New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-29
THE APPORTIONMENT FRAUD.

TIE APPORTIONMENT FRAUD.
If political crimes were not almost always
political blunders, the world would be gov
erned by fraud far more than it is. The will
of the people would be set aside by dishonest
devices, power to defend their rights would be
permanently denied them by knavery too
strongly intrenched to be overthrow by legal
means, and force would presently become the
only hope Of liberty. But it is a blessed dis
pensation that rascality is self-defcating. lie
who looks back over the history of States will
be struck with the fact that few dishonest APP
pOrtOnmentS have lasted long. COntrivcd for
the purpose of robbng the majority of its right
full power, they almost invariably bring dis
astcr and ere long complete dc.eat TO those
who devise them Meant TO defy change, they
beget change.
Not infrequently it has happened that dis
honest apportionment has been beaten ut the
very next election. Indignation has turned
many honest voters from one party to the other.
Interests that need defence have been threat
ened by the false distribution of political power,
and have fought for self-protection against the
party exposing them to peril. The party
wronged has been spurrcd 10 extra excrtion.
So in Ohio the outrages Of the last Democratic
Legislature, which were intended to fortify that
party in the cities and in the Legislature be-
yond resistance, and 70 give more than three
quarters of the Congressman to a minority Of
the voters, have already brought an overthrow
so complete that the State is no longer conSd-
cred debatable. Democracy there has simply
destroyed itself.
1t would not be strange il the dishonest APP
portionment In New-York should bury the
Democratic party in this State also. II was
intended to make the Legislature Democratic
for all time TO come. No doubt it was con-
trived with great skill 10 strip tho country
voters of any chance 10 elect another Legs
lature that would be willing 10 right their
wrongs But il may turn against the Demo
Gratis so many thousand voters in the country
that the party will be unable 10 carry districts
supposed TO be fixed beyond doubt. Thirteen
counties have been deprived of fourteen repre-
sentatives in the Assembly. These counties
cast oil 900 votes at tho last Presidential cleo
ton. 125. 900 Republican and $4,000 Demo
cratic II would not be AT all strange if enough
Democrats in these few counties should revolt
to prevent the success Of that party in the
elect Republican Assemblymen. Democratic
managers calculated that Ncw-Yori and Brook
lyn with forty-eight members Albany with
four, Rensselaer, Westminster and Queens each
with three, and Richmond, Schoharie, Rockland
and Chemung each with one member, have
Democratic majoritics so large that victory in
these would with certainty secure sixty -fve
Democratic Asscmbymen. If Republican
should slip in here or there from districts in
these counties. the partisan apportonmcnt Of
districts in Erie and some other counties would
fitch from Republican majorites as many Dem
ocratic representatives.
One thing to consider is that the contrivers
of this fraud have done their utmost to turn
against the Democratic party the rural voters in
the counties upon which they rely. Farmers
and the owners Of homes in those counties do
not want the lawmalline power placed in the
hands of political bosses in few great cities
OF the 80 900 voters in Wcstchcstcr, the 7 900
in Rockland, the 10000 in Richmond. and the
"a, 900 in Queens, many thousand are in this
matter absolutely in sympathy with the hay
seed" representatives from rural counties. Not
half the 81 900 voters in Rensselaer, to
be found in Troy outside Albany City there
are about II, 900 in that county, and in Erie
there are 1G, 900 outside Buffalo. In the very
counties upon which Democrats count most
surely the rural voters may yet defeat their
hopes of carrying every district. There are
only eleven counties in the state that gave
Democratic plurality at the last Presidential
election, and only thirteen gave Democratic
plurality for Governor Hill. In several of these
the rural voters are quite able to turn the scale
against the party of Tammany, so that the loss
Of few districts in the cities would leave that
party without majority.
The political rascals have done their worst
to rob the people Of power in the Senate New
York and Brooklyn, with WcStchestcr. Putnam
and Richmond counties, which are expected 10
be ovcrpowered by city influence and votes. are
allowed fourteen Senators, and they cast for
President i72,0s7 votes Eric gets two and
Albany one, and these cast lO277G votes.
Thus only 574,sG3 votes will have seventeen
Senator's n clear majority while 1864 votes !
in all the rest of the State can elect only Gf- |
teen Senators. But the rural voters in West |
chester and Putnam might easily take the
XVIII District from Tammany, and the rural
voters in Erie and Albany counties might easily |
defeat Democratic candidates in those conn |
ties. To insure against loss the trickstcrs have
counted upon the Queens and Suffolk District
LOO Democratic and the Green Schoharic-
Sullivan-Ulster District, 900 Democratic ot
the Presidential election. But the rural voters
in those counties also might easily crush the
candidates of the city rings. Ii would not he
astonishing if the just Indignation of the peo-
pie, and the anxiety of rural voters to protect