The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-06-30
DEAL
In DISTRICTS
AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION
TO De susmlTIEp.
Republican state Committee Proposes
New Arrangement Of Senatorial
Districts 70 Prevent Another
Partisan cerrymander.

~ 49,
thorited 10 appoint q subcommittee 20
confer with Governor Hadley u
agree upon a bill for dividing the sta'e
into senatorial districts, and TO deter
mine how 10 get Il before the people
for enactment under the provisions OF
the initiative and referendum. MI
Dickey subsequently appointed c, T.
Madison OF Kansas City, Lenny Bal
bridge OF Milan and II. D. Evans OF
Bonnie Terre as members OF the SUP.
committee and named Cal. Pierce OF
M~aryvile. Capt. Henry King, editor OF
the Globe-DemOcrat, +. L. E McJim-
sey. editor OF the Springfield Repub-
lean. c. ID. Morris, editor Of the 81
Joseph Gazette. and Homer Hall Of
Trenton Ia member Of the revision
board. as an advisory committee to
act with this subcommittee.
These eminent Republican leaders
called to their assistance Hon John
r. swauEer. Hon. Jesse A. Tolerton
and other well-intormed public men,
and al a conference with Governor
Hadley decided, AS the hrst step, TO
block out a map Of the state showing
"a districts outside Of 81, Louis and
Kansas City, and TO give St Louis
seven aud Kansas City l%ineluding
jackson county, three districts-3A
districts In ali, two more for the
cities and two less for the counties
than under the present Arrangement
because the cities now have less rep
resentation In the senate than they
are entitled 70 and the counties more.
Senatorial districts In the cities are
outlined by the circuit judges, a ma.
jority OF whom are Republicans In St.
Louis a. present. The Kansas City
judges are equally divided politically.
Il was determined that each district
should have approximately 100000
population. as shown by the late cen.
sus. In case the census hgures could
be obtained; and that the counties
should be 90 grouped as 10 be con-
tEuous-not merely adjacent TO each
other: and also that counties In each
district should be grouped as far as
possible according TO conditions to be
represented without determining party
maiorities before hand Il was found
that such an arrangement gives the
Democrats II and the Republicans II
districts, With normal maioriUes,
based on the last presidential vote.
ranging from about $50 20 1000.
After ascertAining that no advance
figures from the late census Could b
had In time for use In determining
the present population Of the counties
the committee decided TO be governed
BY az approximation Of population auC
the total number Of votes cas-, In each
county for president in 1898. Thii
work Of grouping the counties hayinl
been completed. Mr.. Dickey invite,
members OF the state committee &
meet with the members OF the sub
committee and advisory committee a
Jefferson City June IS. Meanwhile
Governor HAdley and Mr.. Hall ha,
fully considered all legal question
involved and such matters Of policy a
enter into such Al important move
ment
When the state chairman and IN
committeeman got together az JeneI
; son City 4 was irst decided that IL
stead Of q bill for enactment by I'd
people an amendment TO the const
tuition should pc submitted, under III
new initiative Law, And that ID
amendment should repeal segiiop ]
OF article iv OF the constitution, .whic
originally divided the state into 2
senatorial districts. aud that Il shout
repeal. in effect. section OF thu
article. under which section the go
ernor, attorney general and seoretsr
Of state have for 80 years had "a
D privilege OF creating senatorial di
tricts IN behalf OF the Democrat
party, Without reference to the pop
y lati0n o. te the pumber oi votes
any district. but with refereHrs ~
MARTY 20 electins at loast tweui
, Democratic senators. The senate hi
y had % To "a Democratic members OF
OF 50 ever since the constitution
1875 vas adopted.
Having thus decided upon submit
ting q constitutional amendment Co
\ ernor Hadley. Mr., Hail and other la'
5 ysrs present retired from the col
a mtttee meeting and drew tho amen
ment as saEesd Hpop, The form
u petition was subsequently agreed ups
and the state chairman and seer
: tary, MeHsrs. Dickey aud Lake,
behalf OF the state committee, begl
d preparations to have petitions print'
3 and placed IN the hands OF party COT
mittssmen and workers all over q
. state for the necessary signatures 7
g submitting the amendment 20 vote
G the November election. The first
VI petitions went U from the temp
rary headquarters u ksRsas Ci
June 20, and by the 25th thousands
il them had been returned, fully slgne
many Of them containing atty name
What ordinarily would have requlr
J" several weeks for accomplishing
Ie was lone In hye days. ChairmI
"a Dickey sent the petitions 10 eve
active Republican party worker who
address he had, and TO maAy prom
a