The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-25
THE NEW AppoRTIoNMENT.
Great LaaseBtsng an states rearing
non-...... 81 I, .........s.t : ION.

Great LaaseHt5ng an states Fearing
Decrease of Representation.
The question of the apportiunment Of
members Of the House of Representatives.
which VII come Up very SOON after the
recess. is one CT much Interest.
II IS probable there viii he soae s1teR-
sion OF the period of DEBATE in the House,
as an unusually large number OF members
will wish to be heard en- the subject Very
strong efforts viii be made by the mem
bers from the States affected TO avoid any
cutting down in their representation. If
these eiSorts should nat succeed in the
House. the fight viii be renewed in the
Senate. with more prospect Of success. for
the Senators from the States which would
lose have material advantages not possess
ed by their colleagues il the other braRSh-
Upcn one occasion. when the House had
cut down The representation Of Vermont.
which was perfectly proper. Senator Ed
munds hae it restored in the body of which
he was q member, and there are other
cases of similar character. Although the
House Committee has reported in favor of
maintaining the present membership. il is
n0t in the least unlikely that finally il will
be increased to a figure sufficient TO pre-
vent arg OF the States from suffering a
decrease.
There is much lament IRON. those CON
cerned about the pity of reducing State
representation, but, as remarked by MI.
Hopkins, Chairman of the Census Com
mitteS. there is nothing unusual and nc
hardship n this Almost from the very
beginning States have had their repre-
sentation cut down BY tbs superintendent
under each succeeding census Before Ihs
first census, which was taken in 1870,
and under the apportionmert made by the
Constitution, Connecticut had i've mem
beFs. Nos, after the lapse Of 10 gears,
it has but four. Under the apportion-
ment made by the Constitution, Virginia
led all the States, with 10 members;
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts cane
next with each. and Maryland and New
York had each. Now New York has
81 members OF the House and Maryland
has exactly the same number she started
with before the First Census. Under The
census of 1890 Maryland was given 8
members and New York TO- Maryland
from 1890 TO 1890 had 9 members; from
1880 10 1S4e, s: from 1910 to 1860. s; from
1850 10 1870, . and from 1870 till now.
g. Under the CENSUS OF 1896 Virginia
was accorded IS members. and sn 1900
22-still heading the list of States; Penn
=
York, IL each.
In 1916 New York took the lead. which it
has easily maintained ever since, was
given q members, Virginia and Pennsy1-
vania % each, and Massachusetts 70, In
1920 Massachusetts, went down to 13 her
present number. but from 1850 TO ts7e she
had only 10. Under the census OF 1880 New
York had 40 members. from 1869 10 1870
she had 81 and for the past 20 years her
present number of q
Virginia under the census OF 1860 had
only II members which was one less than
half of what she had 80 years before.
Rhode Island. from 1899 down, has had ?
| members. and Delaware in theasame period
| l. with the exception Of the decade from
1910 TO 1920 when she had 2 New Hamp-
shire in 1890 had l. and today only 2. Maine
has T. just half Of what she had in 1880,
and the present proposition is to take. one
CT these from her. Vermont in 1910 had s.
now 3. Under tee census Of 1890 Pennsyi-
vania had IS members but for 40 years aft
srward net so many She Tow has go.
Virginia and West Virginia together have
now Il. Ohio Is the only one OF the great
States Of the West which ever had repre-
sentation reduced. OF the Southern. states.
all have been reduced at one time or an
other except Arkansas, Louisiana. Miss
| tssipgi, Texas, aud Missouri. Pre- vious to
| the first census the number Of members OF
| the House OF Representatives was 60; aft
er the census of 1870, los; after 1900, IA;
after 1910, 1S1; after 1920 213; after 1896,
| 240; after 1910. 223; after 1850 233; after
| 1860. 241; after 1870. 2S3; after 1885, 325,
and after 1880. the present number-25I-