New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-10


$50, 500 each; Virginia, ten for lol,Zoo eaon
Ohio, twenty-one for $4,000 each lndiaia'
thirteen for 152, 100 each; PennsylVani''
twcnty-eight for $4,000 each ana liilholS'
twenty for 1913, 900 each. These states WIN
n popuIation of 22,S15,O11, would nave lo%
representatives. Add nine from New ork'
rcnresentinc $4,000 each, and it comes 10
pass that 161 members majority VI t.o
whole House, would be elected by 24'Zol' 10
people. All the rest OF the peoPie'
25,17O,O95 in number, co4lu eic''
only 159 representatives. The minority
bv nearly one million, could make laws I'D a
full House. Only 161 would be a quorum, anu
81 q majority of that quorum. But the eleven
States first named. with eleven districts from
Indiana. would choose 81 members, who would
represent only 11,951,S33 inhabitants 1t
might happen that in the same House there
would be present so members, representing
and elected by 12,95G,34O people. But inc
minority. by more than million, would nave
votes enough in the House to overcome the
majority and to make laws.
II will be said, with truth that no plan OF
apportionmcnt can avoid these and similar
INEQUALITIES and that in practice they are not
felt. Yet the heated debate in Congress shows
the growing desire to reach some method ny
which the representation of the people may be
rendered more correct and equitable III
Congress sees fit, this can be done, without
any other change than one in the rules OF the
House.
The Constitution provides that members
shall be apportioncd among the States IN a
prescribed manner, but it does not proVlue
that on all questions in the House members
shall cast but one vote each. II is possible
for the House TO order that, whenever 1t may
he demanded bv a required number of MEM
bers, votes shall he counted according to the
population which the different members
represent. Thus on all ordinary questions
members would vote as they do now. II the
majority on either side were considerable,
neither side could gain anything by demand
ing a representative vote. But If the yeas
and NAYS had shown a small majority numerl-
cally. it would then be the right of minority
to reouire that each vote should be counted as
representing so many inhabitants. In that case
the "yea" of the member from Nevada would
count 62,266 votes, and the may OF the
member from Colorado would count 19l,32I
votes; either of the two members from FLORIDA
wonld count 134,746 votes, while either OF
the two from Hampshire would count
I13,19j. Then the entire population would
he strictly represented, and the majority OF
people would decide
No doubt, members of Congress are as ear
nest as they have seemed to be, in trying to Sc
cure strictly equitable representation for their
constituents 1t might be imagined that
members were influenced only by the desire to
make districts small and reelection easy. But
il is fair to assume that the members are
really anxious to have their people represented
fully and equally. In that case, the method sug-
pcsted will be found to involve very few diff
cultics In nearly all cases, the majority would
be- 50 large, on one side orthc Other, that no rep
rcseutativc vote would he asked. I'm such cases,
tine majority of the people would rule, just as
if if had been counted. But no delay of conse-
oucncc would arise when IA count by repre-
septation was demanded. The yeas and nays,
already called and recorded, would show the
vote of each member, and the clerks would
only have to compute the representative value
of the votes on each side. This could be
quickly done by the aid of simple mcchan-
zeal devices. Rules of the House should pre-
vent an appeal for representative votes solely
for the purpose of delaying time. If the House
plcascs. ii can give to each individual member
his proper representative value ia a close vote,
however the State may arrange the districts.
it could be provided. also, if the House prefers,
that votes on disputed questions shall represent
uopuIation exclusive of aliens or voters only.
Members can show their earnest desire to con-
suit the will of their constituents, if they
choose by providing that each member shall
cast on contested questions only as many votes
ms have been cast by the qualified electors in
his district 1t will be easy to apply the prin-
cplc if members are anxious to have their
constituents strictly and fully represented. For
ourselves, we are well enough contented with
things as they are.