Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-29

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During this process of changing district
boundaries the old .'gerrymander'' mon
ster always hies himself from his decade
of slumber and causes the goosefesh to
rise upon the sensitive skins OF politicians
of the local minority party. Even now
you can hear the chattering teeth of some
representatives whose home legislatures
have lately gone over to the enemy.
Indeed, the centenary of this monsters
birth happens to fall within the present
year. 1t was in 1911, after a bitter state
campaign in Massachusetts. that the
party then called democrats succeeded in
electing Elhridge Gerry for governor and
ture- A conspiracy was thereupon formed
by the victorious party tn retain ma
jority in the legislature during all future
years and thus insure the election of their
candidates for United States senator.
In forming the new districts counties
were divided in wondrous fashion to give
the successful party the best possible ad-
vantage i'm each And Gov. Gerry's sig
nature made the scheme n law.
In the Office of the Boston Sentinel.
which had fought the enterprise tooth
and nail. was hung map of Essex coun-
ty showing in gaudy coloring an absiirdly
irregular area bounded b. enc OF these
ingenioEsIy irregular boundary mes.
One day Gilbert Stuart. the great por-
trait painter on beholding the map. re-
marked that the area resembled some
monasrous animal. and, taking tho map
down. he made with his pencil a few
touches which gave ii head, wings, claws
and tail.
There" said he, that viii do for a
Salamander.
.SaIaman6cr,' cried Editor Russell or
the Sentinel call il Gerry-nander'
And throughout the century that has
since rolled past the term 'gerrymander
has been applied to this oft-reDeated
process OF changing district boundaries
for partisan purposes.
Copyright, 1911. by John Eifreth Wat
kins)
that it had no funds available for this
purpose and that nothing could be done
There the matter stands at present.
The municipal authorities do not feel that
it is their job at ALL and think that thee
have done rather we'll I'm offering 10 take
two-thrdS of the expense of job with
which they had nothing 10 do Off the ma
tonal governments hands. The office or
works, which is the government depart
ment affected. just sits still and says
nothing But the public is saying a great
deal. and II would not be surprising If the
government should be compelled To rush
the work through in hurry at the lat
moment and pay the whole of the cost
itself.
Z: x
Something similar is happening with re-
gard to the proposed ST. Pauls bridge
over the Thames, which IT is intended
shall be great memorial to the late
King Edward. A new bridge is badly
needed at the point indicated opposite St.
Paurs Cathedral, and Sl0.003u00 have
been set aside for the purpose. but ac-
cording 10 the present plans The bridge
Will end abruptly in d maze of narrow
little streets between the river and St.
Paurs. II il were extended to St Pauls
churchyard London would have one OF
the finest Vistas in European uninter-
rupted view of the magnificent cathedral
and in addition To that. the utility OF lie
bridge would be Increased greatly. for il
would end III a broad, open space, with
wide streets leading away from il in all
directions.
The trouble is that neither the
city of London corporation the
London county council, the two local
authorities involved. cares to provide the
money for acquiring the property neces-
sary. for this extension. The county
council says that liz Is all in the city
the city should pay. The city says that
as the other end OF the bridge is in the
benefit Greater London much the
city. the county council should provide
the funds. In the meantime the city IS
going ahead with its plans for the bridge
without any reference to the proposed
extension, and when il is built il will
probably wake up 10 the fact that am
other golden opportunity for saving
money on necessary Improvement has
been lost.