Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-08

oStiy greater IoSo ~"
wouiu come to them from further
needles ana arbitrary concentration OF
ornciai power in national affairs.
80 lar as the dispatch Of business
Is concerned. there is no objection
when can possibly be urged against
$50 members or for that matter 1896
members on the score Of unwieldli-
ness which could not be urged with
equal 1orce and truth against the pres
ent number of representatives. No
fair minded man will for moment
question but what the rules which
have been found necessary to the
orderly transaction of business under
existing conditions would operate
equally well with a membership con-
slGerapiy In excess of our present one.
The membership of this House as a
matter OF fact long ago outgrew the
conditions which made it possible for
each individual member to participate
to whatever extent he might desire, in
its discussions-a privilege which is
with much difficulty. under the great
pressure of present day conditions, Sc
cured to United States Senators.
AS matter of fact those who favor
reduction in the peoples representa-
ton at the National Capital. are
somewhat put to it to find serious ar
Suments against the proposed in
crease of % members Even the as
serted lack of capacity in this hall for
such a contemplated increase-that
prodiSious argument with which the
advocates Of contracted representa-
ton have sought in vain to fortify
themselves in the last two apportion-
ments-is unaVailing now. | confess
that | have had the temerity to sup
pose that the needs of a great people
might be permitted even to override
the limitations of partition walls; that
the Capitol itself is intended to ac-
commodate the people. and not the
people to accommodate the Capitol.
But fortunately for the peace of mind
of these gentlemen. the increase OF
membership contemplated in the bill
reported by the minority of the Cen
sus Committee involves no enlarge
ment of this hall A plan prepared
by the architect of the Capitol shows
that such additional members can
amply be provided for within it's pres
ent limitations. Bereft of this old
time rock of refuge, our opponents are
perforce driven TO soiicitude for the
future. IT, they say, you keep on
in the decades of the future increas-
ing the membership of this House TO
render ii in some degree commensurate
with the growth of the country, the
time will come. alas, when we or our
descendants will be brought face 10
face with the dire necessity of moving
these partition wallis" Well. posi-
bly,. but this terrible contingency is
not yet upon us, nor need we
cross any bridges until we get to them.
We are only asked at this time to
lesislate in the light OF present day
conditions for the next ten years.
Those who come after us may rea
sonably be depended upon to meet the
requirements of the future wisely and
well. There is also more than an
equal chance that the growing lack of
veneration may by that time prove a
saving grace.
The proposition to hold the total
membership of this body where il is
for another ten years. or in other
words to require that its members,
each of whom. during the past decade,
has represented here about $4,000 in
habitants. shall represent about 209.000
people each during the present decade
is practically equivalent to a reduc
ton of -, members in the represen
tation which the people of this great
country with all their gain in num-
bers and the multiplication of inter
ests demanding the attention of Con
gress are to have at the National
Capital during the next ten years.
The bill reported by six of the thir-
teen members Of the committee, while
ii takes care of the legitimate inter
ests of every state in the Union. and
deprives none of them of existing
representation. increases the total
membership of this House but %. a
number by no means unprecedented
The increase in 1870 was ~, although
the gain in population was little more
than one-half of what it has been in
the decade just closed. The same in
crease was made again in 1880 while
in the apportionment of 1890 the in
crease was 81, two more than that
called for by the bill reported by the
minority of the Census Committee, not
withstanding the fact that our growth
in population and in wealth between
1890 and 1900 was greater than in any
previous decade OF the country's his
tory. This bill amply provides for ali
the growing interests of the country
and avoids the gross injustice of de
priving states which have Increased in
population in the past decade of
representation now enjoyed. and
which was based upon the smaller
population of ten years ago.
Nothing can be fairly urged as q
just and sufficient reason for depriv-
ing any state of existing representa-
ton save a substantial falling off in
the population upon which it was
originally based. We are not con-
fronted at this time by any such con-
tingency. Under the bill reported by
the chairman of the census committee
eight states of the Union, Indiana
Kansas, Kentucky. Maine. Nebraska,
Ohio. South Carolina and Virginia are
deprived of representation which they
have had during the past decade, and
yet not Il single one of these states
has failed during that period to make
n substantial increase in it's popula-
ton. | submit in this connection a
table showing the amount of such in
crease in each of these states:
Population Population
states. 1899. 1900. Increase
Indiana. 2l924oi 2.5l6. ACE 324. oa,
I 80 40