The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-01-30

portionment committees will not be |
consulted until after the bills have |
been framed. There is a strong senti- |
ment among the democratic leaders
that the state should be redistricted
both for Legislative and congressional
purposes, although Governor Marshall,
the democratic members of congress
from Indiana, Attorney General Honan
and State Chairman Jackson do not be-
lieve it is necessary to change the
boundaries of the Congressional dis
tricts.
Romus Stuart assistant secretary of
the senate. who is regarded as an ex-
pert on apportionment. will be called
into consultation by the senate COM
mittees when they begin heir work
Stuart has already gathered all of the
data that the committee will need in
the way of figures on the various coun-
ties of the state. Senator Carleton is
chairman of the senator committee of
congressional aportionment and is also
a member of the committee on 1egis
! lative apportionment- Senator Carleton
| says he expects to introduce the pres
ent congressional apportionment law as
a bill, have it referred to his commit
tee and then take up the work of
amending the bill to make 1t con-
! form to the ideas of the democratic
| leaders He says that after full con-
sideration has been given to the mat
ter it may be found that Governor
Marshall, the members or congress- At :.
tornev General Honan and Chairman
Jackson are right and that there should
be no changes made.
Both senate committees appor-
tionment will ask the democratic mem
bers of the senate to submit sugges-
lions for changes in the district
| boundaries Chairman Lieb. of the
ihouse committee on legislative appor-
| tionment has already asked for such
suggestions from the democratic rep
lresentatives
Laporte county democrats want to be
taken out of the district composed of
Laporte and Porter counties on joint
representative and out of the joint
senatorial district of Laporte and st.
Joseph counties and joined with Starke
county on both joint and senatorial
and joint representative. This, they
believe, will give them a better chance
of sending a democrat to the legisla
ture from this district right along.
i Pike county democrats want to be
separated from Dubois county on joint
chance once in while of nominating
a Pike county man for joint representa-
tive. This plan is being advocated as a
means of eliminating Representative
Coble, who has always slipped in be-
cause Dubois county has more votes
In a convention than Pike county. The
democrats of Dubois county are in
clined to recognize the contention OF
the democrats of Pike county. Last
year Pike county placed three men IN
the field against Coble for the nomina-
ton. and Coble. by reason of the split
in Pike county, slipped in again.
There is a movement on foot to
leliminate some of the smaller counties
of the state which are represented in
the house, and join them with other
counties. 1t is believed that Marion
county would profit by this arrange
ment to the extent of at least one more
representative. making nine instead
lof eight which it now has. rms plar
has not been worked out, however
and any gain which Marion county may
make will be at the expense of some oil
the smaller counties.
The joint senatorial district compos-
ed of vanderburg, Spencer and War
} ricks normally republican by about
1900. Senator Carleton was elected
!, last fall by approximately 1900. Some
. Of the democratic leaders in the south
ern part of the state want this district
; changed so Vanderburg may be Joined
with Warrick and Dubois. assuring q
democratic district of from 500 to 500
Then the plan is to make another dis
trict of Spencer. Perry and Crawford
assuring another democratic district
Pike. 1t is argued. could be joined with
Knox. both on joint senator and joint
representative. thus assuring another
democratic district
Many of the democrats in the legis
Ilature believe the congressional dis
tricts ought to be changed, despite the
contestios of the representatives in
congress that a change is unnecessary
These men argue that the majorities
received by the democratic congressman
last fall were sot normal majorities. Il
is their positions. therefore. that wher
the tide does turn toward the republi-
cans the democrats ought to be forti-
fed. 1t is argued that the republicans
have always gerrymandered the state
favorably to their cause when the op
Iportunity offered
1t is pointed out that the Eight dis
. trict is democratic only because of re
, publican factiosal differences and thai
the voters have got the habit OF vot-
ing for congressman Adair, even whev
, the tide seems to be against him
There is a strong probability that Adail
will get into the race for the demo
cratic nomination for governor in 1912
: and 1T is pointed out that this will
eliminate him as a candidate for con
) gress. The question then arise.
5 whethery any other democrat could wiz
in the district as 1T now stands.
Representative Boehne is discourag
5 ling any changes in the boundaries O
the First district, 1t now stands.
is pointed out, however, by those wht
: are favoring a change in this distric
that Boehne's majority of 5000 last fal
was abnormal. Two years ago he wa
| elected to congress by majority O
eighty-nine, asd this victory, 1t is argu
2 ed, was personal one only because o
: his record as mayor of Evansville