The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-12
1t Will Depend on the Political Complexion Of
the Fifty Second House, ard the Member
ship Is Not Likely To BE Increased.
Additional Information Concerning the
Opening of the oklahoma Lands.
Important Pension Ruling by Assistant Sec
retary Bussey-People Who Protest Against
Observation-Disclosures Notes.
THE NEXT CENSUS.
Mr.. Springer Talks About Its Probable Eject
on Congressional Representation.
gperfal IN Tho Tndi Iourual

Mr.. Springer Talks About Its Probable Eject
on Congressional Representation.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, April IL. - Congressman
Springer. of Illinois, who has always taken
a great interest in matters relating to the
census, was asked to-day what he thought
of the prospect of the re-apportionnent Of
Congressional representation during the
short session of the Fifty first Congress and
after the Superintendent of the Census
should have made an enumeration of the
population. Mr.. Springer replied: "Very
much will depend upon the political COM
plexion Of the House in the Fifty-second
Congress, which will have been elected by
that time. If the Republicans maintain
control there is little doubt that they will
be allowed to proceed to pass re-appor-
tionment bill without any factious opposi-
tion ON the part of the Democrats. If. how
ever, the elections in the fall of 1890 should
reverse the present majority, then it is
likely the Democrats will think that they
can apportion the congressional representa-
tion under the eleventh census just as well
as the Republicans. In that case there Is
likely to be contest. There is one thing
which will be difficult to decide, and that
is the number of members which the
House in the Fifty-second Con-
gress shall contain. There is no
chance of increasing the present limit OF
325 to any great extent, unless the seats are
all taken out of the house and the English
stem of seating members is adopted"
In your opinion, what is likely to be
e basis of representations
THAT, of course, is difficult to answer at
this time; but should say that we have
close upon sixty-fve millions of people to-
day. This would give us an increase of
about fifteen millions in the past ten years,
and of this increase, Illinois can show
fully million. The great States Of
the West, notably Minnesota. Nebraska
and Kansas, will certainly be entitled to an
~ SO w1
that Alabama and, perhaps, Georgia have
grown sufficiently to warrant an increase
in their representation, even though the
basis of representation may be higher.
There can be no question as to Texas.
State in the South, and her congressional
representation will be correspondingly in
creased. On the other hand, New York may
df df the U larss Hns ctes hissoHEh ike NE New York.
Brooklyn and Buffalo may counteract the
falling off which has been noticed in some
of the rural districts. Rhode Island,
Maine and Vermont will not want to give
up any of their representation, and for this
reason it is probable that a fight will be
made to keep the basis down, which would
necessitate a corresponding increase In the
number of members. If we take two hun
dred thousand as the basis, this would give
us just about the same number or
representatives as We have now.
The apportionment under the tenth census
was made upon basis of 10000; on the
basis of 1000, and with a population of
65, 600, 900, there would be, as have stated,
Just the same number of members as we
have to-day-325; but it must be remem-
bered that five new members have been
provided for under the territorial admis-
sion bills, so that 100000 would give a net
increase of at least five. The whole ques-
tion is a very complicated one, and so. at
this stage, it is difficult to make any pre-
dictions as to the outcome. The short ses-
sion of Congress which followed the census
of 1880 was unable to agree upon plan OF
reapportionment and it is probable that
similar difficulties may arise this time, al
though am convinced that it will depend
almost wholly upon the result of the con.
gressional elections one year from next fall"