The independent., 1902-11-06

who would look, equally as clear to
| him who would dig below the surface.
In the very formation Of the legis-
! lative districts there are chances for
evil, and this evil may be caused by
| the legislature itself. The districts
are so arranged that the party doing
the scheming has far the better chance
when the time comes to elect. This
| system is known as the Gerrymander
and is one of the worst ways in which
| to stifle public opinion. 1t did not ex-
| ist, nor was it known. until the days
of Elbridge Gerry, who SO carved up
the state of Massachusetts that in
spite of an immense popular adversity,
succeeded in electing his ticket. The
infant did not die in its youth, but
in the election of 1856 when Abraham
Lincoln carried the state Of Illinois
by large majority, yet in spite OF
this fact, his opponent, Judge Dou-
glas, succeeded in winning. The state
was so carved up into legislative dis
tricts that a minority of the people
were in control of the legislature, and
the country was denied the services Of
the immortal Lincoln III that period
which SO tried mems souls. But need
not 60 back forty years. In 1892 In
the same state we find one political
party carrying the state by about
thirty thousand votes, yet having but
bare majority in the Legislature.
For months the legislature balloted
on and OHIO agreement could be
reached, until one of the members
died, and the party which hau SO
strongly polled the vote Of the state.
succeeded in electing their man.
am sure that the opposition, realizing
the great evil of the Gerrymander,
will not attempt it's vindication. And
yet, behind this, how many United
States senators have gotten their
seats? The review Of the elections In
Connecticut for the past twenty years
will prove the truth Of cur state
ments. Our opponents cannot justify
this loathsOme evil at the very birth
place of their schemes.
Let us pass on to the fight for elec-
ton to the state legislature; the cam
didate is nominated and the race Is
being run to see who will represent
the district in the legislature. A
United States senator is to be elected
and the fight wages on national issues.
We never hear it asked of the candi-
date how he stands on the question of
state taxation, we never query as to
HI; opinion on the public highways, 1t
IS never realized that the man to be
elected will help carry on the busi-
LESS of the state. All is obscured save
iro ha TTntfaI IA
The ability of the candidate on ques-
tions of general legislation is entirely
obscured by the bigger game-a seat in
the senate So I say that the real
business of the state is disturbed, it's
necessities overlooked, and its very
welfare threatened at each race for
senatorial honors. The result of the
whole performance is that the legisla-
tnls are very often elected because of
their support of certain candidates;
and, secondly, and more potent, that
in state elections when state issues are
involved, national platforms are made
the fight. | tell you that if state
gets a good legislature under these
circumstances, it is by the act of a
great and gracious Providence and
hot iii Ou5H any WlSuOul OT IOTcSlRUL
of the method provided.
We are told that our change would
have little effect on the individual
voter. 1t places him in this dilemma,
that If he favors the state policy OF
one political party and the national
issues advanced by the other, he must
swallow the lesser of two evils and be
satisfied. In support of this state-
ment. let me cite the instance in Iowa
in 1890, when it was well known that
the people of the state were disguised
with the management of the state BY
the party then in power; and it was
as we'll known that the national policy
Of the other party was equally as OBJ
noxious. What was this party-laden
voter to do on election day? 1t was
the fault of the system and not his
own fault that he did not vote to suit
his conscience. He must either swal-
low the state policy of the republicans
in order to give his national party, the
republicans, seat in the senate, or he
must choose an equally repugnant
democratic national policy ri order to
rebuke the state government of the
other party. What must he do? Solve
this dilemma, all We who oppose the