Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-03-03
FEAR CON TRol
:. .. BY I. The |: CITIES
One Argument Used Against
ReappoTtlonment u.
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
aculty 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. It
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
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 thekxperience We have
already had. Whine no doubt the rep
resentatives of the cities want to be
fair and, as a general proposition
give liberia! 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 county 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 conlbina
tons of capital. The railroad policy
OF the state fayors the commerce: =
centers. Commercial and manufacture
Ing organizations naturally suppor
the railroad policy, which they in.
agine to be to their advantage, re
CARELESS of whether it is to the advau
tage OF the rest of the state or not
The brewing and dist;liing interests
are centered in the Twin Cities. T:.x
interest OF the United States Stee
corporation is the interest of Duluth
In those days of combination it is in
evitable that these interests shout,
combine to each others adyanta &c
It is inevitable also that their ni,:
ence over metropolitan representa-
t1ves should be vershadowiHg 1t TO!
lows that wherever these interest;
are affected metropolitan represents
ton will combine to support the leg
islation they favor or to resist the Lee
tslation to which they object Givel
one-third of the legislature compact.
organized for any purpose. and tn
balance of the legislature without OF
ganization, it is inevitable that thos
interests whose representatives wor|
as one man VIII be the better served
We all see this danger. No one ia
miliar with legislative proceeding
can fail to be impressed by it. 1t ha
even with the inadequate representa-
ton Chased on population) the cite
now have. made its effects felt o.
more than one OCCASION 1t is sma!
| wonder that patriotic members OF Il;
legislature should contemplate Wit
anxiety the advent of state of affair
| in which metropolitan representation
| will be materially increased.
\ + !.
| All the opposition that was wort
speaking about was based on tn:
! ground. It was by no means Withou
merit and for that matter withou
precedent. Mr.. Robinson pointed on
3, that it was to prevent the legislator
!! of the United States being mere,
the servant of the more populou
states that provision was made in tt
United States Constitution that, Y;
CARELESS Of popula ton, each stat
should be entitled to. two and oni
two senators. In like manner the re.
resentation Of great cities HE Ne;
York and Chicago is limited in tn
interest of the rest of the state. Their
is force in the argument that we ar
approaching the time that it is desiri
BILE at least to consider the advise
bility in like manner Of limiting tn
representation of the populous &c,
ters of Minnesota. Certainly if til
time ever comes when the represanf;