Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-26

The apportionment Of representation in Con-
,,ess was an extremely difficult matter in the
beginning Of our present form of government.
When Washington. banishing. in his patriotic
anxiety. that natural reluctance for speech
making which characterized him, took the
aoor Of the federal convention that framed the
Constitution. il was near the close Of the pro-
eeedinss of that most remarkable body and on
the subject of the numerical basis of represen-
tation in the popular house Of Congress. The
convention was almost. indeed. in the act of
dissolving and going back to the people, igno-
rant as vet of what would be the result Of their
.rduous lsbors but fearing the worst while
hoping for the best. The one speech made BY
Washington decided the course Of action. The
SrIR merely cites this familiar fact of history
10 show the extreme importance attached to
the ouestion under consideration from the very
first bv the sovereign minds Of the republic
The making of the decennial apportionment is
not light duty to be discharged or obstructed
in haste or with eve single to the temporary
uses of party. Right and justice are involved
the interests of states and sections. and above
all the welfare of the United States. For ten
years, assuming that the apportionmcnt will be
made by the present Congress. the members
elected to the House of Representatives will be
chosen on the basis fixed by the bill passed
this winter The republican party, which has
governed the subject since 1860, including the
apportionment under the census of that year,
viii probably control the apportionment under
the eleventh census unless unusual obstruc-
ton causes the matter to go over. The repub
icaas naturally wish to make the bill. to enact
the arportionment. The democrats would like
to prevent them. This contention presupposes
the operation Of partisan causes But a bill
can be framed doing exact justice as nearly as
the facts will admit in the manipulation of
figures A convenient number of members
for the body and the increase of Population prop
erlv noted are the primary necessities.
The census tells national story by states. each
state showing ratio of progress-with the ex-
ception Of Nevada. Let this story Of the
census as near may be. go into the appor-
tionment. Give the growing states the benefit
of their growth. The relatively non-progress-
i've or slow-developing states will not relish
reduction in representation in order that COM
munities exhibiting higher development may
be favored by larger representation in Con-
gress. But it is the only course to pursue. I'M
less the total number of Representatives is to
be increased. Some enlargement may be per-
mitted. but it IL doubtful if this increase can
proceed much further. All the arguments
fsvoring such basis of representation as will
enable the Representative to keep in touch with
the people of his district must yield TO the in
convenience. not to say the impossibility, of
conducting business after the number of menu
bers gets beyond the seating capacity of the
hall or the ability Of the chair to preserve
order, not to mention the ability of the indi-
vidual in the legislative myriad to have his
articulations even imperfectly understood in
the general babel.