, 1890-12-20
TIE ARPORT70NMENT CUES.
TON


The legislature has now fairly tackled
the subject of apportionmont and what
iuay come of it is rather difficult to
Predict There is one combination at
work in7he house which has come to the
conclusion that the only way to prevent
the big fish from eating the little ones IS
10 keep down the representation in the
Fcnate to a basis of one member from
each county. The purpose OF
this is to MAINTAIN the balance
Of power in the smaller coun-
It's In the house the apportionment
Is made on a Just basis, each county being
g;yen a proportionate representation
which is guAged BY its population as
shown in the United States census. as the
state constitution provides. The present
senate contains sixteen members and the
house thirtY-three. Under the proposed
new Arrangement there will be twelve
members in the senate and twenty six in
TITO house.
We can see no good reason why the
anne basis of representation could not be
clrIied through 10 both houses. The
constitution makes provision that no
cslEty, no matter how small lis popula-
t,n or assess able wealth, shall be left un-
npresented in the senate. Each county
is entitled to one senator. way. II the
plan proposed by Mr.. Brown is carried
out Laramie county with It's 1874
population and a. 600. 900 -assessable vslu
alton would have exactly the same repre-
sontation in the senate Is Natrona county,
for instance. with its population OF l.092
and Its Assessable valuation of $6, 900. 900
an arrangement which is manifestly IN
lust. II the legislature intends to be
guided By a spirit OF fairness a just way
would be to take the population of the
eevon northern counties which is Is. $50
and subtract it from the total popu-
lation Of the state, which would
leave IS, 1876. This would DIS
pose Of the seven northern counties
which. with the average population of
., l7e, would. under the constitution, be
entitled to one senator each or seven 10
all This would leave nine to dispose Of
and a just basis would 30 secured by
dividing IS, 796 by nine which would
make the basis of representation in the
COUNTIES along the Union Pacific railway
5,0Ss. 1t will be observed that this is
oyer twice the average population required
10 the northern tier Of counties.
Under this arrangement seven senator
ships have been disposed Of. Each coun-
~ aloog the line Of the railroad must
have one, as the constitution provides.
There are FIVE IN all which, added to the
seven 10 the north. makes a total of
Twelve, with four to dispose OF. These,
npon a Just basis, should be disposed of
10 those entitled to them as their populs-
ton indicates. Laramie would get two
Of them, or three in all. and still have a
population OF l,4s2 to go on. Albany
county would be next on the list, getting
a second senator for Its remaining 1852
inhabitants. Uinta would be last gu the
list, getting a second senator fof 2,2s5 in
habitants and the entire sixteen would
thus be disposed OF.
In this connection it should not be for
.LOtten that this arrangement lasts only
until 1895 when the first state census
must be taken. The leverage which it
would give this section is trifli and
hothing more than the three railroad
counties named are entitled to on any fair
+ aais nj ranresanfatiOn Win railroads