New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-01
1ppORTJONNENr 4 DUTY.

90, ,:,o+ and most pressing duty OF Noh-
Nv :. - make a new apporionment.
Tbore is no disposition on the part u nep"'''
,,. 20 rob of their constitutional snare Oh
nower the rapidly gIowing communities 81 '"r
IT,. and Southwest. Whatever disposition Oh
.lot sort cyj.ts is 10 be found among lhe Dch'o-
cratic who profess to be ANXIOUS lest temporary
;;, .ico sbould be done to this or that STATE y!
'.'..,,,;orr,ort based on a census which they
''I,,,,oso dosactivc. On no better ground thal
.hi. surnositIon. some of them propose to deieat
apnortionmcnt this year, and since many Oh Vnc
-.ato. bord no legislative sessions after TINS
,,i,.,r until 1898. they would thus ROB many
state, If their righttul representation III W"
oress for at least two years ana OF thelr riG"'-
h,l share of power in the election OF fIeS'"e"'
for tour years.
I, is NOT alleged by anybody that the sup
poscd errors IN any state can be more Via"
onouch TO affect It's representation hy one mem
bcr Of Congress. If further investigator
sbould prGyc that any state 10y reason OF ue-
fcctivc enumeration. is entitled To an addi'iohal
uomhcr Of Congress, bill to that effect couid
he pa>scd at any time 50 that the loss oil one
,,ombor could be corrected before the next
election of congressman in the fall OF lN'-'
Kut the wrong done by preventing aPpor-
tio1mcnt this year would affect the righlS oi
millions of citizens who are no" ehlueu 10
,hroo NOR, Representatives in Nebraska alone
t,,o more in Minnesota and one more III cach
If ,hc states of Ncw-Jcr>cy, Colorado Wash
incton. OREGON. Texas ana Arkansas Ihe'c
states now have right, on the basiS OF inc
n,,scnt number of Representatives, 10 nlhc
al.
right Democrat, propose TO ron them lor Nc'o'"'
years. on the llim-y pretcXf tha' an ac' T'd",'"0
their right may possibly be found 4" nave uohc
Injustice - some other state 10 the eA'"H' u
one member and no more. Five OF the seven
states which il is thus proposed TO wrong N"'cu
for The Democratic party four weeks ago ana
~ least three of the seven are reliably Demo
cratic.
rbe Western states "a a whole have galheu
j.C0O.O00 in population, and IcAa' ana AZ
kansas .O0O. 900 more, mainly hy the move
ro,+ If citizens from the older states - new
homes The proposal 10 disfIanchl>c them Ley
voa,s i, exactly on a level with the famous
exclusion of Dakota and Washington Tor pafu-
.,n reasons. which resulted in Overwhelming
dafeat of the Democratic party IN those STATES
/. will not be found profitable to any party 10
.ob tho Nosi of IFS constitutional rights III the
Govcrnmcnt. for any reason or on any prctcX'
whatever Immediately after the dcccnnlal cen
su>. the Constitution requires redistribution
Of poliical power and th" Ropnhllcln' III 'oh-
o e,> will see that il is their duty 10 make 'ha'
redistribution with rs little delay a. possible.
I'm fact. il ought 70 be made within month
- that state Legislatures can make the ncccN-
gary apuortionmcnt for a larger OF smaller rep
rc>ontatiOn.
In WASHINGTON dispatches to-day are given
computations of general interest, showing what
allotment Of Representative, t. each state Inc
ccn>u, Of population requires. These Sho"
thai retention Of the present number 0i Rep
re.ent;tiveS would involve loss of one member
| each bv the states of Maine Ohio, Indiana.
Iowa Maryland, Kentucky Virginia, south
! Carolina and Tennessee and Of two members by
! Ncw-York These states have now III Con
cra,>mon who cannot DO expected 10 assent I"
, decrease if exact Justice can be done without
an unreasonable increase in the membership 81
the House. The tables printed also show what
the division by states would be if the number
should be increased t. 3ij, t. 81? or to 30
i'ulcS, the number should be still further en-
,areod. namely to 800, the State OF Virginia
would still lose one member but there are
strong and valid reasons for avoiding a toe
rapid increase Of membership. aS dispatch 0i
hu,inc,, i'm the House j. already attended with
much difficulty. liut such increase as will
avoid los, OF representation for nearly all the
states l. probable, and IN accordance win
precedent.