The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-01
The Question of Reapportionment.


Upon the basis of the census of 1890,
the congressional ratio Of representa-
ton in this state is one member to
every 1739O1 population. The appor-
tiOnment of the two congressman now
elected at large to regular districts, as
well as the readjustment of the present
regular districts so that they will more
nearly conform to the ratio, will be a
duty which will devolve upon the next
legislature, and it will obviously be an
important duty
The Philadelphia Press claims that
Philadelphia will get one of these con-
gressmen and Allegheny the other,
since each county already has one more
ratio than it now has members of the
national house of representatives. The
problem left to the Legislature will be to
equitably distribute the ratios among
the twenty-one remaining districts. OF
these districts eight fall 10000 or more
below the ratio in population; namely,
the Eighth, with population of 1852, 1867;
the Tenth, with 1.49,O95; the Eleventh,
1853; the Fifteenth, with 146,227; the
Seventeenth, with 1873, ,795; the Twenty
sixth, with 151,39S and the Twenty
seventh, with 13S,S26. The Sixth, Sev-
enth, Fourteenth, Sixteenth, Eigh-
teenth, Nineteenth and Twenty-eighth
districts come so near the ratio that
little if any change will be necessary;
while the Ninth, with 223,95S the
| Twelfth, with POI ,203; the Twentieth
with 213, ,202; the Twenty-frst, with 245,-
| 7i6; the Twenty-fourth, already having,
exclusive of its Allegheny portion, $780,
096, and the Twenty fifth, with 1875, SOS,
considerably exceed the ratio. If we
assume that the Twenty-fourth district,
with Allegheny excluded, could stand
without, further change, the problem
that presents itself is how to equalize
the facts that the / III 800 inhabitants of
the small districts have eight represen-
tatives in congress while the !, ,0S2, III in
habtants of the large districts have
only five.
Coming down to the local significance
of this question, we have presented the
fact that our own district is 31,S13 under
size. while the Twelfth is 27,3O2 toe
large. If the political element were
eliminated, nothing would be easier
than to take from Luzerne approx.
mately 10000 population, and attach II
to Lackawanna. Assuming that g
modification of the present district
boundaries is necessary, this might be
accomplished, If from Luzerne there
were detached and annexed to the
Eleventh district the 33,1l3 persons in
habiting Avoca, Exeter borough, EX
eter township, Hughestown borough
Marcy township, Pittston borough
Pittston township, Plains, West Pitts
ton, Wyoming and Yatesville. The two
districts would then both be as nea,
the requisite ratio as legislation coult
! well place them. The Eleventh distric
: would have 175,201 inhabitants and tn,
: Twelfth would have 16S,O90, upon tn,
: basis of 1890. The political effect of thi
, change, estimated upon the basis of th
MISUNDERSTANDING vote of two year
| ago, would be to subtract 22O Demo
cratic plurality from the Twelfth dis
J trict and add the same to the Eleventh
=
election and in the recent gubernatorla
5 election returned Republican plurali
3 ties; and while their political afflllation
= are an uncertain quantity, we believ
$ the general trend in Luzernes uppe
= end is toward the Republican party.