St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-08

'nto the house by Congressman Frank, of
Missouri. at the opening OF the session last
week, the membership of the next house is
fixed at 800. OF which number Minnesota is
given seven. Such gerrymander as was in
fleted upon this state ten years ago is pre-
vented by the following section of the act in
troduced by Mr.. Frank:
The population of no district shall be
greater nor less than the average population
of the several districts of the state by more
than 5000.
The Last Apporflonment.
The total population of Minnesota by the
census OF lS9 was l.3O0.017. This num-
Der divided by seven, the number of con-
gressmen awarded the state, gives 1878 as
the ratio for each district, and no one shall
have more or less than this number than
S.0u0-that is. no district can have less than
1I7,Tl6. and none more than 1876. In
the apportionment bill passed ten years ago;
congressman Dunnel. Strait and several
minneapolis aspirants tor congressional
honors took q hand in the matter. and the
districts as turned out by the legislature
Rt that time ranged all the way from I'LL
774, the population Of the Fifth district, to
116.52l, The population of the Fourth dis
trict. In detail the population OF each of the
FIVE mary eilous districts which so thoroughly
demonstrated the love of the Republican pol-
lticians for justice and fair play and their
hatred f gerrvmandering was as follows:
First district, l6S.ll2.
Second district. 159,3lS.
Third district, l55. 81.
Fourth district. 1852.
Fifth district l21.714.
Thus it will be seen there was the slight
difference of "a, a. between the number of
people that elected member of congress in
The Fourth district End the number that per-
formed similar act in the Fifth district IL
took only 4I,t0 more people for congress
man in the First district than it did In the
Fifth. This is readily explained by glance
at the First district as it now stands. Had
Freedom been placed IN the Second district
where it belonged.for then the population of
the First district would have been but 5000
less than the ratiOo, The district would have
been doubtful, and that was Just what Mr.
UunnelI did not Gesire.
Again, take the famous ''shoestring dis
trict'-the Third reaching from the MisSis-
sippi TO the Dakota line, hardly twenty miles
wide in one place. there is an interesting
story connected with its making. Congress-
man Strait resided in Scott county. Although
defeated in 81 by Hon. Henry Poehler and
the treachery of several Republican leaders
he tried it again in 1880, and was successful
His county was surrounded on nearly every
side by counties strongly Democratic. all Of
Wnlcn. on account OF their being contiguous,
belonged in the Third district. These were
Sibley, LIE >ueur, Carver, Mcleod ana
Dakota counties. bill was intro
duced placing them in the Third
district 1t was subsequently amended and
the Third district made Republican by plac-
ing Sibley and lie Sueur. with their heavy
Democratic majorities, in the Second district
hLSiC tHSlC was hSpuDlcdn ndJOTlLy OF
100 o or more to spare. In Ohio this would
have been dubbed by Minnesota Republicans
rs an outrageous gerrymander had it been
done by the Democrats.
But did any one hear of the Minnesota
Republicans. who were so indignant over the
"Ohio outrage last year. saying word about
HE eerrymander of Minnesota, which gave a
party with 2D,O0D more votes than its op-
ponent all five of the members of congress
70 which the state was entitled? Not one
oven whispered that it was anything but
light.
Gerrymander Is Unpopular.
However, it is matter of congratulation
hat public sentiment in Minnesota will no
longer submit 10 impositions Of this nature
but it is still more to the public liking that
The Frank bill if passed. positively forbids
lnythlng approaching the disparity in popu-
Iation OF The different congressional districts
that was shown ry The last apportonment of
minnesota. No more ''shoestring'' districts
Will be made. because the people demand
'air play and justice, and they have elected a
legislature that will enforce this demand,
Now that it is as good as settled that one of
.he duties of the legislature just elected will
be TO divide this state into seven congress
non al districts before it adjourns, it will be
II least interesting TO speculate upon how it
.an be done and the law carried out 10 the
etter. One fact full of omen to the goud
people of this state, confronts the student of
ECONOMIES at the start. II is the decrease in
population of the oldest and best counties in
he state that has taken place in the last ten
5ears With the exception of the counties
whose great natural advantages were
comparatively undeveloped ten years
,go. the wonderful increase in the
iOpulaton in the last decade has bean aaar