Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-01-27
Congressional Apportionment.

in the national House of Representa-
tives by Hon. S. 5. Cox, of New York,
will likely be adopted by that body.
Mr. Cox is chairman of the Census
committee of the House and has Civ
en- much thought and research to the
preparation Of his admirable bill. lie
makes the membership of the House
3Ol and provides that every lGS,97S
inhabitants shall have representative.
As compared with the present number
of members, Mr.. Cox's bill makes the
following losses and gains: Arkansas,
California, Iowa, Michigan, Mississip-
pi, South Carolina and West Virginia
gain one each Kansas gains 3 /; Tex
as 4 Minnesota and Nebraska :
each Pennsylvania, Ohio New
Hampshire, Maine, Indiana, Tennes-
see, Florida and Vermont lose each,
and New York loses ,. 1t will be
seen that the Southern and Western
States gain proportionately to the loss
es suffered by the Eastern and Middle
States. Thus we see that the great
States upon the Atlantic sea board are
furnishing the rapidly growing popu-
lation which swarms upon the track
less plains of the West and peoples the
rich and fertile States of the South.
The tide of emigration which has
usually flowed in an even current into
the great cities has turned toward the
West and South, and rs a result the
legislative power of the nation is drift
ing from the old States to the new.
The remarkable increase in the popu-
lation of the South offers abundant
food for thought and il an unanswcr.
able argument against the further agi-
tation of sectionalism. Mr.. VIM. NJ.
Springer, Of Illinois, has also intro.
duced an apportionment bill in the
House which has in view proportional
or minority representation. While
this bill will undoubtedly receive re.
spectful consideration from Congress
its passage is not among the possibili-
ties. The Richmond tNa.) Disp1tch,
in an able and temperate editorial,
considers the provisions Of the Springer
bill as tending to abolish any such
monstrosity rs solid South or solid
North The Di,patch reasons that
such a measure would place political
control in the South in the hands of
the negroes, and would, of course, be
favorably considered BY the Republi.
can Representatives. But on the
other hand any fair scheme of proper
tional representation would give to the
Democrats n large number of Con-
gressmen in the Northern States that
they could not hope to secure by n
continuation Of the present system.
The idea of minority representation is
pretty generally looked upon as absurd
aud ineffective. As an abstract theory
of political science it has many ad.
mirers, but the practical statesman ap.
preciates the fact that the most votes
elect, and he takes but little stock
in the visionary chimeras of rigid doc
trinaires. Mr.. Springer's bill pro.
yides for but 293 members, but even
this is not recommendation in its
favor. The present House is as un.
manageable as if it contained twice its
present number of members. The
fact is the House has ceased to be a
deliberative body. The work is all
done in committees, and the speeches
that are mechanically made are only
intended for home consumption. Alb
senteeism is so general as to make the
number of members of the House
immaterial. The British House of
Commons is a much larger and more
unwieldy body, but the attendance up
on its sittings is comparatively small,
absenteeism being the rule. We hope
there will be no factious opposition to
the early consideration and passage of
Mr.. Cox's bill. 1t is fair and just and
there is no pretense of aiming at par
tisan advantage. II is the business of
the 46th Congress to legislate upon