The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-07-07
DICKEY TELLS
REASON WHY
LEGISLATURE HAS NEVER BEEN
PERMITTED TO FORM sENA.
ToRIAL DISTRICTS.
Special interests Protected by Dem
oeratie Senate Secured by Ger
rymanderina for Last
Thirty Years.

After the committeeman having the
matter in charge had agreed upon
submitting a constitutional amend
ment creating new senatorial districts
Hon. Walter s. Dickey. chairman OF
the Republican State committee. S.
sued the following address. which
should be read by every fair.minded
citizen Of Missouri:
ave propose TO submit TO the PEG.
pie an amendment to the constitution
dividing the state into senatorial dis.
tricts. so as TO enfrauchise an the poo
pie OF Missouri, without reference &c
politics, by giving them equal repre-
seutatiou I'm the state senate. As it is
now. the vote OF one Democrat Is
equal to the vote OF two Republicans
when &c comes TO the election Of q
state senator Although we carried
the state in 1904 for Theodore Roose
welt by $4,000 majority. and al the
state ticket except u by maioritles
ranging from 5000 90 %. 600. the Dem.
o-rats had two-thilds OF the thirty
four members OF the state senate. In
1896 the two parties were about equal
ly divided, and in 1905 the margin OF
difference was again q narrow one,
aud yet, the senate stin continued %
Democrats and II Republicans
Not Work OF Legislature.
The facts OF the case are that not
only the members Of the Republican
rsrfr Hrf tH. r..-.F..a .F +T. aH,.r
itv parties are partially d.sfrauchlsod
when 10 comes 90 voting for state sen
at1rs. This result has not been the
work OF the legislature. Under the
constitution OF 1875. The state was d.
yiiei into senatorial districts. with
reasonable fairness But BE- was pro
yiied that in 1850, and every ten
years thereafter Dc should De redis
triCted by an act OF the legislature.
and IL the legislature did not act. 10y
the governor, secretary OF state and
attorney general The .JId Guard
leaders have never been willing 20
even trust 10 the legislature tlp reIis
tviCfinE OF the state. and tate had
never been rgiistriyg.d Dog a. rrt of
the general assembly lu 1851. $50
1891 aud again in 1901 this work was
done by the governor. The secretary
Of state aud the attorney general and
that IL was effectively done from "a
partisan standpoint Is evidenced by
the fact that even u tlo Republicans
should carry the state uy $4,000 ua.
iority, the state senate would Bti,l
continue safely Democratic.
The result has been that special
interests have sought TO control. and
have controlled. that branch ot the
legislature. The Doodle scandals lu
1907 and 1898 were largely conferred
IN that body. a corrupt gergymauder
usually finds expression la a repre-.
sentative body thai does not repre-.
sent the interests OF the people. We
propose TO submit TO The vote of adj,
the people O distriCt.ug of ths state
which is entirely fair. on the basis
OF the last election this redlstrieune
would have resulted i'm the election OF
eighteen Democrats and sixteen Re.
puhiClus. 10 places tweuty-togr sen.
atorjal districts outride OF Jackson
county and s. Louis. seven in ST.
Louis and three ln Jackson county.
Country Equally Divided.
Thus. outside Of Jackson county
and ST Louis, tho Districts are equally
divided between the two political par.
ties or fbe siX senators from 81.
Louis. three are uov Democrats aud
three Republicans and Tho two from
Jackson county are both Democrats
Assuming that the Republicans should
70. the I'D senator .n ST. Louis aud
that Jackson county continues Dem.
Ocratic. this would mako tho senate
equally divided between tao two par.
tlgs, as. Ia fact, 90 ought 90 be- when
the vote OF Che two parties ia con.
sidercd. This will also give an lu.
creased opportunity 90 the indcpcnd.
eut voter aud TO the minority parties
10 exercise more Of au influence in
state affairs.
while this redislgictIug OF The
state was prepared aud win be submit.
ted to a vote OF The people through the
efforts OF che Republican state com
mlttec. % SIS ut once apparent that ID
is IN no sense o partisan proposition
but one which should appeal TO every
fajr'minded citizen, without reference
10 his politics. No honest Democrs.
ought 20 ask that his vote should
count for more ia the election OF d
state senator than that of his Bepub
llcau neighbor. The adoption OF thi.
amendment Will be one o nc issues
Of the present campa.E' .8on thi.
Issue we expect o. % Ith sue
cess TO the pee arate.'