Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-23
Executive Clerk Davidson Evolves a
Feasible Plan For Redistrict-
ing the State.
A Representative For Nearly Every
County Without Increasing the
Total Number.
Says it Would Give a Fairer Repre-
sentation Without Adding to
Expense.

portion the state into legislative dis
tricts which will conform to the provis-
ions of the constitution it can be done.
1t will necessitate few changes, and
changes that the supporters of the plan
insist ought to be satisfactory to every
republican member of the assembly. |
Practically the same changes are in
volved when Mr.. "A. II. Dawson, who
represented Lyon and O'Brien counties
in the house, offered reapportionment
bill which the Twenty-ffth general as
sembly defeated for reasons which it is
impossible. yet, to fathom.
The constitution provides that the as
sembly, at each session, shall apportion
the state into legislative districts: it
shall do this by fixing certain popula-
ton which shall be entitled to a repre-
sentative; every county, then, which
has more than half this number shall
be entitled to representative, and
such counties as have more than half
the number in addition to the whole
number shall be entitled to an add,
tional Representatives But the whole
number shall not exceed 100.
According to the ratio which has been
established for several years, Monona
county has been entitled to represent
ative, having 1906 people, or more
than the half of $4,000, fixed as the pop
ulatior of legislative districts. OBrien
county, also, has 1869. or more than
half the number fixed, and under the
CONSTITUTION is entitled to a representa-
tive. But how can they be given rep
iresentatiyes and not increase the whole
number?
1t is easy All that is necessary is the
discovery of a figure which, when APP
piled according to the constitutional
rule, will reduce the number of legisla
tors representing counties which now
| have two as much as the counties
which have none will gain. This figure
is anywhere between 27,100 and 1880.
The State Register this morning
prints the following relating to the
plan:
4 Mr.. Dawson, who is now secretary of
the state executive council, was asked
by the Register to find u solution for
the problem, and he did it, He discov-
Tered that any figure between 2T,100 and
1880 would result in equaliZing the
representation and follow the strict
letter of the constitution. 1t is merely
a matter of mathematics. Applying the
ratio Of 27,20o To the population of the
. counties. he finds that three represent
atives will be lost by certain districts
and three gained by others. as follows;
:, Gain-One in Monona county, one in
lOBrien county and one in Wright
county.
Il Loss-One in Des Moines county, ont
in Lee county and one in Clarke
: county
Monona is now districted with Ida
county. Yet it has half the ratio OF
$1,000. fixed by the general assembly
and has half the 27.2oo taken by Mr.
Dawson for a basis. Giving it its rep
! lresentative according to the constitute,
: would result in giving Ida county
; alone, a representative, whereas it now
! has half of one Ida county has 1l,42i
: population, or less than half of the y
POO but it does not adjoin any othel
each of them being entitled to a repre-
sentative of their own.
!. Wright county has now 1924 o
more than half the $1,000. would hav'
half the 27,20o, and would therefore b.
entitled to a single representative. Blu
Hancock county. with Hill, might ais
get a representative. alone. becaus
= every county around her is entitled to
representative except Humboldt al,
: 4SD, winnebago doIoD, and WORT
40. 2S5). Worth and Winnebago woul
!. naturally remain in their present rep
. resentative district. Humboldt and Pc
: Ecahontas are now Distracted together
: but Pocahontas it is seen by the fore
going figures has more people tina
/, Humboldt or Hancock, so that Han
:, cock might be districted with Hum
boldt and Pocahontas given one of he
:, own.
= O'Brien county. with 15609 people,
- now districted with Lyon, with III, S.
. although she has half the present rati
!, and would have half the 27,20o thus en-
titling her TO single representative
This would leave Lyon, which has les
than half of either ratio, alone. I'hi
: would necessitate a breaking up of tn
: Emmett Dickinson-O and the Cha
x and Palo Alto districts. Reapportione
(, on a mathematical basis, the new dis
s tricts would be as follows: Lyon-Osce
h ola (19,O51O, Clay dS,300), an
j. Emmet-Palo Alto (1972S). No represer
d tatives would be gained. but the cour
3. ties would be more evenly districtet
l. Osceola, Emmett and Dickinson woul
: each gain third of representative.
IS Des Moines county has 1889 popula
i ton. This is not one and one-ha
v times the ratio of $1,000. Therefore. 81
" would lose one of her democratic legis
d lators.
y Lee county has ss,52s population
: which is not one and half times 1920
:. therefore she would lose one of hi
~ democratic representatives.
=, On the new basis. neither Clark
y which has u.i7o. nor Lucas, which hf
13, 433 population would be entitled to
:, representative separately, SO that the
- must be distributed together, losing OF
y member between them.
There would remain only Adams az
934), Audubon d2,S36), Ida G1,425
l. Howard QS,23D. Louisa Q2,755), Cruz
l. dy 13.41S). and Hancock Q1,14D, or p
10 cahontas d2,442), which. with less tina
"a half the fixed ratio, would yet get rel
re resentatives under the clause of II
in constitution which says each distri
!. shall be entitled to at least one. The
.. is no provision in the constitute
40 which prohibits a district having le
to than half the ratio having a represen
~ alive.
ft.9fs Ia, al INN ff, 40