The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-16
BESET WITH DIFFICULTIES
Is the Path OF the Proposed Re-
appOrtiOnment.

While the Mountain Iron mine in
vestigation, naturally, was the para
mount topic of discussion in legislative
Hobbies yesterday, the disagreement be-
tween the house and senate over the re-
appOrtionment scheme was not entire
ly lost sight of. AS was expected, the
house refused to accept it's reapportion-
ment committee resolution as sent
be ok by the senate, and some were
surprised that it was sufficiently con-
ciliatory in spirit to appoint a conn
mittee of conference to meet a similar
committee from the more pretentious,
though smaller, branch of the legisla-
ture.
The expression in the senate debate
a few days ago was in favor, generally,
of a much smaller legislative assembly
than the present. the number of sena-
tors being placed from SO to 40 in the
discussion. A number of the states
have at present legislative assemblies
consisting of SO senators and SO repre-
sentatives, which preserves an exact
proportion with no difficulty. But il
any Of the Minnesota legislators antici-
pate any such sweeping reduction in
the membership of the Minnesota body,
they are reckoning prematurely South
ern Minnesota holds the key to the
situation. The First and Second dis
tricts, with the Fourth, will have an
llIS1SSl Ill hcCpluS up lHe HuIIU6I, DIS
they, the first two districts, will be
positive lovers, even on the present
basis, and any deep cut will reduce the
Ramsey county representation. Min
neapolis has just about kept pace with
the state at large, which deserves the
most, has the least forceful representa-
ton at present, to secure for it its just
deserts.
That is where the southern counties
have the bull by the horns, so to
speak The First congressional district
is willing to stand a cut of two sena-
torfal districts, perhaps three, in re-
apportionment. It's representatives
count on the support Of the Second
and probably the Fourth. if not the
Third, in forestalling any cut deep
enough to cut them more than that
The First now has ten senators; it
would take eight. probably. A similar
reduction in the other districts would
make, under the present ratio, a senate
of forty-three, but with the changed
ratios of population, it means nothing
more nor less than a senate of sixty
to preserve equity. Cut the First con-
gressiOnal district three, and 1t equit-
ably will require fifty-three senators to
represent the remainder of the state
The question is, can the representatives
of the southern part of the state be
induced to reconcile themselves to a
cut not only deep enough to give the
northern end of the state justice, but
to reduce at the same time the total
membership of the legislative body
If it does, it will work some remark
able changes in the personnel Of the
states political divisions, and compli-
cate to a considerable extent the local
campaigns, to say nothing of the good
men and true that it will throw out Of
jobs Taken all in all, the prospects
of reduction in the membership of the
legislature by this session, any ma
terial reduction, of course, being re-
ferred to, is scarcely a tangible posi-
bility.
With the two branches of the law
making power pulling at cross pur-
poses, the voters Of the northern part
Of the state will be lucky if they get
equity.