Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-08-10
war A eeaaYMANoea IS.


| a Word I4.as .a,nDatms u Fiatsachurett,
Politicians Name in History.
ElbIidge Gerry, a Massachusetts
politician Of the latter part of the
Eighteenth and the early part of the
present century, a signer of the
Declaration of Independence, was ac-
cused of having instigatcd the first
division of states into congressional
districts without regard to the nat
,lral order and conditions in order
that his party might meet with sue
cess. From his name certain dis
trict in Massachusetts, was called a
"Gerrymander."
Since then, whenever similar at
tempt has been made, it has been
known as 'gerrymandering." Wor-
cester's dictionary says it was so
named latter Elbridge Gerry, who,
as governor of Massachusetts, sane
toned this fraud A person ON look
ing at the map of portion of Massa-
chusetts rearranged for political pur-
poses remarked that it resembfed a
salamander Say rather a Gerry
mander,' rejoined a friend, who
stood near"
Continuing the definition it states
that it is.a term of American politics
meaning Ito rea1Tange electoral dis
tricts as of state or part of it SO as
to enable one political party to re-
turn a greater number of representa-
tives than it is fairly entitled to-"
In 1912, while he was governor of
Massachusetts, only few months
before he was elected vice president
of the United States, plan was
boldly put into execution for strength
ening his party, and the plan was
carried out. The "gerrymander'
was made up of the cities and towns
of Salisbury, Amesbury, Haverhill,
Methuen, Andover, Middleton, Lynn
field, Danvers, Chelsea, Lynn, Salem
and Marblehead. A contemporary
caricature of the artist of that time
was embellished with head,
tongue, q tail and claws. The toll
and tongue were, however, the only
parts that were not to he found on
the map.
Gerry, who was Democrat, found
things pretty warm in his own dis
trict He was governor by the skin
Of his teeth, elected on his third sue
cessive candidacy, having been de-
feated on the first two He was ac-
cused of taking this way of making
things open in case he wanted to be
returned to Congress, where he had
served four terms prior to his com
mission to accompany Pinckney and
Marshall on u mission to France and
his election as governor, Gerry died
shortly after this while riding in his
carriage in Washington.
That was eighty years ago and
since that time it has been learned
that Gerry really opposed the gerry
mander, but the name stuck, and
there have been other examples fol
lowing closely the orr ginal gerry
mander. Almost every state has
had the same experience in one way
or another. Sometimes it is not
congressional district, but merely a
county commissioners district or
state legislature gerrymander.
One of the most celebrated was the
famous Ohio gerrymander of congress
sional districts of 1890. Missouri is
one among numerous examples. Wis
consin has also been gepymandered
in one instance, that of the Twenty
eighth senatorial district, portions of
three counties being taken to make
up the district This is considered
one of the boldest gerrymanders ever
made from the fact that the legis-
lature in making it disregarded all
rules and customs so far as county
lines are concerned. Kansas City
Star.