Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-15
A.P|:POR'T'IO|NMENT

AZ MEMBER FROM THE WESTERN
PART OF THE STATE PRE-
sENTs AN ARGUMENT RE
GARDlNG APPoRTIoN-
MENT. s
4 To the Committee on Apportionment
OF the House of Representative Of
the Tenth Legislative Assembly of
the State of North Dakota: Il
4 In reference to the matter now be-
fore you for your consideration allow
4 me to say that I believe that all mem
bers of this committee are not only
I willing but anxious that our labors
shall meet with approval, but also that
| the result thereof may be founded in
equity and justice so far as we may
! be able to enact same
The two elements which we have to
reconcile, and | acknowledge that they
/ are seemingly widely divergent, is a
sort of claim of vested right in the
apportionment, as it now exists, SO far
as it applies to the smaller districts;
/ that is, the members of those districts
4 are extremely unwilling to give UP any
of the representation that they now
have, and the larger districts are ur-
willing to take an apportionment
which does injustice to them as COM
pared with the smaller districts.
The constitution plainly and fairly
states, That the legislative assembly
shall fix the number of senators and
divide the state into as many districts
as there are senator's and that "the
districts shall, as nearly as may be
equal to each other in the number Of
inhabitants" It does not say that the
| legislature shall divide the state into
representative districts, it being clear
ly the intention of the constitution.
that the question of division Of Tho
| state into legislative districts shouId
be along the lines of senatorial repre-
sentation only; therefore, the gift Of
extra representatives to patch IN in.
qualities in senatorial representation
IS not, in my opinion, an act that was
considered proper by trainers of the
constitution.
II we, taking the last census as our
guide, would tabulate the counties of
the state, we would find the following
That in class "A' those counties of
sc, 1000 inhabitants or over there are
only two, the counties of Cass and
Ward
OF class ''B," 10000 or over there
are only three.
Of class &C. $4,000 or over there
are only six. 7s
Of class d. 10000 or over there
are only seven. s9
But Of class e Z less than 10000
there are twenty-five.
1 think that it is an admitted fact
that any apportionment, the basis az
{ winch is more than 10000 population.
VIII VIII = not ' meet with favor, for the yery
natural and proper reason that the
i larger i'l the basis used, the greater viii,
be the Inequalities and injustice which
VIII need remedying, and we are here
70 enact Justice and not injustice.
Under nearly all the plans now he.
fore us the counties Of Pembina with
1912 population; Barnes. 1875.
Cavalier, 1926, are allowed two sen.
atorial districts each, while the conn.
ties OF Bottineau, with 1914 .popula-
/ ton ton; Mclean, 1925; McHenry, 49,
2Sl, are reduced to one senatorial dis
trict each, and ! ask if there is either
justice or equity in this treatment.
To make the inequality still greater.
the counties Of Dickey, with 7.412.
popula 1 La Moure, 7,715; Pierce.
1913; Rollette, 6,S42; Sargent, 7.414
/ and Towner, 1905, are ach figured for
one senatorial district. .s
It would seem but good mathemat-
4 zeal calculation to say that il county
OF $500 population is entitled To ba
considered as a senatorial district than
one Of 5000 or over should be en-
Titled TO Two senatorial districts. 63s.
It will not do to go into matter az
this kind with preconceiyed idea
that the number Of senatorial districts
must by all means be kept down to
the number Of 40 or Al, or any other
number below the constitutional limit
We We are re here to sit in Judgment upon
me rights Of our fellow men to repre-
sentation IN the legislative body of
THIS state, and we should not becloud
our minds with theories which ii the
4 working out enact injustice and In
BY taking as the basis Of our de
4 alterations the unit Of $500 or major
fraction thereof as the population Of q
4 senatorial district Il haI,ovoi ~ i -,