED
CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION

THE GERRYMANDER - SUGGESTED
CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBuys,
Albany, Nov. 2O.-Ihe voters of New-York State
were called upon only a fortnight ago TO make
their choice Of a President of the United States,
and already the proclamation has been issued for
another Sta'e election OF great importance. 1t Is
an election at which delegates will be chosen to a
convention to revise the Constitution of the State
And the election will take place early in February
on the second Tuesday Of that month"; according to
act Of the Legislature of this year. The con-
venton is TO meet in Albany on the second Tues
day Of May.
The special State election at such an early date
makes it imperative upon the leaders of the vari.
Gus Republican county organizations to maintain
in operation the machinery which they have
created for political work in the matter Of the
Presidency. II would seem also that the Repub-
can State Committee has in the election returns Of
November a good mirror to the efficiency or
inefiicency Of the sixty Republican county COM
mtees. Certainly the methods of work Of some
of the committees better than those of others,
and brought out larger proportion Of the Repub-
lican vote Take Clinton County, for instance.
What was the fault in the management which
lost the Republican party an Assemblyman in that
362 votes: when Mr.. Harrison had a plurality Of
,j47 votes in that county in 1888? Then there
is Ulster County. In 1883 it gave Mr.. Harrison
plurality Of 33S votes. This year it gave Mr..
Cleveland a plurality of 3js votes.
The fact must he recognized by the Republican
leaders that the Democratic party arranged the
election Of members Of the Constitutional Con-
ventOn in such a manner as 10 assure almost
beyond doubt a Democratic majority IN the con-
vention That is done, OF course, with the aim
of having proposed amendments TO the Consti-
tuition which may be adopted by the Constitu-
tional Convention written to benefit tho
Democratic party if adopted by the people Ono
can predict in advance that Democratic Con-
sttutional Convention will increase the repre-
scntation in the legislature Of the Democratic
cities and deprive the Republican rural counties
Of their representation in the same body
The Constitutional Convention is to have l6s
members One hundred and twenty-eght Of these
delegates are 10 be elected from the l2s Assembly
districts, one from each district Thirty-two are
to be elected at large There is provision sub
stantially for the division of these deegates-at-
large between the Republican and Democratic
parties, since it is provided that no voter shall
vote for than sixteen dcegatesat-large.
The act further says: In addition TO the dele
there shall be appointed by the Governor eight
persons who shall be members of the convention
and who shall have all the rights and privileges
accorded therein TO other members of the con-
ventOn. Three of the persons whose appoint
ment is herein authorized shall be representatives
of the Prohibition party, and five shall be repre-
scntatives Of labor organizations.
The Democratic leaders believe that they 50
gerrymandered the legislative districts that they
will win eighty of the l2s Assembly districts at
the February election. Democratic candidates for
the Assembly were elected in seventy-four dis
tricts on November s. The gerrymander of the
Assembly districts by the Democratic Board Of
Aldermen of Ne,v-Yorll is startlingly shown by the
fact that. although 9S,i05 voters cast Republican
ballots. they do not have single man to rep.
resent them in the Assembly. Every one of the
thirty Assemblymen from that city is Demo-
crat 1t is true that 1882 voters in New
York City cast Democratic ballots; but certainly
one-third Of the voters of the metropolis even
if they are Republicans, should have some rep
rceentation in the Legislature. Erie County also
was gerrymandeTed By Democratic Board Of
Supervisors, 50 that although the county gave
Grover Cleveland Il plurality of only twenty-slx
votes the county will be represented In the
Assembly by five Democrats and only one Re
publican. The 32,59s Democrats who voted
for Cleveland in Erie County will thus have in
the Assembly five times the representation pos
sessed By the 32,572 Republicans who voted for
Harrison although stated. Mr.. Cleveland re-
ceivcd only twenty-sN more votes than were
cast for President Harrison,
Ii the coming Constitutional Convention repre-
scnts the people OF this state with haeiity. II
will deprive the various Boards Of County Super
vsors OF this power 10 gerrymander the Assembly
districts. But it must he acknowledged that one
cannot hope that a Democratic Constitutional
('n,,N- will adj
stitution depriving the Democratic Board oil Al
dcrmen of Ncw-York. the Board of Supervisors oI
Kss County or the board OF W ssrry y.
marder the Assembly Districts 10 create Assem-
bly, districts grotesqucy unequal In popuia-
tion. and to deprive Republican voters and tax-
payers Of the power OF representation In tue
Legislature. -
The selection of the thirty-two. delegates.at.
large 70 the Constitutional Convention renders II
Democratic parties should hold State conventions
in the month of January to make these nomi-
natiuns Some of the most eminent Republicans
and Democrats in the State will probably DO
at these State conventions Certainly
both of the great political parties VIII ieei als.
pf the important issues at stake In the Constf-
tutional Convention. The conventlon. II Is PC
licvcd, will revise the judicial system Oh 'ne
the sections of the Constitution referring to the
laws upon taxation and corporations Inc pro-
posal is also made 10 enlarge the Assembly so
that il will have 100 members.
One of the leading Democratic newspapers OF the
,ha n,s.aoe of an act compelling the farmers OF
the t Itate personally to register their for
election IL demands uniform personal regis
tration law" Doubtless this is another device
80 tba Democratic l,aders 10 reduce the Republi.
can vote when the members Of the constitutional
convention are elected in February, the rural
ncmocrats would not vote for such law in the
iost Tc"islaturc declaring that 1t would disfran-
rhise Democratic farmers. But now that Tam
many Hall and the Kings County Democrats haye
smch an increased representation in the Assembly,
thev will disregard this opposition Of the rural
members of their party.
ESCAPED FROM THE WYOMING COUNTY JAIL.
,v..au, v v Nov 30 (Spccal.-Jamcs Collins