El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-21
House OF Representatives May Become
Democratic Through Gerrymandering
MANY POSSIBILITIES OFFERED.

~ ONGREss will reapportion the
membership of the house of rep
resentatives according 10 the
lew census. and the legislatures OF
the several states will apply the re-
suit of that a0pOrtionment by re-
districting their states. Under the
American system of politics the minor
ity party mas no rights which the ma
jority is bound 10 respect About
century ago; in fact on the heels of the
reappOrtionmenI under the census of
1910, the Republican Legislature Of
Massachusetts, under the domination Of
governor Elbridge Gerry. redistricted
the districts so that the federalists
could not elect members of congress.
In order to OBTAIN a Republican MAORI
ty one district was made, the peculiar
outline Gt which presented a some
what dragon like contour.
Origin Of "Gerrymander''
a map having his district strongly
outlined hung over the desk of Ben.
jamin Russell, an ardent fe1eralist par
tisan editor. Gilbert Stuart. the cell
ebrated painter whose portrait of
Washington has become the accepted
likeness of the Father Of his Country,
came snto RubSsell's office one day,
took his pencil and added wings and
claws TO the dragon on the map.
q salamander?"
Better say gerrymander" growIed
Russell. And thus was coined the word
'gerry1na nder" to designate a practice
which, from the beginning of our po-
litical history usually has controlled
the political party destin;es Of the
country.
The census probably will show an in
crease in population of about 10000
O00 in the entire country. 1t is prob
able that the influential = stern states
Will consent TO E .elatiye loss in rep
resenTatfOn in order that the size of the
I mouse OF representatives may not be
increased. The probabilities are that
from 80 to 20 new members will be ad-
ded to the house. If the present ap-
portiOnment ratio of 1912 should be
maintained there will be Sc additional
members in the house and 81 legisla-
lures will be called upon to redistrIct
their states TO provide for the election
OF the additional members
Redlstricting Depends on Election.
Il the democrats should succeed in
gaining control Of the house Of repre-
sentatives II the coming election the
Icapportionment undoubtedly will be
made by the present congress during
its last session, which will begin next
December, after its successor has been
NAOoCh- II lAC INCPuDICaES VIII III
November, the work OF reapportionment
may DE postponed to the Sind con-
gress on account of the chaotic party
conditions now prevailing in the house
Not since the civil war has the reap
portionment been made by the Demo-
Gratis. After the census Of 1870. con-
gress was increased by the addition OF
so members. This was done by the
And congress, in which there was a
iOr--%x ,F
and IS in the senate.
The 45th congress, after the census
OF 1880 added 50 new members to the
house. In that congress there was a
Republican majority in house Of % ana
in the senate OF two. That reappor-
donment was made after the 46th con-
gress had been elected in which there
was Democratic majority in the house
Of %. The 51st congress made the re-
arportionmelt following the census of
1890, adding 81 members to the house
That congress had a Republican major
lily or eight in the house and in the
senate the same number. That reap
pcrtionment also was made in the short
session Of congress after the SIND con-
gress had been elected the house being
returned with the enormous Democratic
majority of 127. the largest majority
ever held by any party in congress
The last apportionment also vas
made during the last session of the Fiji
ty-sixth congress. In that congress
there was Republican majority in the
mousse of twenty-five and in the senate
of fourteen. The succeeding congress
already had been elected. but in this
case the Republican majority in both
houses had been increased. In fact the
Republican majority never has been so
small as twenty-five since that time
State Legislatures Help.
One Of the reasons why the Republi-
cans have had such a comfortably safe
margin in the house ever since the last
apportonment is that after the increase
of the house from $50 to 3S6 members
the state legislatures proceeded to re-
district the states. In all of the east
ern, central and western states the legis-
latures sitting in 1901 were Republican.
They drew the district lines with the
intention and purpose of making il as
difficult as possible for the Democrats
TO elect members Of congress. In the
southern states the legislatures were
Democratic and, in those states where
there is any real Republican party. sim
liar efforts were made to hold down
the Republican representation
Peculiar Districts Formed.
In 1891, although the reapportionment
was made by a Republican congress In
Its expiring hours, the gerrymanders
were In the hands of Democratic legis
latures which had been captured from
the Republicans in the great Democratic
landslide which followed the enactment
of the Mckinley tariff bill in 1890.
A Democratic legislature in MICHIGAN
that year erected a district which re-
semoled the hub and sPokes of a wagon
wheel 1t was one of the most curious