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

we 90 NOT wonder CnaG at hrSt SIGHT
the plan to divide the third 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 tfiatsas the mayor would have
the deciding vote that the administers
tion would be entirely in democratic
hands.
Thus while we do not charge that
this is partisan plan, we have dis
covered O. very possible motive. Ii
there is no politics in this question we
do not see how the members of the
council can for q moment consider a
plan so manifestly unjust as the one
proposed. II 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
Dy creating q new ward with barely
one hundred voters and adding at least
$75 per year to the expense of the
city. 1t is the piling up of all these
little expenses which make our taxes,
90 high 1t is the adding of $500 to our
county expense and S75 to our city ex-
Pense and so on through the list that
makes it such luxury to own property
III our cities and towns.
1t is true that the third ward paws a
majority of the taxes, this is SO because
the busiuess portion is largely in that
ward and the merchant may live in any
other part of town but the taxes on his
business. are paid in the third ward.
It is manifestly unjust therefor to
make taxation q basis for representa-
ton. = u.
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 neiph.
borhood in view. We 40 not believe
that Mr.. Scaggs, for instance, would
discriminate against the west end of
his ward because he happens to live in
tho eastern part
There is need for much road work in
northwest Denison and the necessity
will be more pressing when the new
railways are built and when we know
definitely what streets Will BIZ the main
thorOugtfares. We do not believe
there is man on the city council who
would wish o retard the developement
OF any part of the city. Work should
be done ON Wall street, on the hill
north of the court house and in other
parts OF northwest Denison inst as
soon as possible. That part should noI
be made All orphan in any sense of The
word but there is no reason wnv onr
board should be increasea
or why we should have increased ex-
peuse at every election By EXTENDING
the limtsyOf.the second ward to ire
mont street due west he wards won,d
ne fqnslized' as nearly as possible in
population and voting strength and1his
without any increase in expense or add.
nent. so'ein (,