Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-01-23
Speaking of Gerrymanders.
Milwaukee Sentinel.

other day, Boss Wall said the APP
portlonment of 1887 was more
Objectionable than the Democratic
gerrymander. Such talk is CUFF.
We don't know exactly what CUFF
is, but we know CUFF is a good word
for that kind of talk.
Objectionable or not, it was in
the power of the Democrats TO pre-
vent the passage of the Apportion-
ment bill of 1887 A legislator
VINO does not vote against an objec-
tlonable bill when his vote would
Kill 1t, is just as much responsible
Tor 1t as those who vote for its pass
age. In the assembly there were
30 Republican votes for the bill;
there were 5 Republican and 2
independent votes against it; there
were "a Democratic votes in the
assembly ana these, with the seven
Republican and Independent votes
against it, would have defeated the
bill by three majority.
The fact is that nobody felt any
great interest in the measure. There
were 80 members of the assembly
and IL senators who did not take
the trouble to vote-nearly a third
of all taking no interest in it.
There has always to be a motive
for crime such as a gerrymander-
the Republicans could have no mo-
tive. In the election of 1884 they
carried AZ counties and the Demo.
Gratis 10; in 1886 they carried As
counties and the Democrats 10. By
any reasonable apportionment the
Republicans were certain of major
ity enough in both houses-why
should they gerrymander? The fact
that there was no motive, and that
the Democrats could have defeated
the apportionment if they had
wanted to, is against the suggestion,
made for the first time five years
after the apportionment, that it was
very Objectionable
AS to the Democratic gerryman-
der-now see here! In 1883 the
Republicans carried 50 of the IS
counties by net majority of 21,32l.
These So counties have three-fourths
of the population of the state. The
Democratic counties, with one fourth
of the total population of the state,
are punched in the eastern part.
The average majority in the Re
publican counties was $50 and in
the Democratic counties l,OlS.
Isn't it plain that only an atrocious
gerrymander could so apportion the
state as to give the Republicans less
than three-fourths of the senators
and assemblymen? Under the ger.
rymander the Democrats have Is
of the SO senatorial districts with
another made doubtful; they have
Al of the 100 assembly districts
with others made doubtful. That
is to say, on the basis of the election
of 1888, when the Republicans had
1881 majority, and when the Re
publicans carried SO of the IS coun-
ties, the gerrymander gives to the
Republicans II of the 33 senatorial
districts and 81 of the 100 assembly
districts. But more than that, by
changes in the numbering of the
senatorial districts majority of the
hold-over senators are Democratic.
II the Republicans should carry the
state by $4,000 majority at the next
ele ction, they could not control the
legislature, owing to the gerryman-
der. If the Republicans should
carry So of the IS counties by an
average majority Of 700 for each
county, they would not be able to
control the Legislature or to elect
United States senator The Demo
Gratis, carrying only Is counties
having only about fourth of the
population of the state, would have
control of the senate.
How has this marvel been effected?
Look at the Milwaukee county
assembly districts. The county
population was 236,lOl and there