The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1910-09-22
OF the Members Of the House
of Representatives I'm
der New Census.

Il tSNStAth6t ScsSsAuAls VI GpuSEGAs
VIII be called upon to grapple will be
to determine when the next appor-
tlonment of members of the House of
Representatives under the recent CEN
sus shall be made.
While 1t Is not actually required by
the Constitution that instrument inn
plies that reapportionment s<\,lk
follow each decennial enumeration lof
the people, and accordingly a redis-
trtbntion Of seats in the House mem
bership has taken place hitherto soon
after the conclusion Of each census.
Up to 1899 the reapportionment
was uniformly postponed untll the
first session of Congress succeeding
the enumeration, but after the eley-
enth and twelfth census were brought
in and passed in each case during the
short session of the current Congress
Immediately following the census. 1t
will rest with the approaching session
to determine whether 1t shall follow
the old or the new precedent. Politics
may determine the choice.
Before the time for the meeting of
Congress the result of the November
elections will have become known.
If the Democrats should come into
control of the House for the card Con-
gress they would naturally resist any
effort to have the change made by the
present Republican Congress, while
the Republicans would be as anxious
to have the service performed while
they were in control of legislation in
both Houses,
| Apportlonment in itself can he used
for party advantage only through the
manipulation of population fractions
in the various states. If the present
day plan Of fixing upon definite
number of members as the first step
in the distribution is followed many
states viii be found to have consld-
cradle number of citizens over the
number necessary TO give them the
number OF members assigned them.
The size of the House once determine
ed. the representation of each state is
arrived at by dividing the aggregate
population of the country by the to-
tai membership of the House and them
dividing the population of any given
state by the quotlent thus obtained.
Almost inevitably there ensues upon
each of such divisions remainder,
large or small. Aside from the arbi-
trarily fixing the representation on the
voting rather than the actual popula- I
ton, this remainder. or fraction, af-
fords the only base of manipulation
of the apportionment OF members.
If used to the extreme 1t might be
an ly.portant factor as no fewer than
twenty-three Representatives now hold
their seats on fractions. That they
should do so is strictly In accordance
with the law which provides that. any
deficiency occurring on an even divis-
ion shall, be supplied from the states
having the largest remainders on the
division. This rule was strictly fol-
lowed in the last apportlonment in
all allotments except those made to
Maine and Nebraska. In both those
states Congress exercised somewhat
arbitrary power by giving each rep
resentative on fraction less than the
fractions of other states which re-
ceived nothing because of their owni
fragments. This action was taken to
prevent the loss of representation by
any state.
If that policy should be accepted
in the approaching apportionment It'll
could upset ne plans of some OF the
House leaders who are most anxious
TO avoid any appreciate increase in
the size OF the House. The census ex-
perts already understand that when
the figures are made public some of
the smaller eastern states Will be
found to have failed to keep pace in
growth with some of their larger
neighbours and with many of the west
ern states. If, therefore, they are
to be protected against loss of repre-
in the House 1t will proba-
bly, be necessary to hold the ratio
down to something like the present
basis or to discriminate In favor Of
the smaller states.
A loss of membership would be by
no means new experience to many
of the states. In the first apportion-
ment, made after the census OF 1890,
when the House numbered, all told,
only 1O5 members. Virginia was given
10, or almost one-hfth of the entire
membership. and in 1900 that NUM-
Der was increased to 90, Then there
was gradual falling away until 1870,
when there we're only nine members
from that state. Iince then there has
been gain of one.
Barrlng the frst apportIonment.
Connecticut began with seven mem
hers and now has Ave. Maryland has
been reduced from to 8, and New
Hampshire from to ., Vermont,
which In 1910, had SIX members, snow
has two, while Maine with eight in
1890 has been reduced to four Mass
achusetts has the same number with
which she started In 1890. In 1900
tEa ,up,har ts,as tncreasnd 10 IL h,,t |