New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-13
THE CONGRESSIONAL GERRYMANDER.

THE TRIBUNE has already directed attention
| to the bill roapportioning the Congressional
districts of this State which is now pending in
the Legislature. We have shown that it was
fragrant outrage upon the electors; that II
practically provided for the diSfranchlsement
of thousands of our citizens that 1t was draft
ed primarily with the aim of increasing the
political power and prestige of the city dis
tricts at the expense of the country districts
that it made the Republican districts as large
as possible, thus giving the Democracy dis
honest advantage We have shown, in word,
that this Reapportionment bill is an outrageous
gerrymander, matching in the violence which
it does to justice and fair play the crime which
made the Senate Democratic by the THEFT OF
the seats belonging to three of the districts.
We return this morning to the consideration
of this rascally reapportonment JOHN some
respects the most abominable one OF the session
with view to emphasizing its indefenslble
character by means of maps showing the shape,
extent and significance Of the gerrymandered
districts. These maps are explained and re-
inforced by letter from our Albany CORE
spondent touching the general features OF the
bill as whole and by articles in relation to
so much of the gerrymander as affects this
city and Kings County. If there are any
among orr readers who are still laborlng under
the impression that the measure in question
has been unjustly attacked, that 1t is not as
bad as has been reported, we earnestly invite
them to study what we now submit In regard
TO it, 1t cannot endure this test. 10 examine
it carefully is to dscredit it wholly. To OK
press it bluntly it is naked steal-the men
capable of backing it are to be rated as no
better than ballot box suffers repeaters,
since their purpose is to swindle lawful voters,
to deprive them of the inallenable reht OF
representation. Take single example. The
Republicans of Kings County at the last cleo
ton cast A per cent of the entire vote 1or
Governor, nevertheless the districts 1or
Kings are so arranged in the pending reap
portionment that the Republicans cannot cx-
pect to carry any of them. II this is not a
monstrous piece of injustice what is 1t? Nor
does it stand by itself. The bill aboundS with
them. The maps by themselves convict the
bosses who drafted the scheme of deliberate
intention of swindling 1t is impossible for
one in his senses to believe that districts III
New York and Kings and in the interior would
have been carved into such grotcsque shapes
if the carycrs had beer honest men. OF course
they were not honest men-they were the same
maefactors who stole the Senate seats
Well this gerrymander may pass the As
sembly on Thursday. 1t certainly will il
Croker, Murphy, Mclaughlin and the rest of
the nefarious gang which is now manipulating
the Democracy has its way But it is barely
possible that it may occur to some lcvcl-hcaded
Democratic members representing rural dis
tricts that it would be fiat treason to their own
counties to support a measure which is really
deadly blow at the political prosperity of the
country. 1.-THE Bnghamton Republican"-it-
self representing large rural constituency
addresses these members admonlton which
they may well lay to heart. 1.-The Republican
says:
DO the six Democratic Senators and thirty seven
Democratic Assembymen from the country represent
their Democratic constituents when they vote To give
the slums OF NewYorlS and Brooklyn far greater rep
resentatlon in Congress than the farmers and villagers
| have? What do the Democratic buttcrmakcrs Of the
country think Of gerrymandcrng the control Of Con
cress into the hands OF the city ocOmargarinc dealers
| and consumers1
| II IS abont time for the Democratic constituencies
In the state 10 take their representatives In Albany
By the ears, and talk TO them earnestly. There is no
| time to lose The Democrats I'm the country should
think Of something besides the count OF party In
| Congress. They cannot afford TO throw rep
resentatlon Of their industries and home interests.
| This is cogcnt and to the point. The coun-
| try member who votes for the gerrymandci
votes with his eyes open against tho welfare OF
| his own section. That proposition is as plain
as MONDAY. If it passes it will be proclaimed
as a tremendous victory Of the city bosses and
their followers over the hayseeds 1t will be
all that and more-it will be a victory of ram
pant rascality over popular representation il
New-York Every legislator who has an hon
est hair in his head ought to oppose it by al
| honorable means.