Evening bulletin., 1910-09-28

something like the present basis or
To discriminate in favor Of tn smallc
states.
4 loss of mcmbcrship would br by
NJ means now cXpCriclcc TO many
Of the states. In the hrst apportlon
nCnt, made after the census Of 1890,
when the House numbered. all told
only lO5 mcmbe 's. Virginia was given
10, or almost ole nth Of the entire
membership. and in 1900 that number
was increased 10 %. Then there was
a gradual falling away until 1870.
when there were only nine members
from that state Since then there
has been gain of one.
Barring the first apportionmcnt
Conn cticut began with Z members
and now has 5. Maryland has been
reduced from s to &. and New Hamp
shire from to 2. Vermont, which in
1910 had six members now has two.
while Maine with S in 1880 has been
reduced to 4. N assachusctts has the
same number with which she started
I'm 1890. In 1900 the number was In.
creased TO II. out by the next appor.
tionmcnt II had T lllcn to 10. and the
original figure OF n was not rcgaincd
until 1900.
After Virginia aud Massachusetts.
Pennsylvania. with 10 members. had
the largest representation In the
House in 1890. New York and North
Carolina followed with 10 each. The
latter state never rose above 10. but
the former has sone as high as iO
which figure was attained under the
apportionmCnt of 1880 and is the larg.
est representation any state ever has
had. After 1880 the New York rep.
roscntation fell to 81 in 1860. Since
then II has been rising gradually uu-
III now It is 81. PCnnsylvania's pre-
sent number of - is the largest ever
enjoyed by that state. From the FIRST
census TO the present Rhode Island.
with her two capitals ana double
name. has been Uniformly represented
by two CnnErcgsmcn. Delaware had
two members during the decade of
1SlO1S2O. but otherwise has had but
one in the House at any time.
The first apportionment made by
the Constitution itself provided for
one member Ia every 10000 inhabit.
ants wit hthe result that at its first
session the House contained only 65
members The census of 1890 result.
! cd In an Increase to 105 with $4,000
as tho basis Of representation. From
that time forth with one exception the
increase both in representation and
ratio has been steady as follows:
1900, 1i1 members with ratio OF 80,
900; 1910. 1Sl members and ratio OF
$4,000: 1920. 2l3 members and ratio
of 10000; 1880. 2iO members and IA.
ito of 477OO; 1910, 223 members and
ratio Of 7O.GSO; 1850. 233 members and
! ratio OF 93.423: 1860. 2i3 members and
ratio of 127,3sl; 1870. 293 members
and ratio of 1871 ,425; 1880. 1926 mem.
bors and ratio of 1891; 1890. 35G
members and ratio of 173.9O1a 1900
! 1856 members and ratio of 193.iG7.
The old leaders Of the House are an.
xious TO keep the size of the House
down and few of them will admit the
possibility of an enlargement to be.
yond 400 or 40 at the utmost
The question of the disfranchise-
ment of the negro vote in the Southern
/ states will receive attention in con.
nection with the question of appor.
tionment. The House is even. now on
record in favor Of an inquiry into this
subject. Under the rules of the
House. where debate is limited mea'
sure similar to the Crumpacker bill
of last Congress might be passed with,
out affording the minority much op-
portrnity TO oppose or obstruct. But
! in the Senate where there Is no clo-
ture, the minority would he strong
enough TO prevent the passage of any
obnoxious measure unless deferred by
the unwritten rule which permits each
House to dispose Of its own affairs In
Its own way.