Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-01-26
DRAFTING THE DISTRICTS.
Taking Time by the Forelock and Providing Safe
Road for the Future.
ALL PRESENT.

| MADISON, Jan. 22.-There was a priv
ate gathering of several well-known
politicians, members of the Legislature,
held last evening, to figure over the con-
gressional apportionment. There was
at least one candidate for Congress pres
ent, and his master hand can be seen in
their deliberations. The result of this
meeting has been that bill has been
drawn up which will be introduced as
soon as word comes from Washington
prescribing the number of representa-
tives allotted to this state. The figur-
ing has been done on the understand
ing, which is now general, that Wiscon-
sin will have but eight to elect, which
would be one for 163, $40 inhabitants,
according to the last federal census.
The coterie of Legislators who have thus
redistricted the state, represents but one
OF the many warning elements in every
district, except such as are hopelessly
Democratic, and they do not expect
that their scheme will be put through
either house without great difficulty
In this expectation they are undoubtedly
correct.
The First District falls short of tho re-
quired number of inhabitants, and as it
is not likely to materially increase in
population, Jefferson is added. The
First is heavily Republican, and is album
dainty able to take care of the Jefferson
Democracy, with big margin to spare.
Milwaukee is expected to continue to
gain, and is therefore made one of The
districts that are short of population
Washington is detached from the pres
ent Fourth District, and is added to the
Democratic counties on the west and
north. The five Democratic counties
north of Jefferson and Waukesha mot
including Winncbago) are punched to-
gether, constituting the Third District,
and the entire territory west of Jefferson
and Rock, to the Mississippi River, is
made the Fifth District The Fourth
District embraces the six counties, in
GLIDING Door, which lie northeast and
west of Calumet. Richland, from the
present Third, and Vernon from the
Seventh, are put with the seven counties
| directly north of Iowa and Dane, and
/ the Sixth district is thus made up. The
present Seventh gives Eau Claire to the
Eight in exchange for Dunn, and gives
1 Vernon to the new Sixth, arranged as
above. The Eight District is as now ex-
cept that Adams, Dunn and Juneau are
given to southern districts in exchange
for Waupaca.
THE BILL
drawn up to conform to this scheme is
as follows:
Section l. Until otherwise provided
by law, the state is divided into eight
! Ral 80. s ~.
shall be entitled to elect one represen-
tative in the Congress of the United
States.
The First District shall consist of the
counties of Jefferson, Rock. Racine,
kenosha, Walworth and Waukesha.
The Second District shall consist of
the counties of Milwaukee and Ozaukee.
The Third District shall consist of the
counties of Dodge, Washington, Fon du
Lac, Sheboygan and Calumet
The Fourth District shall consist of
the counties of Winnebago, Outagamie,
Brown, Manitowoc, Kewaunee and
Door.
The Fifth District shall consist of the
counties of Dane, Iowa, Grant, LaFay-
cite, Crawford and Green.
The Sixth Disstict shall consist of the
counties of Waushara, Green Lake, Mar
quette, Adams, Juneau, Vernon, Rich
land, Sank and Columbia
The Seventh District consist of the
counties of Clark, Dunn, Pierce, Pepin,
Buffalo, Trempealeau, st. Croix, Jack
son, La Crosse and Monroe.
The Eight District shall consist of the
counties of Marinette, Langlade, Oconto
Shawano, Waupaca. Portage, Wood,
Marathon, Lincoln, Taylor. Price, Chip
pewa. Eau Claire, Barron, Polk, Bur
nett, Douglass. Bayfield, and Ashland.
1t is claimed for this arrangement that
there is compactness of territory and
absence of gerTymandering to a greater
degree than has been the ease in pre-
vious pportionments Juneau and
Adams belong to some southern dis
trict, and there is community of inter
est between Jefferson and counties east
and south. The counties which are ex-
pected to increase in population, and
those which are not expected to increase,
are arranged so as to allow for the facts.
The metropolitan district is, by the loss
of Washington county, relieved of one
half the load it had to carry for num-
Der of years. The Democrats appear to
| be given two districts without Overrun-
ming but little the basis of population. -
! Cor. Mil1Odukee Sentinel.