The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-04-05

resentation in the House and the demo-
Gratis would get the worst of it in that
respect There is grave possibility
also that under reapportionment based
on 391 members the Missouri deiega-
ton would have to be elected at large.
because of the failure of Republican
Governor and a Democratic legislature
to agree on an apportionment act re-
ducing the representation from sixteen
to fourteen members.
With the Republicans in control of
the city of ST. Louis an election of rep
resentatives at large might result in
the entire Democratic delegation from
Missouri being wiped out of official
existence. thus cutting short the
speakership career of Champ Clark.
On the other hand IL the Democrats
in Congress take the other course and
pass the bill which Crumpacker will
introduce fixing the house membership
at ABB, SO that no state will lose repre-
sentation, the Republicans will make a
gain estimated all the way from fifteen
to twenty in the electoral college.
which, in the event of a close presi-
Dental election, might give the victory
to the republicans.
1t is pointed out that the constitu-
tion provides that there shall be re-
lapportionment after each decennini
census, based upon the enumeration of
that census. This provision has never
up to this time been ignored. and Sena-
tor Bailey thinks it would be unwise
to ignore 1t now.
The fact that Congressman Cruui-
packer intends ito press the matter has
become noised about and it is said that
plans are being laid to squelch him.
One plan is that there shall be no
census committee appointed at the spe-
cial session, and then 1t could be said
that there was no committee to which
Ito refer the Crumpacker bill. But
lCrumpacker laughs at this proposition
and says 1t is absurd. He says that
under parliamentary law a constitu-
tiona1 question can be acted on by
| Congress without being referred to any
committee. He says that he can or
any day demand consideration of his
bill on the ground that 1T is a constitu-
tional matter and that as such 1t takes
precedence over any other class OF
business. Therefore. he says, he car
call up the bill at any time and force
action on It,,
Much interest is expressed in the
possibilities that accompany the pros
pect of a special session of the legis
lature. IF Congress passes an appor
ltionment bill Governor Marshall woul.
have to call the session and his cal
would state the purpose of the session
to be to pass a congressional appor
ltionment bill. OF course. this would b
the main item of business. but 1t woui'
not prevent the legislature from taking
tel
Ito consider. 1t is believed that IL tn
Legislature meets this summer Their
will be another fight over the fran
lchise referendum bill, which was on
of the big fights of the last session
1t is believed that Senator CRUDE an
Ibis supporters would try to put tr
Ibill through.
There would probably be some add
tional liquor legislation, for the pur
pose Of clearing up some of the uncer
tainties that still exist in the Procto
lliquor regulation law. passed at tn
Hast session. None of these are o
great Importance, but technical dim
iculties have been experienced in som
lplaces with some of its provisions, an
these could easily be cleared up Q
course, if the liquor question were t
be opened up there Is no telling wher
lit would stop.
There are several other matters tina
would probably come before the specia
session. and it is probable that tn
session would continue the full tins
forty one days, allowed v the consti
tuition as the limit of time for spe
cial session. But until congress doe
something with the matter of a con
Isressional reapportionment or adjourn
without doing anything at all, 1t can
not be told to a certainty whether tn
Indiana general assembly members wi
come together on a special call