El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-21

gerrymanders in history, but 1t resulted
in sending several Democrats to con
gress from what had been rock-ribbed
Republican state, and 1t also gave part
of the electoral vote Of Michigan TO
Cleveland in 1892.
New York, Indiana and other whilom
doubtful states were carefully gerry
wandered by the Democrats with the
result that the Fifty-thiTd congress
showed a Democratic majority in both
houses, for the first, last and only
time since the civil war.
The split in the Democratic party on
the money question resulted in sweep
ing Republican victories in 1894 and
1896. In 1898 the Democrats made con-
siderable gains, although most Of the
Democratic gerrym.anders had been
abolished and new maps had been drawn
by Republican draughtsmen- Then came
the last appOrtiOnment, the subsequent
gerrymander by Republican legislatures
and five successful Republican congress
sional campaigns.
Republicans May Lose Heavily.
II the Democrats should win in the
congressional elections in November the
! reapportiOnment VII! be made by the
present congress, but the geTrymander-
Ing will be done by leSisla lures yet TO
be elected. If the elections this fall
Il
Ohio, Kansas, Nebraska and West Vir-
! ginia over to Democratic legislative
| control. those states might be so gerry
wandered that the Republicans would
| lose, under ordinary conditions fifteen
members, representing on division a re-
duction OF thirty in the majority.
If there should be a great Demo-
cratic landslide and the Democrats were
| to gain control OF the legislatures OF
a.
Illinois and Iowa, the mspmakers could
assure a further Republican loss OF
fifteen members
Democrats Might Win.
In other words. if the Democrats
should wir legislative contro. Of as
many as half a dozen northern and CEN
trail states in the November election,
they would be empowered, on account
Of the reappOrtionment, to make It al
! most impossible for the Republicans 10
regain control OF the house. Only once
since the campaign OF 1896 have the
Republicans had majority in the house
OF Representatives which could not have
been wiped out had the gerrymander-
ing been done by Democrats instead Of
Republicans AS 1t seems probable that
the south viii make greater comparative
gains under the new census than any
other section. the possibilities Of a Dem
pOrtant.
Seat Work in Pennsylvania.
Paradoxical IL may seem, it IS a
truth that the gerrymander of a state
by the minority party, accidentally in
control, provides the only adequate
means of a fair division of representa-
ton between the majority and minority
For instance, there are approximately
a half million Democratic voters in
. hn
quarters OF million Republicans
Although there is q Republican major
ity in the state of a quarter of a mill
lion, only so percent of the votes casr
are Republicans
In the present house of represer<l-
1ves Pennsylvania has thirty-two mem
bers, only five of whom are Democrats
The state is. Of course, gerrymandered
by the Republicans, and II may be said
that the job has been most artisti-
cally executed.
II the Democrats, by some miracle
were to gain control OF the next leeis-
lature in Pennsylvania they would ger
rymander the state so that, assuming
gain or six members. the Republicans
would have twenty-four and the Demo-
Gratis sixteen representatives This
would give the voters OF both parties
representation in congress in approx
mateiy the ratio Of the vote cast in
the state
The same thing is true in Tennessee.
Wnere the Republicans have As percent
OF the votes and only two out Of ten. or
20 per cent, Of the representation in
congress.
Many Queer Districts.
There have. been few times in the
history or the nation when the political
complexion Of the lower house OF con-
gress could not have been changed nv
the simple device Of the gerrymanders.
As IL is now, the gerrymanders are
frequently and wonderfully made Ar
kansas has district shaped like a pis-
tol' Mr.. Prince of the Fiftsenth Illinois
district represents a shoestrin1. NJ
Pickett Of the Third Iowa district rem
resents monkey wrench with its laws
open; Mr Hamlin of the Seventh Ms
souri, district lives in one end of n
sIedge hammer which rests upon .ba
cnd or another sledge hammer rcpre
scented by Mr.. Crow # the Fourteenrn
district
In states like Tennessee and Kentuckv
the district lines on the man do NOT
represent such weird formations. but the
republican districts in the eastern mar.
OF those states have a great many more
people IN them than the Democratic dis
tricts further west. Both nsrttes
perfectly willing to make the most Of
the possibilities of the gerrvmander and
the legislatures to be elected this ran
prooaoIy Will have ii in their power
10 say which of the two parties shan
control the house of representatives dnr-
ing the second decade of the Twentieth
century.
Monday. Fuel for Railroads"