The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-09
The Projected City Gerrymander.

Inc PROJECTED City Gerrynlander.
The commissioners appointed by
Mayor Wanser to divide the city in
to wards are about as unfavorable to
the Democratic side as they we'll
could be. The three republicans who
constitute the majority are all prac-
tical politicians, we'll versed in all the
tricks and devices of pa%rtisanship.
They know exactly how to divide up
the city into wards and precincts so
as to break the influence of the Demo-
cratic leaders and workers and make
the Democratic vote of as little value
as possible. "oe'sslss q '
On the other hand, of the two
Democratic commissioners one is a
mere insignificant mite, and the
other, while a gentleman OF ability
and high standing, has no familiarity
with work of this kind. In a word,
Mr.. Grouse is not a practical poll
tician, and, though eminently fitted
for many public offices, has not the
equipment or experience to do his
party the best service in this matter.
Mayor Wanser, by his Republican ap-
pointments, showed that he thought
this work most suitable to practical
politicians; it is "a pity that he did
not carry out the idea by appointing
such a democrat as Michael j. O'Don-
nell as Mr.. Crouse's partner.
But why blame the Mayor? The
villainy of this whole business rests
with the last Legislature. which dele
gated to partisan officials its own
powers under a system which could
not fail and was not intended to fail
to give the Republican party complete
control of the local elective boards in
spite of all natural preponderance of
the Democratic vote.
The wards that are to be made in
this city are already laid out. The
Republican County Committee leaders
have done the work in secret session
at the Union League Club. All the
Commission is tt do is formally ratify
it. The city is to be divided into nine
wards. Seven of these have been
made SURF Republican, two sure
Democratic. This is a great scheme
OF fair play. In the Cieveland-Har-
rison election, the vote for Cleveland
was is. 403 to 10, 044 for Harrison, or in
other words the Democracy polled
six-elevenths or considerably more
than half of all the votes. In the
Wanser-McDermott election, the
Democracy polled II, S52 out of a total
of 27,243 votes, or Iour-ninths or
very nearly one-half. In the
Simpson-Allen campaign, the Demo
cratic vote was 10, 72G against
Simpsons II, 221 or seven-iifteenths or
very nearly one-half of all the votes.
Thus we find the Democracy varies
from something over to something be-
low one-half of the vote of the city.
It is never far from the half. Yet all
the party which now has the whip
hand can give US is two out of sever
districts. Shame on such gross par
tisanslIip, How different is this FROM
the action of the Democracy when in
power. A couple of years G a
Democratic majority in the board re-
arranged the Aldermanic districts.
Republicans roared gerrymander. and
the Infamous SANDER was showed back
in their threats by the fact that ever
since they have elected and held a
majority of the board.
In lifelong run, the repacity of the.
Republican party will do it no good.
The people are getting very tired of
its style Of politicalAvirtne.
IT is understood that President
Cleveland has declined to consider
Picnic Joe Haynes, ex-Mayor of the
Newark water ring, as an available
candidate for Collector of Internal
Revenue. There is some satisfaction
in knowing that this monstrous old
rascal is not to be rewarded for his
erookedne SIS.
The Herald on Jersey Cityss Tax Levy.
This appeared on the New Jersey
page of yesterdays Herald;
OF course! Up go the ratabics of Jersey City
again. They are screwed up to "A higher notch every
cash at the disposal of the crew OF Office holders
1,noars - ia fha rustom in Jersey City for the