The National tribune., 1911-02-16
THE APPORTIONKENT.
Some New and Highly Interesting
Business for the State Legis-
latureS.

There is now at least something new
for the Legislatures of States to do
| In short order the Senate will formally
assent to the House apportionment bill
but even before that is done the politi-
| clans clear across the continent will be-
| gin the decennial juggling act, which is
known as the gerrymander. Happily
| for the sake Of fair play, there is d.
vided authority between the two politi-
cal parties this, Winter. In portion
of the States there Will be semblance
of justice in making up the lists OF
| Congressional districts.
| Massachusetts. New Jersey, Connect
cut. Nebraska, Nevada, West Virginia
and Missouri are among the States that
have Democratic Governors and Repub-
lican Legislatures, in at least one
branch, or Republican Governors and
Democratic Legislatures. There will
probably be jockeying and deadlocks In
most of these States, excepting only
Nevada, which has but one Representa-
| tive. before the new boundaries are
arranged. For Governors can veto reap
portionments that do not meet with
their approval. In Missouri. alone, the
Governor, Republican. has authority
under the State law to make an appor-
tionment of his own. unless the Demo-
cratic Legislature fixes up an arrange
ment that suits him.
The Democrats have long gerrymaR=
dered Missouri, and had q committee
amendment that the House approved
In Committee Of the Whole stood the
test of a roll call, they might have done
it again. But while the party is put at
a disadvantage in Champ Clark's home
State, and even the reelection of the
Speaker of the next House may be en-
dangered by Republican tactics, the Re-
publicans will get the worst of the re-
districting in several big States.
A Shake-up in New York.
There will be great shake-up in
the boundaries of New York's 43 new
Congressional districts The Democrats
may be expected to gerrymander the
State to the queens taste and make up
for the disadvantages they have been
put to by their Republican brethren
during the last 20 years. The Maine
Democrats will try their hands on that
hitherto Republican stronghold, but the
result at best or at worst cannot make
much difference in a total of Repre-
sentatives which either party will elect
to the tSixty-third Congress. Indiana
and Ohi6, which have also been Repub-
lican str6nghoids will both be carved
into Congressional districts under Dem
ocratic Supervision.
All in all, however, the arrangements
of constituents for Representatives in
Congress- will probably be as fair for
the next 10 years as it has been in a
long time. There will be instances of
unfairneSs. of course. but they will more
nearly Balance. one another.
The apportionment bill can now be-
come al law in time for the Legisla-
lures to Tact, and there will be little
excuse If at the next Presidential cleo
ton any of the States elect their Rep
all at large. That is some |
times done for political reasons. With |
out a redistricttng law, New York, for |
example, would probably have to elect !
43 Representatives at large. and those
40 in the Sixty-third Congress would |
either be all Republicans or all Demo-
Gratis.
Growth of the Pacific Coast
Connecticut is one of the States that
has persisted thru 10 years in electingl
four of her five Representatives from
designated districts and one of them at
large. There is no other State in the
Union that has thus divided its Con-
gressional districts, but the Republicans
saw some advantage in it. and there was
no authority to prevent it. Similarly,
the State of Washington till a Conf
yress or two ago elected its Representa-
lives all at large, as that prevented the
Democrats from getting one Repre-
The State was actually dis
tricted for thre members little while
ago. but so much has the population