Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-01-26
Congressional Apportionment.

The completed census returns for
the State, as prepared for Congress,
show population of 4,2S2,7Ss, an in
crease of 76O, 1895 over the census of
1870. Under Mr.. Cox's apportion-
ment bill, providing for 3Ol Represen-
tatives, this po. .,ulation will entitle us
to twenty-six Representatives, the ra-
ito of apportionment being I64,722.
Under the present apportionment the
ratio is 130, Ala, the population of the
State being 3,52I,79l. Under this
bill the South gains eight Representa-
tives, and the West and Northwest
ten. The losses are charged aginst
the Middle and New England States.
The total population Of the United
States is so, 1886 which, after de-
ducting the territories and the District
of Columbia, will lsaVe the represen-
tative population at 49,369, ,565. MIR.
Cox presented various tables showing
the census of 1870 and 1880, calculated
for Representatives ranging from 293
to 3O7. These calculations show Curl
o4s and interesting results. 1t appears
that by ths increase in the CENSUS OF
1880, from 393 to 294, Massachusetts
gained |, by the increase to 295 Louis
lana gain l, and by the increase to
296 Pennsylvania gained l, by the in
crease to 297 Maryland gained l, by
the increase to 298 New York gained
l, by the increase to 299 Alabama
gained !. When the total number of
Representatives was increased to 900,
one of the most striking features of the
table appeared. 1t was a curious &C.
centricity Of mathematics that Ala
bama then lost the Representative she
gained at 299, and Texas and Illinois
gained | each, At 30l Alabama re-
gained the Representative SO lost, by
the increase to 300 Florida gained ],
by the Increase to 303 Ohio gained |,
by the increase to 304 North Carolina
gained |, by the increase to 306 Penn
sylvania gained |, by the increase to
3G7 New York gained |. making two
gains over 393 under the census of
1880, but still she even tE0n was
losing from her present number as
fixed by the apportionment of 1870.
Before any apportiontmcnt bill can be
passed the House must decide what
its size must be, whether it will re-
tain It's present number 293, or in
crease the number of representatives to
any point between 293 and $50, the
farthest limit suggested. An increase
will compel an enlafgemc 1t OF the hall
OF REPRESENTATIVES, or a different ar
rangement Of the ssats. There is o
question whether legislation will be
improved by an increase of Legislators,
popular sentiment inclining to the be-
lief that there is more safety in large
Legislative BODY than in o small one,
taking men as they run. These are
questions which will no doubt be am
ply ventilated before the ratio of rep
resentation will be fixed. There will
be plenty of time to consider the ques-
tion, since there need be no hurry
about passing an apportionment bill
for at least another year 1ttusUtlte
Herald
THE y. Y. Tribune speaks plainly
to the members of the Pennsylvania
Legislature in reference to the selec-
tion of United States Senator. 1t
tells them "if they have man whom
they are compelled to call to the front
whenever the exigencies of their COM
paign demands a strong man before