Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-03-03

Work and Vote 40 Unit When Meas.
ures Affecting Their Interests
Come Up for Action, 81

25f = - Il : 5Es 5Ytt :.
Come Up for Action,
St., Paul: Feb. Fit was not antic.
-ipated that there would be much diff.
dculty 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. It 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.
i. + -, 49,.
While no argument was made, OF
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
It is not without force, was that in re
distributing the state according to:<its
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 thssxperience We have
already had. Whf!e no doubt the rep,
resentatives of the cities want to- be
fair and, as a:.general proposition,
give liberai 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. Z
i. :. !.
In this state the interests of the
cities are largely bound up with the
interests Of corporations and combina.
tons of capital. The railroad policy
Of the state favors the commerce!
centers. Commercial and manufacture.
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 distillinga 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 inhu
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 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 (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 tIie
legislature should contemplate with
anxiety the advent of state of affairs
in which. metropolitan representation
will be materially increased.
-- !. T. i.
ALI the opposition that was wortt
speaking about was based on this
ground. It was by no means withou;
merit and for that matter withou,
precedent. Mr.. Robinson pointed gu,
that it was to prevent the Legislature
Of the United States being merely
the servant of the more populous