New-York tribune., 1894-10-31

wholly unjust and unfair between the different
political divisions of the State.
In the Senate the rural Republican districts
represented hy senator Lexow and Senator Sax
ton showed in the election Of 1893 n total vote
respectively Of ilOo5 and Il l,7GS, while the XIGth
District of Ncw-York CITY. Democratic. repre-
scnted by the Hon. Timothy H. Sullivan showed
a total vote &C onl! lt.lS9. and in the rural Re-
publican XXIlId District represented by Sena-
tor Coggeshall H259 votes were cast. In the
rural Republican XNIst District represented by
Senator Kilburn. the total vote was 1919: that
district was carved out SO a. 10 embrace 229 600
resident citizens scattered through six great
counties while Senator Sullivan's district con-
tanned only IO5 900 resident citizens And this
though Washington County might have been
taken of from the %NIst District and added to
the XVIIIth District. Democratic-made up OF
Columbia and Rensselaer, counties to suit Sen
ator Murphy. Of Troy-by which arrangement
both districts would still have been above the
ratio. which was 10000. while now the Repub
can district is far above the ratio and the Demo
cratic far below So much for the Senate.
HOW MONROE WAS CHEATED.
And two instances in the Assembly must suf-
fee. Republican Monroe County. with 10000
resident citizens. had only three Asscmblymen,
while Albany County. Democratic with $4,000
resident citizens. o. 1900 loss. had four Assem-
blymen. Republican St Lawrence, with SO619
resident citizens. had but one member. while
Dutchess County as if to reward it's citizens
for the theft Of its representation In the Senate
with only 10 geo inhabitants. had two members
These gross and unjust inequalities were dclib-
eratey planned and there has never been any
decent attempt to defend or explain them And
yet Senator Hill now cries out against The ap-
any departure whatever from strict and ex-
act equal enumeration Of population is blow
at universal suffrage, a denial of the Democratic
principle of government. discrcdtable i'm
peachment of the principle Of majority rule.
The convention has. think. justly and neces
sarily decided t. undo tns great wrong, not by
committing another in ne other direction. but
by wiping these inequalities, by restoring es-
sentia fairness and equality to each and all
parts or divisions OF the State. based substantially
on numbers. but not lo7ing sight Of tha, slight
measure Of territorial representation Of political
divisions which has always IN every homes, ap-
portionment of this and other states OF the
Union been regarded sacred. We believed II
to be the true rule without counting the eNaci
number of Democrats or Republicans. or Popu-
lists or Prohibitionsta. or Labor men or Suf-
fragists. in this. that or the other county, u
divide the State into districts with regard as
nearly as may be to equality IN numbers. so as
o secure To each section OF IN" state us ldH
voice its fair shar. in the ldW-inaklnE power.
OF course the great wrong. the great GRIM" ~
1892 could not be undone ana any JUST app"r-
tiOnment made without dcpriNng the democrats
of The unfair advantage the stolen fruit which
they had obtained and were in possession OF by
means Of that crime. And that Is Just what is
the matter with Senator 1ill and those VINO
echo and repeat mis- clamor about this proposed
apportonment being partisan. He thought NJ
had got things fixed SO as to secure always
Democratic Legislature in both branches. his
own recollection in 1897. that of his confederate
Murphy in lS99 and the perpetual passage ~
laws in the interest Of Tammany Han with
whose continued prosperity his political career
must necessarily be identified. He little i'm
agine1 however, how ne was sowing the wind
to reap the whrlwnd; how the Illicit means
which he took TO effect his scheme would set The
Bar Association his track and that Of his
instrument, Maynard; bring down upon him the
condemnation Of the courts Of justice. rouse the
honest Democrats Of Brooklyn, Buffalo and New
York into open rebellion, defeat his tool May
nard by 1900 majority, send his henchman Nc
Kane to state P.tsor call into existence the
Iexow INVESTIGATE 9 Committee. create the new
Committee Of Seventy and array all honest Dem
ocrats except Frederic Il. Coudert and Z. Ei"ry
Anderson into combination Tor the overthrow
of him and all his schemes
REASONS FOR LARGER LEGISLATURE.
Having thus entered upon the necessary work
Of new apportionment. the Convention de-
cided in the first place TO Increase the num-
bers of the Senate and Assembly by making
latter 100 insteed OF 12S. thus providing
for an increase OF eighteen Senators and of
twenty-five Assembymen. only two objections
have been made 20 this increase OF numbers.
The first came from an advocate Of the present
system Of Legislative manipulation. lie objected
that the increase Of numbers would make the
Legislature too unwiedy. everybody knows
what that means-it could not be manipulated
SO readily in partisan or local interests. Instead
Of regarding this as an objection. the Convcn-
tion deemed II 10 be momontous advantage
to the people; and believing that II would be
for the public interest - have a Legislature
at last which could be neither corrupted nor
manipulated by any boss or committee Of either
party, or any combination Of bosses or com
mittees Of both parties. they oyerruied the OBJ
lection. It was believed that In former Lcgis-
Iatures the Senate consisting Of thirty-two,
was sometimes controlled by a union Of one or
two leading members OF both parties for th"
purpose OF corrupt legislation This grievance
would be reduced, If not completely removed.
by the proposed increase Of numbers. The other
objection was az to the expense of the add'-
tional number Of Senators and Assemblymen
which would be. at the present rate OF pay
ment Of 81 800 $50 900 year. but this seemed
TO the Convention an uncomfortable item. in
view Of the great advantages to be gained by
the people Of the state by the increase" and
considering the very rapid Increase Of IN" rev
enues Of the State by the modes Of taxation re
Gently put in operation. ana also III we" oi
the vast growth OF the State in population ana
wealth since the present numbers wer" adopted
Let me state briefly the reasons for the IN
crease Of numbers. The old numbers both or
Senate and Assembly, ard 1S had become
inadequate 10 secure or permit a falr DIVISION
Of the legislative power among the counties
of the state The number of thirty-two Sen
ators. constituting. as Is believed. IN" smallest
legislative body in the Union, was adopted IN
1901 when the population Of the state was only
600 900: II has now grown to G,oOO,OOO In inc
mean time the growth Of the cities in popua-
tion had naturally absorbed proportional"
! I..L.. .l.. - .i.... .,...L 4 .