New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-08
THE CONGRESSIONAL GEERRMAyDER.


THE CONGRESSIONAL GERRfM1NDER.
Embodencd and hardened by their success
in stealing the State Senate, the Democratic
bosses who control the Legislature are now
nushjng measure which has for its object
the preparation of another gross outrage upon
the people This measure is a Migrant gerry
mander of the Congressional districts. rs
originally introduced it was bad enough but
il has been revised and amended into so pal
pable a mockcry of justice that even such thor
ough- going Democrats as Senator's Brown and
Walker decline TO tolerate II. The rcappor-
tionmcnt as it passed the Senate on Tuesday
is to be regarded simply as the most unscrupu-
lous OF political jobs. The machinc-ndden
politicians who drafted il evidently vert about
their task intent upon swndng Republican
electors whenever an opportunity presented 1t
self. and intent also upon increasing the po-
litical power and influence Of the city districts
in utter disregard of the welfare Of the coun-
try districts This fraud i only less hcinous
than the one which placed Osborne, Nichols
and Walker-all Of whom had been defeated at
the polls-in the Senate.
In the course Of the debate preceding the
passage of the bill Senator SaNtOn pointed ont
that the twenty one Democratic districts for
which it provided would have an average pop
ulation Of III 600 while the remaining thr-
teen Republican districts would have popula-
ton of $4,000. This discrepancy was not
accidental 1t was carefully prcmcditatcd, the
design being to give the Democratic party an
advantage in the Congressional elections g.
which it is not entitled The tnck,tcrS who
-. .l,.I e.
put rs many electors as possible in the Rcpub
lean districts and few a possible in the
Democratic districts and tho dishonesty of
their purpose is revealed by the conrasted
figures to which Senator SaXton has called at
| tcntion. One Of the most palpably unjust of
the specific features Of the bill is the rcappor-
tionmcnt of the Kings County districts. Sen
ator Asphalt is authority for the statement
| that under this new apportionmcnt not a singh"
| brooklyn district can be carried by the Repub-
| licans In other words, here is gcrrymandcr
so thorough going as practically 10 provide Tor
| the disfranchiScmcnt of many thousand Re
publicanS Of Brooklyn, 50 far as representation
| in Congress is concerned. Nevertheless, there
| is small occasion for amazcmcnt. The bosses
arc treating rcapportionmcnt as they might
| have been expected 10 treat il. Scoundrcls
who are equal to stealing seats in the State
Senate will not hesitate to steal seats in Con
gress They care nothing for the rights of
the people They care everything for the
furhcrancc of partsanshp which ministers to
| their own selfish greed.
1t is not quite certain, however, that this
gerrymandcr and the other ono affecting the
| Senate districts will finally pass and go to the
| Governor in the shape dccrccd by the bosses.
| The revolt which broke out in the Senate on
| Wednesday is likely to spread to the Assembly.
| The Albany correspondent Of 1.-THE Buffalo
Courier (Dem) in a recent letter says:
The Introduction Of the Congressional Apporionment
bill has excited good deal Of talk among the members
Of the Legislature not only about that bill, but also
concerning the Legislative ApportlOnment BILL one fact
Is noticeable in this discussion, and that Is that the
members Of the Legislature not disposed 10 swallow
at once any measure which may be presented. They
have reserved to Themselves powers Of criticism
and all Of their powers Of legislation regarding those
measures. Whenever there is local criticism Of
measure as In the OF the proposed arrangement
OF the Congrcslona district, Of Erie and Niagara coun
tics IL Is plain this criticism may lead to some mod
hcaon Of the measures.
The correspondent adds that while criticism
of the Congressional Appointment bill has been
Niagara districts there promises to be a rain
of criticism when the Legislative Appointment
bill is introduced" Proceeding to Details he
states-after promising that "local pride will
interfere with party feeng'-that members OF
the Legislature representing Erie, Monroe Nj
agara, Steuben and Cattaraugus may be counted
upon to oppose any and all bills which fail to
do those counties full justice. II has been rs
sumcd in the discussions Of the Legislative bill
that Ncw-York would have 80 Assembly
men and Kings County 10 under The new APP
portionment :" But the Assemblymcn from the
remainder of the State" the correspondent re-
ports, are not willing thus to give everything
to the New-York and Brooklyn Assemblymcn
and the latter will be compelled to abate some
OF their extravagant claims"
Blood is thicker than water, and local pride
once fully aroused is stronger than pride OF party