The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-11
THE CITY ~GERRYMANDER
WARD BOUNDARIES MADE BY DEM
OCRATs ARE MOST UNFAIR.
enough Votes Are Crowded in the
Second for Two Legal Wards
Democratic Wards short.

There is to be a meeting of the elections
committee of the Coun Thursday night
to consider the ~gerrymander ordinances in
troduced last week. Messrs. Dudley, Golfer
and Payne constitute the committee. 1t is
supposed that the majority, Chairman Dud-
ley and Mr.. Golfer, will recommend that
the Council pass the two ordinances defin-
ing the ward and precinct boundries with
out modification, in spite of the fact that
1t is about the most Ubiquitous and out
rageous ~gerrymander ever perpetrated on
the city. The Republicans were not on
suited while it was being drafted. 1t has
been impossible to learn who was the real
author of the ordinance. Democrats of the
Council pretend to be densely ignorant
when questioned. 1t is pretty well under
stood that Mayor Taggart, City Attorney
Curtis, Sterling r. Holt and others who
are, or have been, in the ring" had a
hand in the ordinance, although this is de-
MED in some quarters. Be the authorship
as it may Republicans in and out of the
Council who have given it any thought find
it to be as unfair as the worst gerrymander
ever knocked out by the Supreme Court
of this State.
A few instances will serve to show the
general character of the ordinance. Accord
ing to official returns there should be about
$500 voters in each of the fifteen new
wards, including Brightwood, Haughville,
Mount Jackson. West indianapolis and
other territory taken in by the recent an
nexation. John r. Allen represents the
present Second ward. His ward is already
large and lacked but little of having the
requisite number of voters without any adj
ditions. 1t is so increased that 1t has about
1880 votes, almost enough for two wards.
Mr.. Allen went over the new ordinance
with County Chairman A. A. Young.
They found that the Eighth, Dun
can Dewar's ward, had been considerably
strengthened from a Democratic stand
point. Mr.. Dewar looked after his own
fences. He took three whole precincts from
the eastern side of George w. Skaters
ward the Seventh - and tackled them
to his own, after discarding a doubtful
STRIP, extending along the south side of
Washington street. The three precincts
taken from the Seventh are strongly Demo-
cratic and by getting rid of the doubtful
region near the railroad shops Mr.. Dewar
hopes to carry the ward again this fall.
inc doubtful strip was made safely Demo-
cratic by being put with a South Side ward.
OF course-have not been materially in
creased. In one case there is only a diff
ference of one precinct. The tendency has
been to crowd largely populated sections
into the North Side Republican wards. Mr..
Young says that there are cases where
the Republican plurality in the North Side
wards is almost equal to the entire vote
of some of the South Side wards. In no
case have they been increased to anything
like the legal proportions they ought to
the city.
Republican members of the Council, or at
least three or four who have expressed any
ideas on the subject, do not seem inclined
to prepare another ordinance and introduce
it as a substitute on a minority report. 1t
is a very troublesome undertaking, es-
pecially when it is a foregone conclusion
that it would be ignored by the Democrats.
There will be protests in Council but it
is not at all probable that they will be re-
garded. There is no particular hurry for
passing the ordinance but some Of the
Democratic councilmen want to see it dis
posed of so that they will know where they
stand in order to begin laying their plans
for the coming campaign.