Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-21

CNhbANSo VIII AtdHbuAAluh AAt llltilAbNi-
ship of the house OF representatives ac-
oording to the new census and the legis-
latures of the several states will apply the
result of that reapportionment by re-
districting their states. Under the Ameri-
can system of politics the minority party
has no rights which the majority is bound
TO respect. About a century ago; in fact on
the heels of the re-apportonment under
the census of 1910, the republican legisa-
ture OF Massachusetts,, under the DONNA
ton OF Governor Elbrdge Gerry, Fedistri-
buted the districts so that the federalists
could not elect members of congress, In
order to obtain a republican majority one
district was made, the peculiar outline OF
which presented a somewhat dragon-lllle
contour.
a map having this district strongly out
lined hung over the desk OF Benjamin
RUSSELL an ardent federalst partisan
| editor. Gilbert Stuart, the celebrated painter
whose portrait of Washington has become
the accepted likeness of the Father OF His
Country, came into Russelrs office one day,
took his pencil and added wings and claws
to the dragon on the map. He then said:
How will that do for a salamander?"
Better say gerrymander!" growled Rus
sell. And thus was coined the word gerry
Aiidlputi W ueSlBndle DTdCllCe WHICH,
from the beginning of our political history,
usually has controlled the political party
destinies Of the country.
The census probably will show an in
crease in population of about 100000 in
the entire country. 1t is improbable that
the influential eastern states will consent
to a relative loss in representation in
order that the size of the house of repre-
sentatives may not be increased. The prob
abilities are that from thirty to seventy now
members will be added TO the house. II the
present apportionment ratio OF 1874, 1872 should
be maintained there will be slxty-six ad-
ditional members in the house and thirty
four legislatures will be called upon to
redistrict their states to provide for the
election Of the additional members.
If the democrats should succeed in gain
Ing control of the house of representatives
in the coming election, the reapportion-
ment undoubtedly will be made by the
present congress during it's last session.
which will begin next December, after its
successor has been chosen. II the repub-
| licans win in November the work OF re-
apportonment may be postponed to the
Sixty second congress on account of the
chaotic party conditions now prevailing in
the house.
Not since the civil war has the reap
portionment been made by the democrats
| After the census of 1870, congress was in
| creased by the addition of fifty members
! This was done by the Forty-second con-
gress, in which there was a republican ma
| jority of twenty-three in the house and
twenty eight in the senate. The Forty
fifth congress, after the census of 1880
| added thirty-two members to the house. In
| that congress there was a republican ma
| jority IN the house OF twenty three and in
| the senate OF two. That reapportionment
was made after the Forty-sxth congress
had been elected, in which there was O.
democratic majority in the house of TWEEN
ty-three. The Fifty-first congress made
the reapportionment following the census
of 1890 adding thirty-one members to the
house. That congress had a republican
majority of eight in the house and in the
senate the same number. That reappor-
uopment also was made in the short SEES
sion of congress after the Fifty-second
congress had been elected, the house being
returned with the enormous democratic
majority Of 127, the largest majority ever
held by any party in congress. The last
apportionment also was made during the
last session of the FIfty-sixth congress.
In that congress there was a republican
majority in the house of twenty-five and
in the senate of fourteen. The succeeding
congress already had been elected, but in
this case the republican majority in both
houses had been increased. In fact, the
republican majority never has been so
small as twenty-five since that time.
| One OF the reasons why the republicans
have had such a comfortably safe margin
In the house ever since the last apportion-
ment is that after the increase of the house
from 356 to 1856 members the state legisla-
lures proceeded to redistrict the states. In
all of the eastern, central and western
states the legislatures sitting in 1901 were
| republican. They drew the district lines
with the intention and purpose of making
| IL as difficult as possible for the democrats
| to elect members of congress. In the south
ern states the legislatures were democratic
and, in those states where there IL any
real republican party similar efforts were
made TO hold down the republican represen-
| tatiOn,
| In 1891, although the reapportionment was
made by republican congress in its ex-
piring hours, the gerrymanders were in the
hands of democratic legislatures which had
been captured from the republicans in the
great democratic landslide which followed
the enactment OF the Mckinley tariff bill
In 1880. A democratic legislature in Michi-