The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-10

JLS UlllS VI uecu.
Redistricting Denison.
We do not wonder that at first sight |
the plan to divide thethird ward seemed
feasible to many. 1t is the largest |
ward in the city and has about twenty
more votes than does the first ward.
Upon closer scrutiny however it ap.
pears that the division of the ward as
proposed would be much more unfair
than is the present arrangement. Des-
pite the fact that certain men of the
ward politician" stripe have taken
this matter up with vigor, the REVIEW
hopes that the movement is not for the
purpose OF gaining partisan advantage.
At present the city council is evenly
divided and the probabilities are that
it would remain so unless at the coming
election, a republican was elected In
the third ward. By dividing the third
ward the east end would have repub.
l,can majority and the west end would
doubtless be democratic. This would
mean that the council would again be
tie and that'as the mayor would have
the deciding vote that the administers
ton would be entirely in democratic
hands.
Thus while we do not charge that
this is a partisan plan, we have dis
covered q, very possible motive. II
there is no politics in this question we
do not see how the members of the
council can for moment consider a
plan 80 manifestly unjust as the one
proposed. If the motive is, as it pur
ports to be, an honest effort to equalize
the representation, it Can be much bet
ter effected by taking from the large
ward and adding to the smaller than
by creating new ward with barely
one hundred voters and adding at least
go per year to the expense of the
city. 1t is the piling up of all these
little expenses which make our taxes
so high. 1t is the adding of $500 to cur
county expense and S75 to our city ex-
pense and so on through the list that
makes it such a luxury to own property
in our cities and towns.
1t is true that the third ward paws q
majority of the taxes, this is SO because
the business portion is largely in that
ward and tie merchant may live in any
other part q town but the taxes on his
business. are paid in the third ward.
1t is manifestly unjust therefor to
make taxation basis for representa-
tiOn. z "
The REVIEW Is just as anxious for
the upbuilding of the north western
part OF town as any one can possibly
be. Whatever benefits the city, bene-
fits the REVIEW. The REVIEW office
is located in the supposed new ward
and if.any extra benefits are to accrue
to this part of town by the redistrictlng
the REVIEW would certainly get it's
sh re
1t is great reflection upon our
aldermen to say that they have only
the interests of their immediate neigh
bOrh0od il view. We 40 not believe
that Mr.. Scaggs, for instance, would
discriminate against the west end of
bis ward because he happens to live in
tho eastern part.
There is need for much road work in
north Denison and the necessity
will be more pressing when the new
railways are built and when we know
definitely what streets Will be the main
thorongtffares. We do not believe
there is man on the city council who
would wish oretard the developemeut
OF any part OF the city. Work should
be done on Wall street, on the mi
n"rth of the court house and i'm other
parts OF northwest Denlson lust as
soon as possible. That part should MOI
be made An orphan in any sense of the
word but there is no reason wnv onr !
aldermanic board should be Increased
or why Wa should have increased ex-
pense at every election By EXTENDING
the limits of the second ward to IRE
mont street due west the wards wonid
he eqnalized AS nearly as possible in
population and voting strength and This
without any increase in expense or add.
ment. se