Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-19
Madison, December IA.

The joint legislative apportionment
committee, selected during the session
Of the legislature in the winter Of
1895 to arrange new app0rtionment,
has adjourned sine die 1t finished it's
Iabors Friday afternoon and two re-
ports from it were filed with the GOV
ernor. The majority report, signed by
the republican committeeman, advises
an extra session, while the minority
report of the democratic members
gives what they consider as cogent
reasons why no extra session should
be held.
Two of the republican members Of
the committee, Senator Stout and AS
semblymap Arson, were absent when
the vote on the new bill was taken,
SO that it was passed by only a bare
majority of one, all three Of the dem
ocratic members having voted against
the bill. The absentees, however,
gave the other members of the COM
mittee the right to sign their names
to the majority report, which, there
fore, goes 20 the governor with the
endorsement of all the republican
committeeman. There was quite a
fight as to which report should be
read first. Assemblyman Arson moved
that the minority report be read first.
This brought forth a protest from
Assemblyman Conway. Il came
here" he said, with the iuea that
fair apportionment bill was to be
drawn Instead | soon found it was
to be a partisan bill, and then with
drew from the session of the commit
tee as | thought | was not wanted. |,
however, object TO presenting our re
port first and say fatty on behalf of
the democratic members that il can
not be read first"
This matter was finally settled by
Mr.. Arson withdrawing his motion
and the majority report being read
first. 1t was as follows:
"To the Honorable the Senate and
Assembly:- undersigned a major
ity of the joint committee of the SEN
ate and assembly, appointed pursuant
to joint resolution No. 10, approved
April 10, 1895, relating to appOrtiOn-
ment, beg leave respectfully to report:
by said resolution with the duty of
preparing, as soon as the next enumer-
alton of the inhabitants of the state
shall have been taken, the result thereof
duly promulgated a bill appOrtiOning
and districting anew the members of
the senate and assembly, according to
the number of inhabitants, as shown
Ivy said enumeration, excluding In
dams not taxed, and soldiers and Of
ffcers of the United States army and
navy" The result of the census was
promulgated on the 18th day of Octo
Der, showing the population of the
state to be ,937915.
"On the first day of November, the
joint committee organized, by the cleo
ton of senator l.. w. Thayer, chair
man, and the election Of A. J. Turner,
as clerk of the committee. The com
mittee as soon as organized, entered
upon the discharge of he duty i'm
posed upon them by the joint resolu-
ton, have given the subject heir care
full consideration and attention, and
have prepared a dill, entitled "a bill to
apportion the state into senate and as
semblN districts, AM do, with this e.
port, deposit the sans with the gov
ernor, within sixty days after the
enumeration was completed, and the
result thereof promulgated, for sub
mission by the governor to the next
session of the legislature.
..Irbo undarCioDod howe ri,-oy c,rnat
labor to the preparation of this bill
and have kept constantly in mind the
command of the legislature, contained
in said joint resolution TO strictly
comply with the requirements of ar
ticle 4 of the constitution, as construed
by the supreme court to the end that
the assembly and senate districts shall
be so formed as to be as nearly equal
as practicable in population, compact
in form, and of convenient, contiguous
territory We have found it, not
withstanding our utmost efforts, i'm
b possible to apportion and district
anew the state into senate and assem-
biz districts III a manner to produce
exact equality in population. Observ-
ing the wise restrictions contained in
the constitution, that in the formation
of assembly districts neither county,
town, precinct or ward lines shall be
broken, and that in the formation of
senate districts no assembly district
shall be divided, we believe it to be
impossible to do more than to secure
approximate equality. There must of
necessity be inequalities in perform
ing the duty under the constitutional
restrictions. We have studiously en-
deavored, however, to so deal with the
subject as to make fair distribution OF
apportionment of members and sena-
tors among the people, to minimize the
inequalities between the districts, and
TO bring about, upon the whole, as near
ly as practicable, proportionate repre-
sentation of all the people in both the
senate and assembly. We have
worked out many different plans, and
the one which is embodied in the bill
herewith submitted is the result OF
our best effort and thought That il
will be found free from criticism We
cannot expect. That it shall meet the
wishes of each locality we do not an.
ticipate. 1t is our judgment that nc
bin can possibly be prepared that vii
do so. We hope, however, that whe1
carefully examined it will be found a.
whole to be satisfactory