The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-12-22

Washington, d. c., Dec. 22.-Pre-
parations already are being made to
have an apportionment bill based upon
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 men, 1
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
lunwieldly.
This, however, does not mean that
Oklahoma representation in the halls
of congress will remain stationary. To
ahe contrary, the new state in all events
will be allowed two additional mem
bers of congress even if the unit of
representation should be raised to a
total of 100000 Inhabitants. At the
present time this unit is approximately
$4,000, but it had little or nothing to
do with the five congressman allowed
Oklahoma by the enabling act Okla
homa's congressional representation
was fixed arbitrarily and if political
reasons had not prevented 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-
Idistrict 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 contemplates 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 position to con-
troll all seven seats.
Needless to say a 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 ad.
: 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
1 ma and Washington.
4 While the plan to run the new dis
4 ltricts north and south two other plans
!. have met with considerable favor a
q the hands of certain members of thu
o Legislature, and one of these plans ma!
o be actually carried out in so far as i
Q will be modification of the first one
II That is to say. six congressional dis
C tricts are to be of the shoestring va
6 riety, if this plan is adopted, while on
district occupying the north centra
a part of the state will be left to the re
c publicans If the other plan is carrie,
l. out two of the seven districts woult
q run east and west, extending east from
\. the Alfalfa, Major and Blaine count.
Il lines, and extending to the state lin
" of Arkansas. Such an arrangement
l. it is claimed, would give democrats
: majorities in all seven districts, bu
! leave the republicans fighting chanc
d in the districts running east and west
c. In order to carry out this program
% the apportionment committees Of tn
% legislature would have to run thre
"a districts Immediately under this cas-
r. and west subdivision-that Is to say
70 shoestring districts, also running mort
At and south, but only half as long as tn
m proposed neighboring districts to tn
west, which are to run from the Kar
sas to the Texas line direct Thu
: there would be an extreme western di'
. trict extending upward from Harmo
county to Harper, Beaver, Texas an
Cimarron, and another district wit
Jackson, Tilman and Comanche on tn
Texas line, and extending northwar
so as to include Wood and Alfalf
county.
OF course it is too early to make pr
dictions, but there are some peop
who are already declaring that the r
apportionment bill will cause such
big row in the legislature that Okl
homa's next congressional delegatio
will be elected at large as result.
But there also is every indicatio
that there will be a grand chorus {
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