The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-04-16
REPUBLICAN HYPOCRISY.

The republican press all over the
country has been making a large and
long drawn out howl over the Wisconsin
gerrymander. And when the supreme
court Of that state pronounced the gerry
mander illegal what a mass Of virtuous
Communications came forth from the
same angelic quarter On the other
hand how remarkably silent the republi-
cans have been regarding the Ohio gerry
mander. While the democratic press
showed its fairness In joining the repub-
licans in condemning the Wisconsin out
rage, such honesty cannot be found
amodg the hide bound organs of the G.
OPP. In their eyes the end always justi-
fies the means.
The Ohio gerrymander 10 a remarkable
one in some respects. Not only have
the Ohio republicans failed to take them
selves the lesson in the fate of the Wis
consin measure when brought before the
courts; but they have utterly ignored
the solemn pratings of the president on
the necessity of fairness in this
matter and the weak protest of
Governor Mckinley. The outrage
GUS character of the gerrymander
is shown by an inspection of the form of
the districts, some of which are. from a
geographical point of view, more gro
tesquc than anything yet attempted by
the democrats. The Twentieth district
rivals the famous "Shoe-string" district
in South Carolina SO, attenuated is it's
shape. The engineer who laid out the
boundaries of the Eleventh district was
evidently laboring under an immense
jag. There are more turns and twists
and goings in and out than the trail of
a fox when he is doing his best to lose"
a pack of hounds. 1t has an even fifty
corners. The Eighth district has been
hacked out for a boot last by some prim-
tive shoemaker with a dull axe. The
Seventh district resembles nothing in
the heavens or the earth nor the waters
under the earth. so fearfully and Won
derfully is it made. Its architect is
probably an escaped %lunatic. In fact,
when it comes to gerrymandering the
democrats have still a good deal to learn
from the republicans.
While it is by no means alleged that
the republicans OF Ohio have had a bet
ter example set them by the democrats,
still, IN view of the fact that the repub-
licans have always posed as lit
tie white-robed angels. claiming
pretty nearly a monopoly of the political
virtues and have contrasted themselves
with the rascally democrats, it would
have been becoming in them to have il
Illustrated their profession by their acts.
Under this republican gerrymander the
republicans will have u out of 81 con-
gressmen. The state has ordinarily a
republican plurality Of from 5000 to
10000 and the equitable division would
be II republicans to 10 democrats. 1t
does not appear, however, that either
President Harrison or Gov. Mckinley
are at all put out at the dis
regard of their wishes. nor has
any protest come from any republican
quarter because of the outrage thus per-
petrated by the party. Men who believe
in honesty and decency in politics were
pleased to see the democratic distortion
in Wisconsin knocked out. If it is more
respectable when perpetrated in the in
terest of the republican party in Ohio,
they will be unable to see it.