Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-02-16
REOISTRICTING.
A Word of Warning Sounded by Wet1el
County Correspondent.

NouhlN correspondent
IT, NE Editor of De Register:
Sr: In regard 10 rediStricting the
state for Legislative purposes there are
many different propositions presented,
some % which are greatly unjust 10 the
northern part of the State, as well rs To-
some other particular sections. For in
stance, the idea of a surplus of over
5000 boz Wetxel is simply robhing that
number of people of their fair and inst
representation iu the House of Dele
gates. AND % which some other section
Iwi'l reap Che benefit Other instances
could Dee numbered equally as unjust.
7 was member of the Special Joint
/ Committee of the Senate aud House Of
I I>>l aud 50. which reported fair
and lust superintendent, thc bin
was reported Co the Senate
first ana s0me IN 'mjers FROM the north
rru part OF the State, who ought TO have
supported thc bin opposed u. Why
thcy did -o was diGcuit Co determine
This opposition from It's friends weak
cncd the Dim and finally resulted ia
substitute. offered by senator St0ll-
iugs. OF Boone county. being adopted.
which became the law as 10 now stands.
Sy Ola. adoption Of that substitute
what was then the old First Congress
s.oua. district lost Eve aud one half rep
reseutati,es ia the House OF Delegates.
DO the people desire 90 see this repeat
cd? Let MS glance at the facts for a
moment. Nearly an the counties COM
urising the First Congressional district,
part OF the second and Fourth districts
living jon measure contiguous are COM
paratiyely speaking deuSely populated.
as wei as some other particular sections
Of the State Again there are num-
Der OF counties ia other sections O; the
state that are comparatively speaking,
sparsely populated. This whole queS-
ton is q mathematical calculation and
requires q good deal OF figuring 70 ar
rive at a Just and fair basis Of repre-
seutation. So that an sections and cOun-
Ties will De- prop0rtiouately and Justly
represented. according % population a
nearly as possible. The difficulty lies
lon The fact that 80 many Of the counties
iu the State are uucQually developed,
that is. for comparative purposes some
of the counties are denStly populated,
whilst others are SparSely pOpu-
lated. This being true, an
increased basis OF representation leaves,
in q measure. large steady surplus M
the density populated counties, and OF
which the sparSely populated counties
get the benefit. The remedy lies In IN
creaslng the number of members IN the
House 20 such number a. will give To
each county a prOportiOnate. repreSen-
tatiou las nearly as poeSiblel on the
basis; then let the surplus representa-
tion De- given TO the counties by delegate
district. or otherwise entitled % it, TO
the counties having the surplus. IL is
usual, I believe. or iu accordance, at
least. with the constitution 20 give a
separate delegate 20 each county nav
Ing thrce-dfths OF the ratio of repre> IN
tation. Now, suppose that the basis be
fixed az 10000 people, then a county
having Is. 900 people could get separate
delegate. borrowing the other 1000
people from the more denSely populated
COMMITTEES. To obviate this difficulty the
number of members OF the House OF
Delegates ought 20 be Increased TO some
where between - and 50. This would
give probably a fair appointment, and
would fix the basis between $500 and
lO.O 900 people. The senate can be more
easily arranged, and possibly can be
fairly and Justly apportioned with Is
districts. The object ought 20 be IN
fixing the appOrtlonment 20 do As little |
i'm iuStico a possible, and some Injustice /
can not De- avoided in any event. To IL (
iustratc. We have 40 counties with /
population of less than 10000, and two /
only CLAY and Webster with popnla- /
ZION less than e.. 900 Now say YOU would I
fN the basis az 10000, then Il OF these 4
counties would get seventeen members |
OF the House with population OF 49, |
n3S. aud with 4O,O6- less than the ratio,
or i'm other words the remaining coun-
tie, would give tO.06e of their repreSen-
tation to theSf seventeen counties.
How much more would 10 oc n the
basis was fixed above 10000 nder
mo- circumstances ought tho basis 20 be
fixed above 10000, aud / am inclined to
think that $500 would be nearer the
proper mark than the former figure.
The probability Is that IN the next de-
rade the population in these >parSely \
populated counties will largely increase
MS DEVELOPMENTS now going on in many