The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-11
Objects TO the Apportionment Plan
Which Would Wed 1t to
st. Clair.
GERRYMANDER TROUBLESOME.
Indications Are That the Problem
Will Continue to Vex the lii
nois Legislature for Two
More Weeks.
FEPUBLlC SPECIAL

fEPCBIlC SPECIAL
Springfield. ILL.,. Feb. 1o.-The coming week
in the Illinois Legislature will be a COM
paratively short one. On account of Lin
coins birthday Tuesday, which is a legal
holiday under the laws of Illinois,, the two
houses will not reconvene until Wednesday
morning. As the usual adjournment for the
week will be taken on Friday, there will be
really but two full days of legislative work
this week.
The indications are that the apportion-
ment question will continue TO monopolize
the attention of members for at least two
weeks longer. At the present time the mat
ter Is in the hands of subcommittee of the
Senatorial and Congressional Apportion-
ment committees of the two houses. These
subcommittee have been industriously at
work. A congressional apportionment bill is
likely to be determined upon this week. The
TWO subcommittee on congressional ap-
pcrtfonment have, in fact, mapped out a
plan which has been already published, but
tnis Is subject to change before submission
10 the full committee. That IL will be
changed in some respect before submission
10 the joint Republican caucus is probable.
AZ places VIII County with Cook. This
scheme has encountered some opposition
from certain Cook County members. who
would be thrown into the Will County dis
trict ana who fear that VIII County would
completely dominate the district.
Objections to the Map.
oo1ections TO the MAP come also from
mercer County politicians. who object to
1Sihs paced IN a congressional district with
Henderson, Warren. McDonough, Hancock
and Adams counties. The chief obiector to
TINS arrangement is said to be James Nc
Kinney OF Aledo. who was chairman of the
executive Committee of the Republican
state Central Committee in the late CAM
paign- The district Is recognized as one
wnicn would be dominated by Adams, Ham
soch ana MeDonough counties. Mr.. McKin-
ney ID SAID to regard the proposed arrange
ment as practically the elimination of
mercer County as a factor in the district.
Inc olstrict which he Is said to favor would
cut on Adams on the south and leave the
otner counties as they stand. with the ad-
Si.ion OF ROCK Island County on the north.
ties. confirming couh-
Il seems probable. however. that this dis
geen mapped out by the subcommittee.
Inc cnief reason for this Is tina Speaker
coanty. an 4 heinz q resident sits,1 Of MeponOugh
neW apportionment. will hardly consent TO
any arrangement which will eliminate his
own county as a controlling factor in the
part
Madison Dissa tisned
There are objections, too, to tie associa-
ton OF Madison n ST. Clair counties in
the same district. The Objections come
from the Madison County politicians, who
DO a3, not want to be thrown into a district
viii be a modifcation OK the plan 90 far re as
1t affects this district.
1t seems to be well settled. however. that
the objections Of members TO any plan
which the subcommittee may finally de-
termfne upon must be founded upon a more
substantial basis than mere personal prefer
ence In the matter of the association of
counties. Those engaged in the framing of
the apportionment bills recognize the fact
pare a measure which will be personally
satisfactory to every Republican member.
There is a disposition to accommodate all Of
possible to do so. The difficulty encount-
cred. however. Is that a change in a single
district usually necessitates a change in
several others. and instead of diminishing
generally increases the list of Directors.
The Senate apportionment map Is much
further from completion than the congress
probable that the subcommittee will not
agree upon a senatorial apportionment bill
before some time next week. No work win
be dope by any of the subcommittee until
after the r~econvening of the two houses on
Wednesday. The work will then be resumed
and win be pushed forward as rapidly as
After the congressional and senatorial
maps have been definitely agreed upon by
the subcommittee they will be submitted
to 3 joint caucus of the Republican Senators
course, that the caucus will make some
changes in the plan. but its action, what
ever 1t may be. viii be final. 1t is antici-
pated that there will be no boilers on the
caucus decision and that the caucus bills
will be speedily passed by the two houses.
As they win be identical In form and as no
amendments will be permitted outside Of the
caucus It will be possible to pass the bills
in three days after their introduction.
J. L.