The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-15
f-. y 49,
CONGRESSIONAL APPORTIONMENT.

The next legislature will be called
upon to apportion the State for mem
bers of Congress. Whether we shall
have two or three members is uncer-
tain. Unless Congress takes action we
shall have but two. II the bill passes,
which is now pending, to increase the
number of members of the lower house
to about 280, then we shall have three
members. We do not regard the pass
age of this bill as certain by any means.
The effect of the bill will be to increase
the representation in the west, and it
will be opposed by the east with earnest
ness.
If the State is to be divided into but
two districts, we apprehend there will
be but little trouble in making an ap-
portionment. We find that to run a
line from the east to the west side of
the State so as to divide the population
as equally as possible, we should COM
mence at the northeast corner of Miami
county, and run west to Usage; thence
north to the line between Usage and
Shawnee; thence south to the north
line Of Lyon; thence west 50 as to in
clude Morris, Dickinson, Saline, Els
worth, ETC., in the Southern district.
II we have figured correctly this line
would divide the population as equally
as any other that could be made. The
Kaw river could hot be made the divid-
ing line, as the Lawrence Journal sap
poses, because it would give the South
q preponderance of population to the
amount of $4,000 or 10000.
If the bill above alluded to should
pass Congress in time for our .legisla-
ture to take action under it, and divide
the State into three districts, there will
be trouble in getting them in a shape to
suit all interests. The four principal
cities of the State are so situated that
they will almost inevitably come in the
same district, and yet each will prob
ably strive to get into different districts.
The districts should be formed SO as to
be as compact as possible. One plan
that has been suggested is to divide the
State into three districts running from
the east to the west line Of the State
The principal argument that has been
advanced in its favor is that the trunk
lines of railroad and the principal rail.
raod interests run In that direction
For instance: the St. Joseph s. Den.
yer, the Central Branch, the Kansas
Pacific, the proposed roads west from
Paola'yia Emporia, the proposed road
west from Fl. Scott via Humboldt and
Eureka, and the one from east to west
through the Southern tier of counties
This is strong argument. There il
one very strong reason, on the Othel
hand, which will work against such {
division, to-wit: the heaviest popula
ton of the three districts would be il
the eastern counties, and all three o
our Congressman would, for q time a
least, come from the extreme eastern
counties of the State. We have few
western statesmen who would serionsl,
protest against such state of things
and who can doubt that, by such q di
vision, there would be danger of tn,
| HcbtcIu eAuS VI tuo 0AsIAASIs tipping VI
by the preponderance of intellect at tn,
eastern ends. Such calamity should
certainly be avoided. The district
would be ill-shaped by this division
and we think. on the whole, that som,
other plan will have to be adopted.
We have one TO suggest: 3 The coun
ties of Doniphan, Brown, Nemeha
Marshall, Pottawatomie, Jackson
Shawnee, PATTERSON, Atchison, Leaven
worth, and Wyandotte shall constitut
the first district. The counties o
Douglas, johnson, Franklin, Miami
Anderson, Linn, Allen, Bourbon, Neo
sho, Crawford, Labette and Cherokee
shall constitute The second district
And the balance of the Stats shall con