The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-10
FLICKERTAL FURORE
DAIlOTA,S NEXT STATE
CONVENTION
SLOPE HAS GAINED IN POWER
If Faction Fights Can Be Settled
the Western Men Will he Able
to Manipulate Things
as They Please.
Special to The Globe.

GRAND FORKS, N. D., Dec. 9.-The
laws of North Dakota provide for re-
apportionmento of the representation in the
state legislature after each federal CEN
sus, and also after each state census,
which it was intended to take five years
after each federal census. This would
give census and d reapportionment
every five years. The state has been in
existence a little over ten years, and, &C
cording to the programme, there should
have been a reapportionment made by
the legislature at the session of 1855.
This was one of the lean years for the
Northwest, and the matter of reappor-
tionment was passed up. At the last seS-
sion, the duty was undertaken, and, as
is usual in all such cases. there were
various opinions as to the manner in
which the work should be done.
In the legislature, as at first consti-
tuted, there were SO members, 81 senators
and g. members of the lower house.
When the matter of REIMBURSEMENT was
undertaken at the last session there was
at the outset very pronounced opinion
in favor of keeping the membership at
as near the same number as possible, and
simply shifting the representation in &C.
Cordance with the movement of the center
of population. This, it was urged, would be
in the line of common sense and economy,
as a legislature of about 100 members
would be large enough to transact al
the business of the state when bodies
even smaller are found to be large enough
to manage the affairs of states with. TIL
times the population of ours.
Economy Lost Sight OF.
The question of economy was an i'm
portant one, as the state has been en-
barrassed by lack of funds with which
fn hoc
found it necessary on several occasions to
borrow money for this purpose Alto
gether the plan of keeping the repre-
sentation as low as possible was the pop
ular one at the beginning of the session.
But there was a change before the ses-
sion was many days old. Members were
willing to accept for their districts the
same representation that they had been
accustomed to in the past, but there were
few who were willing to accept reduc-
ton. AS the state had not grown uni
formly, but had increased in population
more rapidly in the western than in the
eastern portion it was evident that if
there was to be an equitable redistribu-
ton of seats some of the counties would
have to suffer reduction. This was I'M
satisfactory, and struggle of locality
against locality ensued for the greatest
possible representation.
The result was the passage of the
Sharpe bill, which provides for men,
bership of 140, a total increase of over SO
per cent. There was some complaint
over the increase on the ground that
the state was not in a position financially
to incur the additional expense which
would be inseparable from this increase.
but the legislature passed a bill which is
supposed to effect some saving in the
matter of clerk hire, and all was voted
very satisfactory The enlarged member
ship will, of course, have it's bad features,
but it will certainly make a hard and
fast combination for the election of a
United States senator more difficult to eff
feet, and this fact is giving some of the
candidates for this position something to
think Of just now.
Slope Can Do Things if
With from 20 to &c members added to
the slope delegation a body is formed in
which there are possibilities of the sue
cess of one element from that section If
1t can hold its quota of the western men
md make a trade with eastern counties,
and there is thus a possibility that the
increase in the representation from that
section may prevent the united action of
the western counties.
At present there is much lacking in the
matter of harmony among those who
have led the western forces in the past.
Bismarck is the center of the disturb
ance, and the factions led by Jewell and
Paterson are each striving for the as
cendancy. The fight broke out about the
time of the last election, and Paterson
succeeded in having the vote of one en-
tire precinct in the city thrown out, the
result being that though Judge Winches-
ter had a majority in the district, he was
in the minority according to the official
count in Burleigh county. The warfare
on the blind pigs and gambling establish
ments in the city is said to have beer
aimed at the ex-mayor, and there has
since that time been a constant fight be-
tween the two elements.
Cass County Wants Revenge.
Congressman Tom Marshall, the benef-
ciary of the combination that turned
6paldng down, is persona non grata in
Cass county. Some of the papers in the
southern part of the state profess to be
favorable to the election of Spalding this