New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-08
KINGS COUNTY REAPpORTroyMrS1

4 few weeks ago the Court Of Appeals
handed down a decision declaring the reap
portonmcnt Of Kings County into Assembly
districts as made last summer. unconstitutional
and void Accordingly the Supervisors Of
Kings are confronted with the duty of sub
>tituting constitutional rcapportionment in
place of the one which the court Of last resort
has set aside Now, the Supervisors would
have very little difficulty in performing this
task if they went about it intent only upon
making an equitable division But there is
reason To believe that. rs in the first instance,
the controlling Democratic majority will aim
10 hit upon division which will make aS many
If the eighteen districts a, possible Democratic.
OF course warned by the decision Of the court
they will not 90 to the shameful extreme Of
unfairncsS 10 which they went last summer in
making the first rcapporionmcnt Their aim
nevertheless will be 10 see how big a gerry
mandcr they can accomplish without infringing
upon the Constitution.
IT is understood that the Brooklyn bosses
from whom these Democratic Supervisors take
their orders favor n division which will give
the Republicans Ony three OF the eighteen
districts. "Thc Brooklyn Eagle" while con-
ccding that the county can he cOn>tl,uIonally
divided 50 rs not to do better by the Rcpub
cans cogcntly remarks for the benefit Of whom
it may concern: 1.-THE moral aspect Of the
subject should not be lost sight Of any more
than the legal and constitutional aspect. Con-
ccssonS to 10, 900 Republicans Of only three
members while 100, 900 Democrats took fifteen
members would be clearly in the nature of a
gIab.' 1t is not likely, however, that the
tl,..,. l..
cause it is shown 10 be grab. 4 grab is what
they are after, just as a grab was what the
Democratic Legislature Of last year was after
when it put through the gcrrymandcr which
made the rcapportionmcnt necessary. 1.-THE
Eagle is to be commended for the manly stand
which it takes in the interest Of fair play for
the voters Of Kings as a whole. But while
doing so il makes IA point which will hardly
bear examination. 1t speaks of "thc mani
fcstly unjust discrimination in the Constitution
in favor Of Republican locaiicS,' consequent
upon the provision giving to each county a
member irrespective of population. Now, there
is no politics in the Constitution, and if most
Of the counties which are entitled TO a single
member arc Republican that is only a mere in
cidcnt, for which the Constitution is not re-
sponsiblc Besides, there could not be "a we'll
balanced Legislature under any different ar
rangemcnt. As it is, NcwIOrk and BROOKLYN
between them have fory-cight ont of the I2s
members of the AsscmbIy-Ovcr onc-third Is
not this dSproportonatc number on any the
Ory of representation which has Il decent re-
gard for the rights Of all sections Of the State
If it is not desirable to give the control of
legislation absolutely to the great cities of the
State then the trainers of the Constitution
made no mistake in providing that no county,
barring Hamilton, should be without It's own
member.
That the Kings Supervisors will make a
better rcapportionment than the one which has
been judicially condemned is probable. They
could In Ally make a worse one. But in any
event they have unintcntonally rendered a
substantial service to the good cause Of gov
cInmcntal reform in Newly ork. For their pal
pably unfair action of last summer has called
cut decision which cannot but have a de-
terrcnt effect upon statesmen with taste for
gerrymandering for all time to come. Ii is to be
hored however, that the Constitutional Con-
vention will bring about the necessary reform.
1t can SO amend the organic law rs practically
to put it out OF the power of Legislatures or