The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-03-15
WEDNESDAY, MARCH Is, 1905.
PIRATES.

passage ia the ninth assembly was f.;
re.apportionment bill. which proposed
to give each county the representation
in the state legislature to which it il
entitled under the constitution. The
bill was defeated by a gang of political
pirates composed mainly of republican
and democratic members from coun.
ties whose representation would be de-
creased by a fair and eq uitable appOr-
tionment of the law making power,
based upon the population of each
county.
The injustice of the present appOr.
tionment, and the reason why a new
deal should be made, were dis.
cussed In a recent Issue of the River
Press. and no excuse can be offered
for perpetuating the outrageous con-
ditions therein described. Each part
Of Montana is entitled to equal rep.
r%eseutation and influence with every
other portion of the state in the law.
making body, but under the out-of.
date law o in force there ave several
counties whose membership in the ley
islative assembly exceeds that of other
counties which have IA much larger
population.
Among the illustrations of this IN.
justice is the case Of Carbon county.
whose population according TO the
last federal census was 1898, and
which has only one member in the
hand, Meagher county, with a popula.
ton of only 1926. has two members in
the house OF representatives, each of
these members representing 1868 citi-
zens OF Montana, while the member
from Carbon county represents 1888
persons.
There are two members from Broad.
water county, whose population is
only 2,64l, while Teton county, with a
population Of $3.50, has only one
member in the house of representa-.
tives. Valley county, with a popuIa.
ton OF 4,355, has only one member;
while Granite county, with about the
same population, has two members in
the house.
The county of Chouteau, with a pop.
ulation OF lO,966, has two members in
the house of representatives; while
Jefferson county, credited with only
$3.50 inhabitants, has three members.
Thoco yamn1c ehou, tho i,;,u,;no re
the present apportioument under
which the laws OF Montana are enact.
ed by members who do not represent
equal divisions OF the population.
The state legislature is required by
the state constitution Ito raise and
adjust the apportionment OF represen.
tatives" on the basis of population
as returned by the last federal census,
and every member Of the ninth as.
sembly, in his oath of Office, declared
he would respect this and all other
provisions of the constitution. In re-
fusing to pass any re-apportionment
bill, certain Montana law makers
violated their official oaths.
How long is the present unjust ap.
pOrtiOnment to remain in effect?
Members from counties that enjoy IA
larger representation in The legisla-
tive assembly than that to which their
population entities them, succeeded in
preventing Il fair and equitable dis.
tribution of the law making power,
and a future combination of their
forces may defer the matter Indefinite
~. The population of Chouteau coun-
ty and other parts of Montana may
increase to such an extent as to en-.
title them to double the representation
they 0 have, but members from less
populous counties that can command
a sufficient number of votes in the
legislative assembly may be able to
hold the unfair advantage they now
possess.
This is one of the matters that may
be decided by the people under the
proposed initiative and referendum
amendment to the constitutions. but
this power cannot be exercised until
the election of 1908.