The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-05-14
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rHE NEGRO v6rE Br BuLLpozna
METHODS, SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS
eKKRr,fASDER sEvKRAn STATS IN
AN OUTRAGEOUS MANNER.
Ii the South Il would appear that
Wholesale gerrymandering in the interest
Of the Democratic party was made en-
tirely unnecessary by other effective, II
more dangerous and reprehensible, meth
DDS. But even In the bnlldozed States
we find suggestive instances of dishonest
Democratic gerrymanders.
Tho First Congressional District OF
Arkansas travetses the entire State from
north to south along the Mississippi
River, distance Of fully $50 miles. In
the north the district broadens out into
q rounded, homogeneous mass, but at
southern end il narrows down into
very attenuated line indeed, tho two
southern counties only cornering upon
the body Of district. The Second Dis
trict Is apparently constructed on tho hit
or-miss principle from counties greatly
scattered, without much regard to con-
tiguity, and with none whatever to COM
pactness. The others are not models by
any means.
A great deal has been said about the
celebrated ssshocstringn district Of Mis-
sissippi, but lis peculiarities are not
greater than some other Congressional
districts at the South. For instance,
the recently. constructed Eighth Dis
trict in western North Carolina is in
shape much like a half-moon, and forms,
in fact, nearly complete circle in tho
very midst of the State. CASTOR and
Cleveland Counties, at the southern
point barely connect by corner with
the balance or body OF the district, and
Forsyth, the northeastern point, also
only corners on to the body. In
circle the district IL fully 800 miles
around from point to point, and yet
these extreme points are not over seveny.
five miles apart as the crow flies, and
within the circle thus formed Is the
main body Of another and different
Congressional district. It Is the most
absurdly constructed political aggrega-
ton in the country, because, whereas
there is an evident effort on tho part OF
its architects to observe the unities
somewhat by including contagious terri
tory, as a matter Of fact that principle u
almost entirely ignored. Some Of the
other districts in North Carolina are
very 'tcrooked, /" but the Eighth In this
particular holds tho belt.
1t is safe to assert without danger Of
contradiction that Alabama, as whole,
is the worst and mos. Enthusiastically gerry
wandered State in the Union. A single
glance at the map Of its Congressional
districts will convince anybody that the
man who invented Alabama's gerry
mander, If he is not in the insane asylum,
should be honored by the Democratic
party with life scat in Congress. He
who evolved this job Of dishonest politi-
cal legerdemain could unravel the Alex.
andrian puzzle. He is by long odds
bigger man than Elbridge Gerry. a
shoestring could not possibly be 80 man
ipulated as to indicate in the yaguest
manner the shape Of some Of these dis
tricts. The devil fish would probably
furnish the best illustration. Like that
monster'slong tentacles, the districts run
in all directions, with narrow connections
here and unexpected and unaccountable
engagements there, altogether presenting
result totally unexplainable to an out
slider from any reasonable standpoint OF
politics, personal or otherwise.
The South Carolina Democrats, pre-
sumably In their horror Of negro domina-
ton, have distinguished themselves in
most singular manner by being the only
State to construct Congressional dis
trict to include territory nearly isolated
and not even cornering upon the districts
to which it belongs, as in the Arkansas,
Alabama and North Carolina examples.
In order to make up the Seventh District
In manner satisfactory to the Demo-
cratic party and its aspiring politicians,
the South Carolina Legislature divided
no less than four different counties in
twain, assigning part to different dis
tricts, finally adding county-Bcaufort
which is entirely separated from it By
another Congressional district. This
variation did not require so much laying
awake-o'nights ingenuity as was SEEM
ingly required in the Alabama gerry
mander, but it Is nevertheless entitled to
attention as a peculiar innovation upon
the old methods of the Jeffersonian
Gerry, who at least made pretense at
the observance Of decency in order to
preserve his own self-respect, il not to
keep his party in countenance, when en-
gagged upon jobs Of this character.
There are other marked eccentricities, in
this South Carolina juggle, but the fore
going fully indicates the scope and plan
Of the gerrymander, as well as its OBJ
jects.'
1t is not necessary to allude to Louisi-
ana, Mississippi and other States, in
which the fine Italian hand Of the gerry
mander swindler is visible. A pretty
general understanding prevails as to
what has been accomplished by it in
those States. The foregoing are a
suficiency of citations to condemn the
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