The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-10-28
new LAW MAKES
FAIR DISTRICTS
SpTdgus ACt Restores Congress.
SIORaI Lines.
GIVES PEOPLE SQUARE DEAL


RIIl" Should Get YES" Vote Of
Every Citizen VINO Wants Ohio
Properly Represented In National
Lawmaking Body.
Columbus, = Especial Correspond
ence.)-To give Ohio Fair representa-
tion in the national congress the
Sprague act should receive the Eyes"
vote of every man who goes to- the
polls on election day.
I The Sprague law has been subjected
o referendum by politicians who
farmed up on Ohio voters the most
unfair gerrymander that mas ever
been written into Ohio laws.
Under the Cox regime and at the
Eehest of the Cox political machine,
the Ohio legislature made new con-
greasional districts. In the shameful
redistricting job, the politicians wnol-
~ ignored the congressional district
lines established in Ohio for many
years. They arbitrarily mapped out
new congressional districts, 80 that
Democratic favorites could be elected
to congress.
The Sprague law upsets the work OF
designing politicians. 1t restores the
old congressional district lines as far
as possible. There are now % dis
tfiIts instead of p, and that change
had to be taken into consideration
when the Sprague law was enacted.
Spraque Law is FarReaching.
The Sprague law means more than
the complete destruction of well laid
plans bf clever politicians. 1t means
more than that men shall be elected
to congress from district made up
Of one or another set of counties.
The approval Of the sprague act
tsleRns endorse cement Of the great prin-
cipaI Of protection. Every vote for
the spracue law 10 a vote for = fair
tariff--and it Is an4accepted truth that
= pFbteotive tariff means busy and
well paid workingmen, prosperous
farmers and activity in all manufae-
curing and merchandising linss.
If the Sprague law is approved the
free trade congressional lines will be
broken down and the voters of Ohio
will be able to send men to congress
who favor q protective tariff.
, The Sprague law has the endorse
ment of leading newspapers OF the
state. Here are editorials from addi-
tional publications tnat approve the
Sprague law:
Better Business Conditions.
Deaance Fxpress.-The Republican lead
arc who r1,,I in columbus last week de-
termined to make an organization by
counties for the defeat of the referendum
of the Sprague congressional redistrfcttng
hin The effect Of this law Is to correct
the agerryfnander in which the districts
were determined by William L. Flnley
and which was forced through the legis-
Jature nv the order of Governor Cox. 1t
~ grouned the counties that the Dem
oorats can elect three or four more con-
rressmen than their proportional vote1Of
the state entities them to-
THE maintenance of the Sprague law Is
Of vital importance at this time because
It will add to the Republican membership
In congress, men who will leglslate for
better business conditions.
Cut out "War" Taxes.
MT. Vernon Republican-News. - The
fact that the Democrats are organizing
to defeat the Sprague bill at the Novem-
her election is In itself reason enough
why every Republican, and every mar
who wishes a return to suostantla
prospetity not dependent upon the Euro
mean war should support the bill at the
polls The Sprague redistricting bill sim
nly gives the people chance to send tt
congress at next years elections, Repub
iican congressman in numbers correspond
ing to the normal Republican vote II
Ohio. To prejudice the voters agains
the bill, the Democratic press bureau II
referring to it as an unholy .gerrynander
etc They evidently take the view tha
ANYTHING likely to operate against TIN
dominance of the Democratic party Il
Ilnholy, and that Democratic gerrymand
S,rs are exceptionally holy. Previous t.
the elections which placed the Democratic
oarty IN power in Ohio, there was g. yer!
3air congressional districting law. Al
soon as the Democrats could get to !
they changed the law so as to make n
many safe and sure Democratic district
as possible. They realized that Ohio wa
normally Re- dbliean, and that as sool
as the internal troubles Of the party hal
been adjusted the state would again plac
the Republican party in charge Of affairs
They hoped. and many Democrats be
Iieved, that the Republican party woul
not "come back for years, but they los
no o,time in playing safe, and .redistricte
the state in the interest Of the Demo
cratic party. The Sprague bill merel
seeks to undo their work. and give tn
Republicans a fair chance to elect con
Rressmen in proportion to the Republica
vote. Every Republican and every ma
who wishes to see the country get bac
to basis where war taxes will not
levied in times of peace. should vote
sustain the Sprague bill, The Democrat
in washington are now conferring on Tn
extension OF the so-caled war tax" an
they also have bond issues under coneld
Grafton. TO what lengths they will =
should Ohio. favor their schemes b
Knocking out the Sprague bill there is n
one with sufficient foresight to predict.
s.