The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-12-23

the recent census brought before con-
gress for action. According to state
ments made by Speaker Cannon found
ed on what seems to be the consensus
of opinion of the majority of the mem
bers of the house, there will be no in
crease in the number Of representa-
tives and should there be an increase
the total membership is not likely to
go over 400 or nine more than the
present membership. The number of
men in the house it is held, is already
Iunwieldly.
This, however, does not mean that
Oklahoma's representation in the halls
of congress will remain stationary To
Hhe contrary, the new state in all events
will be allowed two additional men,
bers of congress even if the unit of
representation should be raised to
total of 100000 inhabitants. At the
present time this unit is approximately
900, but it had little or nothing to
do with the five congressman allowed
Oklahoma by the enabling act. Okla
homas congressional representation
was fixed arbitrarily and If political
reasons had not prev Ted the state
would have been admitted with no less
than seven members of the lower
house. The democratic national con-
vention recognized Oklahoma's right in
1908 when it allowed Oklahoma eight
seats in the Denver convention.
No doubt the Oklahoma legislature
is itching to get an opportunity to re-
district the state, Speaker Durant of
the lower house can be depended upon
not to overlook any bets when the time
arrives to cut the big "pie" for such it
surely will be if present plans do not
miscarry. The program it is under
stood eontenplates the creation of
seven congressional districts with the
lines running almost due north and
south. In this way it is thought the
democrats will be in a position to con-
troll all seven seats.
Needless to say good many forces
already are at work on the legislature
with view of advancing the political
fortunes of certain men who have had
congressional bees buzzing in their
bonnets ever since the state was adj
mitted into the Union. Among these
are many members of the legislature
and men now holding important state
and county Offices These men can be
depended upon to bring sufficient pres
sure to bear to cause the creation of
congressional districts calculated to
shorten the distance between Oklaho-
ma and Washington
While the plan to run the new dis
tricts north and south two other plans
have met with considerable favor at
the hands of certain members of the
Legislature, and one of these plans may
be actually carried out in so far as it
will be modification of the first one.
That is to say, six congressional dis
tricts are to be of the shoestring va
riety if this plan is adopted, while one
district occupying the north central
part of the state will be left to the re-
publicans. If the other plan is carried
out two of the seven districts would
run east and west extending east from
the Alfalfa, Major and Blaine county
lines, and extending to the state line
of Arkansas. Such an arrangement,
it is claimed, would give democratic
majorities in all seven districts, but
leave the republicans a fighting chance
| in the districts running east and west.
In order to carry out this program
the apportionment committees of the
Legislature would have to run three
districts Immediately under this east
and west ubdivision-that is to say,
shoestring districts, also running north
and south, but only half as long as the
proposed neighboring districts to the
west, which are to run from the Kan
sas to the Texas line direct. Thus
there would be an extreme western dis
trict extending upward from Harmon
county to Harper, Beaver Texas and
Cimarron. and another district with
Jackson, Tilman and Comanche on the
Texas line, and extending northward
so as to include Wood and Alfalfa
county.
OF course it is too early to make pre-
dictions, but there are some people
who are already declaring that the re-
apportionment bill will cause such a
big row in the legislature that Okla.
homa's next congressional delegation
will be elected at large as a result.
But there also is every Indication
that there will be a grand chorus OF
howls in congress when the reappor
tionment bill is brought in for action