River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-02-16
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

Should Congress pass an apportion
ment bill fixing the number of Repre-
sentatives under the census of 1880 al
three hundred and twenty, as has
been proposed, Wisconsin would re
tain her present representation. An
apportionment upon that lasis, how
ever, would seem to favor New York
Pennsylvania. Illinois and number OF
the Southern States at the expense OF
the smaller States and a greater por'
| ton of the Northwest, in consequence
of which there is q probability that
| the bill fixing this number cannot
pass. 1t is manifestly the first duty
| of Congress in the premises to at once
frame an apportionment bill that will
| be just to all sections of the country,
and its second duty would be to
promptly pass such a bill when SC
| framed, that State Legislatures now in
session and those that may meet in
| regular session previous to the next
general election may re-district their
respective States without the cost of
an extra session. Congress has had
ample time since the result of the last
census became known, to have made a
| e-apportionment, and should extra
| legislative sessions be required in one
or more States for the purpose of re-
| districting into Congressional districts
Congressman may be justly held ac-
countable therefor.
A number of different plans for re-
districting this State into Congression-
all districts have been devised, but
the entire subject must necessarily be
clouded in uncertainty so long as the
National legislature neglects to fix the
number of Representatives in Con-
gress to which Wisconsin shall be en-
titled under the new apportionment
Among the several schemes for the
formation of eight districts there is a
proposition for the election of Con-
gressman-at-L Large. in the event of an
increase In the delegation from this
State. but this contingency will not
occur unless Congress should increase
the total membership of the House
beyond the number that the wants of
the country require. A scheme for
re-districting this State which seems
to meet with much encouragement is
arranged as follows: First district
the counties of Kenosha, Racine, Wal
worth. Rock, jefferson, and Green;
Second Milwaukee and Waukesha;
Third Dane, Iowa, La Fayette, Grant,
Crawford, and Richland; Fourth
Dodge, Washington, Ozaukee, Sheboy-
gan, Calumet, and Manitowoe; Fifth
Fond du Lac, Green Lake. Marquette,
Waushara, Adams, Juneau, Sank, Co
lumbia; Sixth--Winnebago, Waupaca,
Outagamie, Brown, Kewaunee, Door,
Marinette and Oconto; Seventh
non, La Crosse. Monroe, jackson, Eau
Claire, Trempealeau, Buffalo, Pepin
and Pierce; Eighth--LangIade, Sha-
wano, Portage, Wood, Marathon, Lin
coin, Ashland, Price, Taylor, Clark,
Chippewa. Bayfield,. Douglas, Burnett,
Barron, Dunn, Polk and st. Croix.
From casual comparison of this plan
with a map of the State we are inclin-
ed to believe that it is a reasonably
fair one, though we do not concede
all that has been claimed for 1T. The
adoption of this scheme would secure
to the Republicans the First, Third,
Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth dis.
tricts, giving the Democrats the
Fourth, and make missionary ground
| for both parties of the Second; ii
would place both Williams and Cas-.
well, now of the First and Second, re-
spectively, in the same district, leav-
| ing the Third for Hazleton as at pres.
ent and an even chance for Deuster,
now of the Fourth, in the Second; it
| would put Bragg, now of the Fifth,
into Republican district, and bring
Hon. E. E. Woodman. of Sank, to the
front as "a candidate for Congress; the
Sixth would be left for Hon. Richard
Guenther, as now; it would take from
this district as now constituted the
counties of Clark and st. Croix and
put them in the Eighth, thus placing
Humphrey and Pound in the same dis
trict. This arrangement would doubt.
less please Hon. VIM. I. Price, OF
Jackson. could he feel assured that
neither Hon. II. B. Warner nor Speak
er ellison have any ambition to go to
Congress.