New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-22
C1RRY THE APPORTIONMENT

David r. Hill and his partisans are vocfer-
ously ,lcnouncing the legislative apportionment
amendment proposed by the Constitutional Con
vcntion Their object is to stir mp Democratic
Marty feeling in opposition to it. with the idea
that a great many good citizens VINO wouiu
naturally favor the amendment will neglect to
vote at all on the question. In that case very
small minority might be able to defeat the ap-
por.onment. Mr. Hill and the whole Demo-
cratic party might be Overwhelmingly defeated.
and still the outrageous gerrymander which
they forced upon this State by means OF the
stolen Legislature of 1892 would Cypress the
people. How unjust the present apportionment
is our Albany correspondent points out today.
In the NIIth Senate District, Democratic
stronghold in this city. at the last election only
$3.50 votes were cast In the Republican
XXIst District 1919 votes were cast. and III
Senator Coggcshalrs district, the NNllld, HOP
voters went to the polls.
When Senator Hill charges that the proposed
apportionment is gcrrymander il might be
pertinent to ask him what there is about
gerrymander which he objects 10. for he is the
man who arranged the present plan. by which
seven Senate districts III NcwIork City have
S1473 voters less than seven districts in the
country. Such rctort is. however. not ncces
sary for the Republicans. They have a measure
which may be defended for It's absolute justice
and impartiality. No fairminded person can
examine its provisions and not be convinced
that it deals fairly with all parties ana all sec
tons OF the State Both the Senate ana AS
sembly districts are made up Of conveniently
arranged territory and not the slightest attempt
was made to favor the Republicans in the iii
vision The number Of people in the districts
is as nearly equal as il could possibly be under
any apportonment No inequality however
slight exists where any other arrangement OF
the counties would have rcmcdicd the trouble
Bv increasing the membership Of the LcgiSlat
ure the Convention was able TO benefit, not the
Republican counties. but the Democratic elites
for smaller proportion Of the members then
have to be assigned 10 small counties New
York and Brooklyn receive full justice. Instead
Of nine Senators the metropolis Is to nave
twelve. and instead Of thirty Assembymcn II
may elect thrty-five. Brooklyn's representation
in the Senate is raised from five to seven, and
in the Assembly from eighteen 10 twenty. And
this is done Notwithstanding the fact that these
cities now have representation largely in excess
of what with the present membership OF the
two houses tnclr pOpuldloH Woulu NdIl iVI.
The provision that New York cannot have
more than Onc-thrd Of the Legislature, or
Brooklyn and New-York together more than
onehalf excites opposition. but II Is not an I'M
reasonable restriction. Pennsylvania. Maryland,
Georgia. Missouri, Rhode Island and ONO have
similar laws. 1t must not be forgotten that In
a great State there is something 10 be consid-
cred besides population. The varied interests OF
the Empire State are greater than those OF any
one city in it. and 1t would not be well to give TO
a body of people in one corner Of the State
however numerous they may be, the absolute
power TO dominate its policy. New-York, how
ever is not likely 10 feel the effects of this re
striction. for a just apporionment now gives
il only about onc-fourth Of the Legislature. The
Convention has done nothing revolutionary. 1t
has followed the example Of all former consttu-
tional conventions. 1t has framed n just meas
ure, which gives fair representation to every
body and forever prevents all kinds Of gerry
mandcrS 1t is in tie interest Of every good
citizen that it be made part Of the States or
ganic law. Every Republican should vote and
work for it, Hill must not be allowed to keep
his gcrrymandcr on the statute books.