The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-12-31
our aPopularo House and others.

According to the census bureau com
putation House membership Of 440 is
the smallest possible without decreasing
the representation from any state. This
means that unless forty-nine members
are added to the House some state or
states must be prepared to make sacri-
fees "for the common good. II there
are any communities which are content
to have under the new apportionment
q delegation which shall not reflect a
marked growth in population they
should prmoptly come forward with their
aequiescence to relieve a troubled COM
mittee which after the holidays will have
TO wrestle with the trying problem.
III states like New York and Pennsyl
vania, which show respectively popula
ton gains Of 100000 and 100000,
are willing to 20 without more con-
gressmen they cannot speak too early.
Nor is it probable that the little states
will entirely dissemble their dissatisfae-
fion if the distance that separates them
from the big states is increased From
whatever standpoint the labors Of the
house committee are viewed they are
seen to be so liable to complication that
~ pihlbuGEd 0Elabt ~ ~ Dt RAHetIBIs
ending in some sort Of compromise which
shall be accepted as the best thing pos
sible without wholly satisfying either
side.
The argument against any increase of
the number of representatives is that
it will render the House unwieldy and
convert it into mob which if not sus-
ceptible TO mob influences, will be too
large to legislate promptly. Such con-
dition the leaders of the House desire
to avoid by all means possible, and vet
TO attain their purpose will he difficult.
Our traditions point to popular legisla
tive bodies OF very moderate dimen-
sions, and may have force enough to
prevent our following the example OF
other great powers, which apparently are
not affected by the apprehension Of I'M
wieldiness. We are economical of men
in our legislative work. and our Congress
is much smaller in numbers than sew
eral other of the great national leg
islatures. The house of commons. for
instance, has go MEMBERS the French
chamber of deputies, 5S4. The second
chamber Of Great Britain, the peers. had
at the opening Of the present year 6I5
names on its rolls, and the French Sem
ate 500. Germany comes nearer our APP
portionment than most continental Eu-
Topean powers, its bundesrath having rs
members; delegates from the federated
states, and the rechstag, 397 In Ger
many, too, the apportionment issue is
looming in the politics Of the near fu-
ture, for the seats in number and as
signment remain to all intents and pur-
poses as established on the creation of
the empire, and the real argument
against change IS not avowed by the
government that is, that any reappor-
tionment largely adding to the strength
Of the popular body must increase the
establishment representation in pro
portion to the vote that party throws.
Possibly the explanation Of the con-
tract exhibited by our practice not only
with republican France but with mon
archical Great Britain in striving to
Keep our popular House down to a mem
bership that shall not even suggest nm
weldiness" is found in the conservative
character Of our democracy. Throughout
our constitution are found precautions