New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-16
THE WISCONSIN GERRYMANDER.

EX-SENATOR SOONER ARGUES BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT rs UNCON'TGTUrlONNHTN
Nllwaukcc Wis, Feb 15.-Thc greatest political
outrage ever committed In Wisconsin was the gerry
Wandering OF the state last winter by the Democratic
Legislature. II bold In H. violation OF u"
constitution and ruthless In Its invasion oi tne
poltlcal rights Of the people that attempt IS being
made T. aside the appointments and the matter Is
now before the supreme Court the arguments having
bccn made on Tuesday and Wednesday last EN sen
ator John C. SpOOncr appeared OF counsel for me p"u
tioner,. II l. doubtful II more powerful searching
md profound constitutional argument las ever been
heard I'm the supreme Court Of Wisconsin. II fnlly
sustained the hgh reputation 81 that learned advocate
and gave renewed evidence OF his right - the tle OF
one Of the ahcst constitutional lawyers in the country
He quoted the word, ~ t' great charter oi the peo
ME-, rights the ordinance OF 1871, which declares
The Inhabitants of the said Territory shall always be
entitled 10 the benefit, of the writ Of nbcas corpus
and OF n trial hy jury. OF proport onae represents"
lion Of the people in the legislature aud Of Judicial
ur,ccodnc, according 10 the course OF the common
law
There are some illustration, Of the reckless violation
NJ the constitution in The DcmOcrtc gerry Wandering
pointed ont by Colonel >pooncr that are worth repro
ducing. The unit of Representations ~ the Assembly
d.trlc, T. rs SIS and Of the senate district, 51l17
The lXth senatorial District was made. with Il" the
crook, and turn, possible. 1903 miles long, with popn
laon Of 81 49, while the district adjoining 1t has less
hv 10000 The XXIId senate District ha, $500
Inhabitants which l. l. 900 les than the NlNth. Tile
Lacrosse district IN, population OF 377ol' hu' ah
adjoining district has J-;I3 and still another as
,rt contains ~ Sol Here In Milwaukee. The dlHcr
encc between the dlsict is fully u marked that be
,wecn District and District XXI being 3''2I, ana
between the XXNIlh and MILD being 3O.-dI. Ia
the Assembly districts The p.Op1ruomtc representa-
tlon i'm the Lcgislaure1 claus" In the orinahcc oi
17s7 f., ,translcd "a, violently. in III" senate as
trcts in some Democratic districts htle over oooo
population being sufficient for Democratic WcHOcr'
hut I'm the Republican districts from II 900 To --oVo
| are REQUIRED 10 elect Il member Of the Assembly, IL
va, with great cmpha,l, and force that OK senator
snooer called attention the fact that In the case
before the supreme Court the question now Is whether
the covenant promised 10 the people in the charter oil
their political Hbcrc, can be biohen ana ol''"oi'u
without redress
The supreme Court will probably hama DOWN al
| opnion some time thl, month as to whether IL has
Jurisdiction of ~. case In the meantime puO.c IN
inrc.t /, Widening and deepening regarding t" 9utJ
TOR with The po-.ihr exception Of the stealing o thc
LEGISLATURE of New York by the Democrats u.e' I,'
b,eu mo- ppiticnl crime committed ~ Inc Nortl Ho'r
| hcnrtr~s motive or more Oulii-''"N III ~ "
frcts on personal rights than the Drhn'i'u' sclN
| mandcr OF I-9l In this stare anu ~
-, mon ,. H. u,.terpcrn Of logic aud argument, VI
silmlly arranged and supported pl ~ W ,no
cccd In securing an Opi ion which eh; ''oir 10 li'
pcouln I'M, rights they have lost by llcHl Dllsl"N
hc will have done tie people OF tue WHO" country Il"
| ippe im1l1 e Iep