The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-02-01
WHO SHALL GOVERN MONTANA

It now seems evident that the great
mining and railroad interests of Mon
tans have determined that there shall
be no respportionment OF representa-
ton by the present legislature. Re.
porte from Helena indicate that these
interests are 10 control of the situa.
ton At the state capitol.
The express provision OF the consti.
tuition OF this state is: ''The leglsla-
tive assembly at the session next fol.
lowing an enumeration made by the
authority of the United States, shall
revise and adjust the apportionment
for representatives on the basis of
such enumeration according to ratios
to be fixed by law"
The Montana constitution, follow
ing the wise provision of the federal
constitution, provides that each coun.
ty "shall be entitled to one SENATOR"
There has been no apportionment OF
legislative power in Montana for near
ly twenty years. Today, q combins-
ton OF the old mining counties which,
10 the aggreg ate, compose less than
o%ne-third of the population of Mon
tana, elects more than q majority OF
the house Of representatives in the
state legislature. The balance of the
state is, therefore, disfranchised.
Until this condition of fairs is
remedied by reapportionment, we shall
continue to see one-third of the people
OF Montana governing the other two.
thirds of the state. For instance, the
recent census gives Yellowstone coun.
ty a population OF %, 4 Yellowstone
has o member ia the house. Deer
Lodge county is credited by the census
with a population of II, 1888; Deer
Lodge county has six members in the
house. In other words, it takes nearly
twelve votes in Billings to equal one
in Anaconda.
Another case-Lewis and Clark with
2l,553 population, has sever members:
Carbon with ID. 962 people, has only
one. II Lewis and Clark is entitled
to seven members, Carbon should
have not less than four, and probably
FIVE representatives.
In the N akeup of the committee on
spportionmeut and representation
Speaker Mcdowell of Silver Bow is
reported to have packed deliberately
this committee to prevent, ii possible.
any reapportioument bill from being
enacted. Every single member of this
committee, with one or two exceptions,
is from q county that is largely bene'
flied by the present unfair apportion'
ment. Here Is the membership BY
counties:
Dobell chairman dem. Silver Bow
Word, democrat. Lewis and CLARK
Wheeler, democrat ..........Cascad adj
Law, democrat ........,... Gallatir
Blackburn. emocrat... Silver Bow
Baker, democrat. 80 Lewis and Clarl
Reel, democrat. Madison
Crouch. democrat. ....... Broad ate
Eliei. republic .Beaverhea(
Ralston, republican......Deer Lodg'
Williams, republican,. Deer Lodg'
It will be observed that Deer Lodge
Silver Bow and Lewis and Clark hav'
two representatives each or this i'm
portant committee.
This is not a partisa al question, bu
one which involves the entire ~principl
of self.government. The people c
Montana will some day waken to tn
game that for twenty years has bee
deliber ately carried on to rob them {
the right to govern themselves.
II it be true, as alleged, that 18th
powers that be- are responsible fc
the present attempt to throttle til
plain provisions of the constitution {
the state OF Montana, and il the poop
OF Montana are forced, In self defens
to invoke the Until alive plan of legi
lation to be relieved from al intole
able stu ation-if these condition
develop, it may be that the end
initiative legislation in the state wi
not have been reached with the enac
ment of q reapportionment law. The
may be other measures which the pc
pie will take into their own hands.
The Missoulian.
ADVERTISING MONTANA.