Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-05
No GERRYMANpER.

When Elbrldge Gerry conceived
the Idea OF ~ arranging communities
In voting districts AZ to give the great.
est possible benefits to the party doing
1t while preserving tho scmblance OF
fairness aud equal representation, he
little thought he was creating n legacy
for posteri,y down perhaps to tho end
VI time. There ia some excuse TO be
found for him, In that the country
then had but Just emerged from Brit.
lsh control and the parties were more
nearly American and anita mexican
than they have since been, and II was
necessary Mt times, perhaps, to make
secure by strategy what hal been
gained by the force OF arms and the
shedding OF b GOD.
IL IL altogether different now-has
been different for century nearly.
Yet tho seed planLsd by Gerry aud
which grew up aud served lie purpose,
had acquired an existence and, like
the Canadian thistle, 1t was able
thereafter TO grow aud spread without
assistance. II now pervades every de.
par menl Of our political System, high
aud low. III Is only necessary that n
party have supr mo contr In rny
state or part thereof 10 set 1t at w,rA
gerrymandering TO perpeluate Its
power, whether the people want
II or not. To this end,
districts, divisions and precincts
are sometimes thrown together In the
most irregular, inconvenicnt ami
grotesquo feshion-some OF them 70.
sembling, when mapped, a whiplash,
others river bottom after the subsl-
dence OF froshet, others still calf
pasture with numerous outlets, and
few II any possessing the symmetry
aud compactness which the founders
contemplated, and which ought to be
required by the charter itself. II IL
everything for the party OF the first
part, every consideration for the state
or community being secondary and
incidental.
This kind Of thing has become 80
nearly the rule that tho people have
almost entirely ceased to oppose II,
although ita plain and unmistAkable
tendency i'iIo.circumyent II no, to com
pleiely bhille the popular viii In places.
But the recognition which tue sys-
tenn has obtained does not mako 1t one
whit the less mlschiovjus or vicious.
This Is particularly 40 In cities or
crowded commemorative where every.
body Is In touch to ONE extent with
everybody else aad whore something
like comfy and business principles
should prevail, 1t isa bad citizen that
tries to accomplish the unjustifled die.
comiilure OF a neighbor or to take
mean advantage OF him, and In a city,
while we may properly enough coniilc
Us parlisaus, there Is no call for the
party holding the rolns to seek to oh.
liieIate the representation OF those VINO
worked aud voted agaius. It.
The NEWS does not charge our City
Council with the social crime Of sup.
pressing representation Ia this munici.
paiity or,with the intention Uf doing 80,
because there Ia no evidence except
what is circumstan,ial to that effect.
We do say, however, that the record 80
lar made by the solOns is far from as
Surfing; that there has been too much OF
u tendency 10 do things on strict par.
tlssn basis; that there Is agreat array
Of prtcodents which they could point
to In support OF such proceeding;
and that with oil these takon into con.
alteration anu tho opportunity which
they have OF doing the thing men.
TONED and at the same time taking
shelter behind the presently unequal
and Irregular population OF the pre-
ciuctH, II would not be- altogether n
careltss charge II made. SIN, 80 per.
fer to believe that no such thing will
te attempted.