The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-08-19
ANOTHER LARCENY.
HOW 1T WAS PLANNED AND
DEFEATED AT LANSING.
A Fair Re-Apportionment Secured by the
Republicans In spite of the Democratic
Isosses--Michigan Saved from Another
Disgraceful Gerrymander.

lnad tne SudUe Oh mlcnlRdn mas Deen
saved from the disgrace of another par
tisan gerrymander is to be credited to
the Republican party.
1t became evident before the legisla-
ture convened that the Democrats were
preparing to GO to any lengths to pass
"a partisan measure, in open defiance of
the principles of fair apportionment
laid down by the Supreme Court. The
state organ of the Democratic party
the Detroit Free Press-published
labored editorials to prepare its party
for an endorsement of another attempt
to steal the legislature. For several
days prior to the meeting of the legis-
lature that organ teemed with denun-
Citations of the Supreme Court opinions
in the gerrymander cases as an unwar-
rantable interference with Legislative
discretion" 1t maintained that legis-
lative districts could not be formed
without doing violence to justice, and
it framed an elaborate scheme for the
evasion of the Supreme Court opinions
and the preparation of another gerry
mander. 1t openly defended the vi
cious practice, which is so dangerous to
the very existence of our free institu-
tions.
The Democratic State Central Com
mittee had prepared two bills for
enactment, fully as outrageous in their
character as the acts of 1891, which the
Supreme Court declared unlawful.
That committee made no secret of it's
intention to force those bills through
the legislature. Secretary Hosford
openly declared at Lansing: 'We are
not here for pleasure, but to pass bills
in our own interests, and by - we're
going to pass them" He declared also
that they would rush them through be-
fore Saturday night and go home. 1t
was also known to be a part of the
scheme to prepare for election and act
under such laws, although not ordered
to take immediate effect. The Demo-
Gratis, in other words, stood ready
to rush through a partisan gerry
mander and then perfect their plans to
steal the state, under laws not yet in
force, as they had not votes enough in
either house to give the bills immediate
effect.
Republicans also had reason to be-
ieve, even before the legislature con-
vened, that Governor Winans had pre-
pared a grossly partisan message, which
was intended as an encouragement to
Democratic schemes to saddle "squaw-
buck" dominion upon the people of
Michigan, and the message justified
their fears. His message was defense
of the gerrymander and a sheer at the
Supreme Court. Like the Free Press,
he virtually told the Supreme Court
that it had meddled with something
that was none of its business. Witness
this offensive sentence: THAT you are
again compelled to legislate upon this
important matter seems due to your
having followed the presidents set by
former Legislatures, and to your having
accepted the theory that the
legislature is an independent CO.
ordinate branch of the state. gov
eminent, whose province is to de-
termine the political divisions of the
commonwealth" Everything betok-
ened an attempt to override constitu-
ton, law and justice in the interest of
another Democratic partisan apportion-
ment.
Well knowing that bills could not
be lawfully passed as soon as the Demo-
Gratis boldly asserted they would pass
them, unless Republicans consented to
suspend the rules or the Democrats
grossly violated them as they did in
1891, the Republican members of the
Senate put themselves on guard to de-
fend the state against any more Demo-
cratic outrages. Warned by their ex-
periences of 1891, they stood on the
watch for treachery.
What was the first Democratic move?
1t was an attempt to do away with the
rules of the Senate that stood in the
way of Boss Hosford's plans. The
scheme was sprung upon the Republic
cans without word of warning. Not
having a two-thirds majority to sus-
pend the rules, the Democrats assumed
that the Senate had no rules and then
proposed to adopt those of 1891, except
one that interfered with their plans.
This fragrant and shameless PROPOSE
ton unmasked the Democracy. The
partisan rulings of Lieut.-Gov. Strong,
made to carry out the scheme, were but
a confirmation of the Republican sus-
picions. The battle against Democratic
usurpation was waged until almost
midnight, when the Democratic major
ity, aided by partisan and unjust rul-
ings from Lieut.-Gov. Strong, prevailed
against law and precedent. A rule
which could be abolished or suspended
only by two-thirds vote was set aside
by bare majority.
The Democrats accused the Republic
cans Of filibustering and wasting time,
but itwas well for the State of Michi-
gan that the Republicans took manly
stand against so gross a violation of
law and practice. Never before in the
history of the state was a legislative
day more profitably spent for the peo-
pie. Republican opposition was the
rock upon which the Democratic gerry
mander was wrecked. The struggle
over the rules revealed the fact that,
while the Democrats had majority of
the Senators voting, they had not the
constitutional majority requisite to
pass bill. They then gave up the
fight for gerrymander and listened TO
Republican propositions for fair APP
portionment. Thus it is that the state
was saved by Republican frmness from
another gerrymander. The people will
appreciate this fact and give a signifi-
cant token of their appreciation next