New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-03-01
FEAR CONTROL
BY The CITIES
One Argument Used Against
Reapporti0nmsnt.
ALWAYS Pull 1oGETAER
Work and Vote as a Unit When Meas
ures Affecting Their Interests
Come Up for Action.

st. Paul. Feb. Pit was not antic
ipated thar. there would be much DIFF
dcu1ty in getting the reapportionment
bill though the house, and such proved
to be the case. The measure. indeed
while not by any menas perfect, is
probably as fair to all sections as
could be framed. Even its opponents
admit that. 1t was inevitable how
ever, that the representation of the
southern part of the state would have
to be reduced, and quite as certain
that those who were deprived Of the
representation they now have and
those who represent districts which
will be wiped out should object. 1t
is not in human nature that anything
else could happen.
:. !.
While no argument was made, or
could be made, against this, those
who were inclined to oppose the bill
because districts were enlarged or
representation reduced could be de-
pended upon to find other reasons
for their opposition. The one point,
therefore, that was insisted upon, and
1t is not without force, was that in re-
districting the state according to it's
population the representation of the
commercial centers would be larger
than in the public interest they should
be. The force of this argument is
made plain by the experience we have
already had. While no doubt the rep
resentatives of the cities want to be
fair and, as a general proposition.
give liberal support to measures de-
signed to benefit the state at large.
still where the interests OF these cit
les, or their supposed interests. point
In one direction and the interests of
the county and country towns in an
other, it is inevitable that city mem.
bers should be for the city, first, last
and all the time. That is what they
are sent there for.
J. !. X
In this state the interests of the
cities are largely bound up with the
interests Of corporations and combina-
tions of capital. The railroad policy
of the state favors the commercial
centers. Commercial and manufactur-
ing organizations naturally support
the railroad policy, which they i'm.
agine to be to their advantage, re.
CARELESS of whether it is to the advan-
tage of the rest of the state or not.
The brewing and distilling interests
are centered in the Twin Cities. The
interest OF the United States Steel
corporation is the interest of Duluth.
In those days of combination it is in
evitable that these interests should
combine to each others advantage.
It is inevitable also that their influ-
ence over metropolitan representa-.
tives should be overshadowing. 1t fol-
lows that wherever these interests
are affected metropolitan representa-
ton will combine to support the leg
islation they favor or to resist the leg
islation to which they object. Given
one-third of the legislature compactly
organized for any purpose, and the
balance Of the legislature without or.
ganization, 1t is inevitable that those
interests whose Representatives work
as one man will be the better served.
We all see this danger. No one IA
miliar with legislative proceedings
can fail to be impressed by it. It has
even with the inadequate representa-.
ton Chased on population the cities
now have, made its effects felt on
more than one occasion. It is small
wonder that patriotic members of the
should contemplate with
anxiety the advent of a state of affairs
in which metropolitan representation
will be materially increased.
All the opposition that was worth |
speaking about was based on this
It was by no means without |
merit and for that matter without |
precedent. Mr.. Robinson pointed out |
that it was to prevent the legislature
Of the United States being merely
the servant of the more populous
states that provision was made in the
United States Constitution that, re-
gardlesS of population. each state
should be entitled to two and only
two senators. In like manner the rep.
Of great cities like New
York and Chicago is limited in the
l>4oroak Of tho rosf of tho c&ata Tho,n