St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-02
rHE aPpoNTIoNMENT.

The committees are figuring on the
apportionment which there is every
reason to believe the present Legislature
will attempt to make. In view of the
decisions of the supreme courts OF other
states on the duty OF legislatures in per-
forming this duty, and especially in
view Of the severe denunciation by the
papers belonging to the same party with
the majority Of the enormlticS OF the
gerrymander-by Democrats is also
probable that an effort will be made to
prepare bill which will give equality
OF representation, with partisan a,iyan-
tage as an incident instead Of an eIIt.
This DISPOSITION will be aided by the
close and uncertain control of the sch
ate, 1t betrg very doubtful if the Repub-
licans could hold their combination If
partisan bill were presented.
The present app0rtionment is grossly
unfair and unequal. The senato:ia!
districts are probably cut out so as to
give the Republicans all possible adj
vantage. This is apparent on slight
examination and comparison. The
Thirteenth district is composed of the
county of Dodge, which had popula-
ton Of 10, S54 in 1890 and is given SEN
ator. The Forty-ffth district is COM
posed of the counties of SlearnS and
Benton, with population Of II, l2S and
one senator. Tie former is as reliably
Republican as the latter is Democratic.
Ramsey county has one senator to $4,000
of population, while NicOllet has one
for its IL, 3S2. Winona county, with its
80, 797 people. has only an equal voice
with Kandiyohi county, with its 1887.
The same spirit controlled the making
Of The representative districts within
the senatorial districts. Where more
than one representative was given to
senatorial district the district was di-
vided if by that process Republican
could be gained. Thus Winona county
was parceled out into four representa-
tive districts, one of which was surely
and another probably Republican,
though the Democratic majority in the
county was from 1000 to l,200. In other
counties where the same method might
result in sending Democratic repre-
SENTATIVE there Is ITO StDulN lSlOli vi INC
senatorial district, and the representa-
tives are elected at large. In the Forty
sixth district, composed of the counties
of Crow Wing, Mile Laos, Morrison and
Todd, this method was adopted because
Morrison would be sure and Crow
Wing probable to send Democrats;
but. elected at large, the Re-
publican majorities in the other
counties would overcome the Demo-
cratic counties and insure four Repub-
lican representatives, unless i'll the I'M
expected event Of suct: landslide as
occurred in 1890. Again, III the Ninth
district, made up OF the Democratic
county of Brown and the Republican
county of Redwood, where the majority
in the former would control the district,
the device was adopted of making each
representative district.
These are but samples of the gerry
mander of 1889, which, as said, will not
probably be repeated in view of the de-
cisons made, and the one which would
undoubtedly be made in this state if oc-
casion called. and also in view Of the
precariOuS hold on the senate. The
probable result will be an apporton-
ment as fair as was the congressional
appOrtionment of 1891.