Show AN IMPORTANT CASE BEFORE THE U S SUPREME COURT an important and interesting cue case is now tn engaging the attention of the supreme court of the united states it itonia oemga a tast t dt of the celebrated miner electoral law 0 mahigan ml Mi hian higan A cuple couple of years ago the democratic party of the wolverine state finding itself for the first time since the war in possession of every department of the local government cast about it to discover die cover where political advantages might be had bad and utilized and about the first thing that mccu red to the be leaders was the of such a law as would render it impossible for the republicans thereafter to have everything their own way as formerly orna erly armed with such a purpose a legislator named miner thrust his shindig bar harpoon PO on int the waters of Invent inventive iv diplomacy and pulled forth a scheme to t secure to the democracy a proportion 0 the electoral vote of the state for president and vice president this to be accomplished by having baving the electors chosen by congressional districts instead of in bulk by the people of the whole atte st te the party receiving more votes than any other thus taking all the electors the democrats can nearly alway saad sand generally do carry a fair proportion of the districts but carrying the rate mate itself is a feat which as previously set art out does not h ippen to them so frequently say once in thirty years or thereabout there about michigan has eleven members of con gross gress and a corresponding number of electors besides betides two more sit at large corresponding with the stated representation sen tation in the senate cenate these two the miner bill proposed to also separate having one part of the state which was described elect one and the rest of it the other it is in only stating the come case fairly to say that the bill aimed at fairness in this no matter whether its author so intended or not for it had one of the sections as hopelessly democratic tie as good judgment based uron upon past political 1 experience could make it and rhe the democracy being thus huddled together tor for election purposes in one of the she grand districts would of necessity make the other one just as hopelessly republican what could be more impartial than that A perfectly ct equal division who had bad any right to complain of so BO equitable an adjustment the districts were to be fought for each by itself and each would have to look out for itself but if the democrats held the ones they carried two years ago they would have nine of them and the republicans two making the electoral vote of the state stand ten for cleveland and three for harrlson harrison instead of thirteen for the latter as would undoubtedly be the cuse case under ane old plan now the buind that could devise so excellent an arrangement r an gement as that deserves something better than rebuffs rebuff to and herala criticisms but mr miner la gotting getting and has got from his hie f friends the enemy an abundant quantity of both well the republicans are so BO thoroughly dissatisfied with the deall deal P that they have carried it as suggested to the highest tribunal in the land they had bad previously tested it in the highest court of the otate and the case had gone against them that body holding that the law was constitutional it is ia perhaps proper to observe that while the law was passed purely for political advantage an i in the interest of a political apolitical party it las has been and Is ia being resisted on precis precisely elythe the same ground and with the same eme objects in view in fact attorney general miller of counsel for the republicans before the supreme court admitted as s much to in his argument yesterday yeste roay rasy said he be 1 I am perfectly well aware that the people have been robbed by apportionments by the party to which I 1 belong ai a well as by the party parly to which I 1 am oppose dand it Is high time tile the courts should say to those worthies that thai it to just as much larceny to steal political rights as to steal private property very true mr miller the people of utah would applaud you for that statement ment it 1 you were near enough to hear them do it viewed and considered simply ati an a question of law we are usable unable to s sf bow the united states supreme court can do otherwise than did the michigan supreme le court by affirming be constitutionality of the law jaw in construing a case of this kind of course all consideration of this that oran or an other party being favored or injured will be set aside and the adjudication had upon the broad ground of whether or not the enactment is or is not in consonance with the express terms of the great charter of the country this instrument it would seem makes it a very plain cise it says the electors or preside t and vice vice president iu in each state ahall be appointed in such manner as the legislature thereof shall direct this places the whole matter within the control of the local lawmaking body and it may proper ly direct that all the people elect all the electors or that the choice thereof be confined to districts each electing ejecting its own this to is precisely what the michigan legislature legia lature did and it if it did wrong the fault would seem to be with the constitution and not with the power acting pursuant thereto the only ground on which the national court could interfere it would seem would be where inequality or unfair tests testa in the matter of voting were pre prescribed bribed and this does not seem to have been done in the michigan case even if the practical results aimed at were more favorable to one party than they previously were however as aa au an authority has hag it the supreme court N 1 presumed to know something and before settling down to a conclusion on the subject it would perhaps be as well to wait an and see ee what this august tribunal has to say la in the matter |