River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-11-21
A New nenartnre.

The Republicans have made a new
departure in the matter of apportion-
ment legislation. They have made it
possible for discussion to be had upon
the merits of the proposed bill, to
make criticisms and suggest changes
where they may be needed. If it is "A
gerrymander il will be soon discov-
cred; if it is an honest and fair meas
ure the public will not be left in
doubt. 1t will be few weeks before
the commission will act upon it.
Upon this commission there are three
able democrats who are distinguished
lawyers, capable of judging of the
constitutionality of the bill and who
will point out any unfair com bination
of counties. This gives an advantage
never before presented in making an
apportionment. Nothing is concealed
from the public. 1t shows the desire
of the republicans to make an appor-
tionment that will bear rigid scrutiny
and discussion
The plan to be submitted to the
commission fixes the number of sena-
tors at 80 and of assem- blymen at 80.
The assembly unit is three times that
of the senatorial unit. Dividing the
entire population of the state by 80
gives the population of assembly dis
tricts. But as county, township and
ward lines will not permit the popu
lation of each district to be absolutely
equal, some will be more and some
less than the result thus obtained.
The greatest care and effort to avoid
the excess in some districts cannot
avail, and for the same reason some
will be below the normal number. In
these cases the equality is maintained
by increasing or diminishing the rep
resentation of the district. Rock and
Green counties, which form a senate
district, contain a population of
$4,000 in excess of the representative
unit, but Dodge county, which has a
population of II 200 below the unit,
is made senate district; thus the
two senate districts are practically
equalized. Rock and Green will have
four assem- blymen and Dodge two,
which gives the three counties three
senators and six assemblymen, which
conforms to the assembly unit.
The districts are bounded by county
lines as is required by the constitu-
tion. Under the present apportion-
ment counties are divided, which is
forbidden by the constitution, but
which was done by the democratic
legislature in order to unite frag-
ments of counties to make demo-
cratic districts. Republican town
ships are separated from democratic
townships in the same county, and
Uice rerSd to make districts overwhelm-
ingly republican or democratic as
seemed to be necessary to give a dem
ocratic majority in the legislature.
Democratic organs declare the plan
is a gerrymander, but they do not
point out wherein it is not fair. The
threat is made that if special session
of the legislature is convened to re-
apportion representation, the consti-
nationality Of the law will be tested in
the supreme court, upon the ground
that the extra session is not compe
tent to redistrict the state. Should
the test be made it will not be with
out advantage to the republicans. 1t
will bring conspicuously before the
people the inequality and the uncon-
stitutionality of the present appor-
tionment act and may result in OBJ
tanning an opinion by the court upon
the question of the division of cOun
ties. The question has a dangerous
side for the democrats; but it is
hardly probable that the court would
decide unconstitutional the act
passed at special session if in other
respects il conformed to the require
ments Of the organic law. An honest
apportionment in conformity with
the letter and spirit of the constitu-
tion is demanded by the people-none
other will be accepted.-La Crosse
Republican and Leader.