The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1910-12-09

senators and representatives in the legislature and
that the next apportonment will have to deprive some
of the smaller counties of senator and representa-
tive order to keep within the bounds of the con-
stitution Members of the legislature paid by the
state and do not rightly belong to any county, and we,
therefore, suggest that the next legislature instead OF
killing time trying to give this that country more or
less representation begin at Vancouver and lay off the
entire state into districts and that oo without any
regard to the county, in which the district falls. 1t
should be the object of those having charge of it to
keep in mind the population unit without regard to
the amount of territory in which such unit is to be
found Such division might deprive Pierce, King,
Spokane some other county of representative or
it might add to what it already has, but that should
not enter into the situation When the various men,
bers meet at the legislature owing to the fierce conen-
ton between the counties half of the time allotted to
the sessions of the legislature is generally frltted
away over one or combination of counties getting to-
gether to prevent some larger county from hoggng
something that she is not, from their viewpoint en-
titled to- The constitution is explicit to the base OF
representation and far the legislature is concern
ed all county lines should be be botted out and the
state arranged in senatorial and representative dis
rcts without regard to the county they may happen
to fall upon 1t will be argued that the state is al
ready laid off into senatorial and Representative dis
tricts, which less true but the districts
laid off from county and not from state stand
pOlnC In every county CnaJ is IL mas UGSI
taken for granted that such county is entitled to at
least representative in the legislature when accord
ing to the constitution it is not unless it happens to
have its pro rata of population That the readers
hereof may refresh their memory the base of rep
sentaton fixed by the constitution the sections re-
farring to the same are herewith quoted:
ARTICLE II-Legislative Department
Legislature.
Section The legislative powers shall be vested in
a Senate and House of Representatives which shall be
called the Legislature of the State of Washington
Limited Membership.
Sec 2 The House of Representatives shall be
composed of not less than sixty three than
ninety-nine members. The number of Senators shall
not be than one-half less than one-thrd of
the number of members of the House of Representa-
tives The first legislature shall be composed of sew
enty members of the House of Representatives and
thirty-ive Senators.
State Census.
Sec 3 The legislature shall prov ide by law for an
enumeration of the inhabitants of the state in the year
one thousand and eight hundred and ninety-ive and
every years thereafter and at the first session a
ter such enumeration made by the authority of the
United States the Legislature shall apportion and dis
trct anew the members of the Senate and the House
of Representatives, excluding Indians not taxed SOL
diers sailors and officers of the United States army
and navy in active service