The sun., 1892-03-27
SubscrIpticn by Maii-Post.paid,
No More Rotten Borough States.

No More Rotten Borough States.
Twenty-eight years have passed sioe
Nevada In 1864 was admitted into the Union
Tho nature OF this transaction is showr
by the fact that at tho census o
1860 tho Territory had contained onl,
s,s57 people. while in tho Appocton
ment- net OF 1863 tho number FIVE.
upon for Representative in Congress hat
been l27,301. Tho following census that o
1870. gavc Nevada 42.4Dl people: but this
was still less than one-third OF tho Repre-
sentative npportionmcnt based upon that
census. Her high-water census mark wa:
achieved ten years later, in 1880. when hcI
population reached G2,266. while tho appor
tionment for Congress based on that cen.
sUs was 15l,0l1. Since that timc the Sage
Brush State. in II reversal Of all pcsccdents
ut the West. has actually lost population.
90 that Its total for 1890 was only 49, 76l
whereas the npportionment for Representa-
tlvcs based on that census has increased To
173,9ol. Nevada, with fewer people to-day
than ANY Territory except AiassS, and with
scarcely more than One-foufth OF the puni-
Der tixed by the latest Representative np-
port:onlnent. for moro than u quarter Of {,
century has had not only it's member OF
Congress. but as large votc in the Senate
es New York or Pcnusylvunia.
No other instance in tho history Of our
admissions of Territories is quite 80 broad
os this of Nevada. but there are appro, ,ima-
tons to it. In 1880 acts wcrc rushed through
Congress for the admission of Idaho and
Wyoming without waiting to hear the re-
suits of the current cnnsus. When. short
QffplIcnr1 hn ion ~,
known. it was found that Idaho lad only
64.385 people, and Wyoming only Go.7o5. UD-
der the existing Apportioumcnt act. that
OF 1888, the numbc" necessary for u
Representative was 1,9ll, so ;nat these
two States combined did not h,v" enough
people to reach this standard. And get at
the same time Congress rejected New Mex
leo. although tho census Of 1880 showed tnat
1t contained 1858 people. o. more than
Idaho and Wyoming cotnbined. and more
than the then prevailing appor:iunnant.
What We see. therefore, is the comoned
population Of three States. Nevada. Int!lo,
and Wyoming. amounting to only 1895
by the census OF 1890. Oh which the aUpor-
tionment for single Representative is
17s.901. They actually have three Repre-
eentatives and six Senators, so that they
might. in closely divided Senate. control
the legislation Of tho whole country.
Other examples could be cited on this
subject. fortunately less hagraut. sud yet
suggestive. Montana had been previously
admitted on o population which in 1899
amounted to l32,159. or more than 1900
below the new ratio for a representative.
When Dakota applied for admission, it was
at first proposed to take her as II single
State: but the act as efterward passed
separated from the populous southern part
the less settled North Dakota. which in
1890 showed only 1919 people.
Considerations like these have suggested
whether. in the projects now pending for
admitting new Territories. some old blum
three different schemes before Congress:
one for admitting hsr as State "a second for
continuing her in her present condition.
although she had by the census of 1890 a
population OF 207.905. or more than enough
to entitle her to admission: third 10
give her q special kind Of homo rule
new In our political system. The question
has been raised whether it would not DO
better than any of these plans to divide this
Territory. adding the western portion TO
Nevada and the eastern to Colorado. If
the line adopted for this purpose should
be the western boundary of Wyoming. con-
tnued southwark to Arizona. n popua-
ton could be added to Nevada large |
enough to remove tho standing repronch |
upon the latter as State unduly repre-
sented in Congress. Nevada would then |
have nearly quarter OF million Of people. |
At tho same timo the Mormon problcm |
might find solution on the foundation OF |
the Constitution and laws OF Nevada. and |
through the ability Of the combined Gentle |
populations OF the now and old portions OF |
The State effectually to suppress polTgamy. |
It has been suggested further that. with
, view to admitting Altoona. and yet not
,reatipg another rotten borough State, it
should be reioincd To New Mexico. the two
sntering the Union NJ u single State. Their
common origin and history. their similar
ties In population. climate. soil. resource.
aud other respects. would make such q
.;;.op loss ,;'iticuit to bring aDouv. arizona.
with it's population of $500 in 1890. may
ong have hard task TO secure admission
slonc: but the two nelghbors combined
would enter rs strong State. having up-
ward Of $4,000 peopi0 IN 1890 and many
more to-day. map in another column
vii, show how il would also bo possible !.
desirable, to eGualize more nearly the nIen.
)f tho three adjoining Stata.. AS thus re-
'onsJ!tutcd. by taking II strip from the
poiahern border rof New Mexico and 4 Arlzoua.
Inc great point is 10 prevent any more
lbuses OF tho system OF admitting Icrrlto-
ies into the Union. 1t used 20 he held thpt.
With the great growth of the country TO
rely on. an evil of that sort would soon
'eniedy itself, and weak new coloer grow
Iirong. But the histoiy OF Nevada for the
ssU twenty years has destroyed that tho
'ry, and has shown that post bunders must
lot be repeated.
a W'l Making.