Morris tribune., 1911-03-03
FEAR CONTROL
BY The CITIES
One Argument Used Against
ReappOrtiOnment
ALWAYS PULL TOGETHER
Work and Vote as a Unit When Meas.
ures Affecting Their Interests
Come Up for Action.

st. Paul. Feb. 27.-It was not antic-
ipated that there would be much diff
ficulty in getting the reapportionment
bill though the house, and such proved
20 be the case. The measure, indeed,
while not by any menas perfect, is
! probably as fair to all sections as
could be framed. Even it's 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, OF
could be made, against this, those
who were inclined to oppose the bill
representation reduced could be de-
pended upon to find other reasons
for their opposition. The one point,
therefore, that was insisted upon, and
it 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 country 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.
!. :. !"
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 manufacture
ing organizations naturally support
the railroad policy, which they i'm
agine to be to their advantage, re-
gardless 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.
1t 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, it is inevitable that those
interests whose representative work
as one man Willrbe. the better served.
We all see this danger. No one fa-
miliar with legislative proceedings
can fail to be impressed by it. 1t has
even with the inadequate representa-
ton (based: on population) the cities
now have, made it's effects. felt, on
more than one occasion, 1t is small
wonder that patriotic members of the
legislature should contemplate with
anxiety the advent of state of affairs
in which metropolitan representation
will be materially Increased.
+ -.:
All the opposition that was worth
speaking about was based on this
ground 1t 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
resentation of great cities like New
York and Chicago is limited in the
interest of the rest Of the state. There
is force in the argument that we are
approaching the time that it is desira.
BILE at least to consider the advisa,
tbility in like manner Of limiting the
representation of the populous CEN
ters of Minnesota. Certainly If the
time ever comes when. the representa-
ton Of these cities overshadows the
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