The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-20
MINNESOTA POLITICS

Census Will Show Urgent Need Of a..
Legislative Reapportionment - Eddy
Boom for Governor Assuming Con-
siderable Proportions Brewer Almost
Certain to Run for Congress.
The state census of. this year is going
TO present, one great big problem to the
next legislature. The census will show
q gross inequality in the present sys-,
tenn OF legislative apportionment, which
was adopted in 1897 and based on the.
1898 census. Even on the basis Of those
hg9res the southern counties did not
yield enough to the north, and the big
shift in population that has taken place
IN the last ten years has made that
legislative apportionment a farce on
equal representation, under the light Of
the new census.
The average population for a sena-
torlal district, there being 63 in all,
will be somewhat under 81, 900, counting.
the state total at 1,950,000. Compare
Dodge county, which shows but l2,747
people, and yet has a senator of it's
| own. Houston has senator with only
1902 people. Compare this with the
seventeenth legislative district, embra-
cling Lincoln, Lyon and Yellow Medi.
cine. all of which counties have had
their totals announced. Their total pop
ulation is 42,068, and yet they have only
one senator: To be sure, they have two
referred to have but one each, but the
inequality is still glaring. Hennepin
| county, with approximately 100000 peo-
pie, has seven senators, or one to each
4l,428 people. Based on population,
Hennepin ought to have at least nine
members Of the upper house, out Of
sixty-three.
The house is almost as badly appor-
toned, and when the full returns have
come in from the northern counties, they
will show glazing Inconsistencies. It
| will be up to the legislature to remedy
them, and the southern counties will
| have to yield some Of their present mem
bership, unless the houses are increased.
The senate can stand an increase, but
! house chamber, and the legislature will
| have. to readjust rather than increase
membership, as it has done in. the past.
There may be some opposition from the
districts that will suffer, but people
generally will see the Justice of the
proposition. S. A. Langum, secretary of
the state senate, says on this subject
in the Preston Times:
| we have long since recognized that
| 90 GIO uol Ill DcCdulo uOIc pOpulOuS QUE
legislative representation would of ne
cessity be reduced, unless the size of
the two branches Of the legislature
be increased, and this is not desirable.
There should be. one hundred representa-
tives and just half that number of
senators, based upon the population of
the entire state, each locality receiving
it's share Of Representations more
no less. Southern Minnesota is not
| trouh1incr harca1f ouor ho orroron+ d.
crease in population, from political
viewpoint or otherwise. It merely
means that cheaper lands are tenn
porarily being sought in northern Min
nesota, the Dakotas and Canada. Sub
stantial prosperity still abides with us
and if there be slight decrease in popu
latlon, 1T will cause no worry
The Aitkin Republican says:
"lt has been usual for the nationa
committees, in calling the national con
ventions, to base the representation O.
each state upon the vote it cast at tn
preceding election for president, an,
the state committees usually base tn
representation Of the state convention
upon the vote given on governor. Blu
the republican state committee is nov
being asked to change this method
simply because to do otherwise woul,
cause thousands Of republicans VIII
last fall voted for johnson to be I'm
represented at the state convention. '7
This statement is incorrect as t
state conventions Of recent years. III
state convention Of 1898 was based O.
the vote for Mckinley in 1896, and no
ton of 1900 was based on the sam
! vote and not on the vote for Eusti
in 1898. The 1902 convention wa
based on the vote for Mckinley
1900 and not on the vote for Van San
The 1904 conventions were both base
also on the Mckinley vote of 1900 il
: stead of on the Van SAINT vote of 100:
The fact is that custom and preceden
in Minnesota favor using the preside1
tial vote as a basis for all convention
and the proposition to take the Dun
l vote next year is in the nature Of a
innovation, with only one possible OK
2 ject-to punish and thus to irritate til
{ republicans who would not vote fl
3 Dunn.
Frank. NJ. Eddy makes the follow
ing pertinent comment in the Sau
Center Herald:
: about cutting out the five delegates 9
: large. If they are again foisted o
:. the party, it will result in the crosses
a inequality of representation, as it a
q ways has in the past. Under its Worl
). ings, using the average vote az a b;
sis of representation, Lake county Woul
: J have one delegate to every 81 vote
8 Pope, an average county, one to ever
!. 102, while in Hennepin there would
y one delegate to every 236 votes.
, representation SO manifestly unfair s
to need no further COMMENT
For a man who is not a candidat
for governor, Eddy is getting a goo
e deal of advertising. All the .pape
) and politicians who were for Eddy La
year have taken up the old tune an
are calling attention to what woul
Q not have happened with Eddy as tt
e nominee. They seem to have receive
E some accessions, and the Eddy NOV
: ment is already taking formidable DR.
/ portions. Meanwhile the object
e their endeavors continues to edit Il
u Sank Center Herald, and does not see
$ to be doing anything on his own b
t half. If he really Intends to becon
It candidate, the republicans Of MINI
t sofa will hear from him in due tim
0 Frank was never bashful in Stair
: his wants, and he is not given to sa.
8 ing one thing and meaning another.
There is every reason to believe tn,
Ripley B. Brewers eye is fixed on Il
I sixth district congressional nominatio
and that St. Cloud and Little Falls wi
be locking horns again next. year.
Charles B. Cheney.
N Dot Trr cTnNpnApnr