New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
Leaders Seek to Remedy
Democratic Injustice
i'm State.
ACTS OF FRAWLEY
COMMITTEE RANkLE
Barnes Suffered by Opponents
Moves - Many Strange
Divisions Made.

Certain Republican leaders are con-
udering the ACCESSIBILITY Of redistrict-
ing the Congress districts in this state
90 remedy what they consider injus-
tees done when he Democrats carved
on, now districts in 1911.
Among those who are interested par
ticulsrly in the proposition is William
Barnes, former chairman of the Re-
publican State Committee. When Sen
stor Janes J. Frawley's committee ar
ranged the redistricting the year after
the last federal census, in 1910 he did
his best 10 make the Republican county
Of Albany into Democratic district
In order 20 accomplish this he threw
eleven Democratic wards in Troy in
with Albany. The result was the cleo
lion Of 8 Democrat in 1912. But the
UNPARALLELED Republican sweep this
year put Republican in the district
again.
Authorities are being consulted now
bv Senator Elon X. Brown and others,
but so far as is known there is no law
Of any description that prevents this
state from changing its Congress dis
,riets as often as it sees fit, although
ii is usually done only after Congress
has apportioned more representatives
20 the state than IL had before.
The federal law provides that after
every decennial census Congress shall
respportion the Representatives among
The states. IL tells each state how
many members of Congress il may
have, but leaves il 10 the individual
state 10 say how these Representatives
shall be elected. For instance. in the
State of Idaho there never has been
any districting for Representatives and
ne men from there are elected at
large. When Congress. in 1910, gave
Pennsylvania four more Representa-
tives, she did not redistrict the state,
but elected them AT large. Ohio is still
doing this with the additional member
II got st the same time.
Political Justice Needed
However. there is more or less
public sentiment against redistricting
simply for partisan purposes. But
where one party has used its control
Of the state government to frame up
districts which are palpably unfair to
us opponents, sentiment has Endorsed
the rectifying Of these injustices by
members Of the other party as soon as
they got into power.
This condition exists in this state to-
DAY. according TO those leaders who
favor redistricting this year. Before
the federal census of 1910 New York
had thirty-seven members of Congress.
Because OF it's increase in population
Congress awarded 20 IL six more. In
1911 the year following this action,
the Legislature Yves controlled by the
Democrats. A committee 20 redlstrlct
the Congress districts was appointed,
t.rrnf-
cal Tammany man. as It's chairman.
When IL came 70 cutting up New
York County. the committee was able
70 follow the general idea Of making
districts as symmetrical as possible
and az the same time insure fairly safe
Democratic districts II did this by
sicing the island Of Manhattan from
east 70 west. That made the centre Of
each district Republican, but the ends.
adjacent 70 the rivers. are Democratic.
Up in the northern end Of the island
and In The Bronx. where the same Pc
liticaL geography did not exist. the dis
'ricts were made more irregular, and
in Brooklyn and Queens there are some
grotesuuely shaped districts.
The leaders, who have been discuss
ing the possibility Of redistr-cting un-
der Republican auspices, realize. that
there would be a reaction If they should
change the districts simply for Re
publican advantage, but they believe
they would be justified IN changing
those districts which the Democrats
framed Up in a manner distinctly I'M
favorable 70 the Republicans.
notable instance Of public feeling
uniting 20 rebuke p manifest injustice
in redistricting and in upholding
rectifcation Of this injustice by. an
other redistricting a few years later
occurred in Ohio some years ago.
Democratic Plot in Ohio.
In the spring of 1890 the Democrats
Tedistricted William Mckinley out Of
Congress He had been there for four
teen years. and had Just reported the
Mckinley tariff bill, against which the
Democrats were most bitter. Ohio was
in the hands Of the Democrats that
year, and the Legislature redistrlcted
the Congress districts in such fash
ion that, whereas there we're fifteen
Republicans and six Democrats from
Ohio IN the 51st Congress, there we're
only seven Republicans and fourteen
Democrats in the sd Congress.
The action in the case of the McKin-
ley district was particularly fragrant,
and IN the fall Of 1890 he was de-
feated in his new district, although he
cut down what was meant TO be nor
nal Democratic majority Of 5000 to
some 800
This unjust treatment Of Mckinley
made him the logical candidate for
Governor in 1891 He was forced to
run, although all his desires were TO
wait and try TO get back in Congress,
where most of his poll cal work had
been. The fact that Mckinley had
been redistricted out of Congress was
one Of tho strong campaign arguments,
and ne was elected Governor by Fl 300
He was reelected two years later and
served 20 January, 1896, the year he
was elected President.
What the Democrats had done IN
their redistricting had made such an
impression upon the people Of Ohio
that they took il only as an act Of JUS
tee that the Republicans, when they
came back in power, did the district
ny all over again.