The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-03

| Continued From First Page
additional representatives shall be
elected by the state at large and the
| other representatives by the districts
now prescribed by law until such
state shall be redistricted IN the man
ner provided by the laws thereof and
in accordance with the rules enum-
Grated in section of the act, etc.
This act was approved August s.,
191-after the legislature of 1911 had
adjourned. It is by virtue of this
act that Congressman LEngle holds
his present position.
THE PRESENT ACT.
In accordance with the provisions
Of the act as set forth. the legisla ture
Of 1913 passed An act dividing the
state of Florida into four COMPRESSION
al districts and prescribing and set
ting forth the territorial limits and
boundaries of each district &C. 6472)
Be it enacted by the legislature of the
state Of Florida: Sec. l, that the
state Of Florida be and the same is
hereby divided into four congressional
districts, same to be numbered, etc.
The act then describes the counties in
each of the several districts.
Section I says This act shall take
effect at the expiration of the present
terms of Office of the congressman
now serving from this state It was
approved May Is, 1918.
The act is valid and the represen-
tatives from this state to the next
congress should be elected according
to its terms for these reasons:
Such was unquestionably the in
tent of the legislators.
IF the clause determining the time
uyh foE off boS 6
been fixed it would have become eff !
fectual on August g. 1913, thus Great !
ing the anomalous condition of hav-
ing Representatives representing coun- /
ties from which they had not been ,
elected.
HE DID 1T BEFORE.
Now Congressman LEngle claims
that he will have to run from the |
state at large again because the act
does not become effective until after
the election and he cannot run for a
job that doesn't exist. But he did do |
t. The act of congress which I have
quoted declares that after the third
IF March, 1913, Florida should have
'our members OF the lower house, and
yet Mr.. L'Engle was elected to the
position in November, 1912 Why
should he haye any scruples against
'epeating the performance?
The new act goes into effect March
J. 1915. If Mr.. L'Engle runs from the
state at large in the next election
granting that he gets elected-he will
nave a job that doesn't exist after he
gets elected to it because the act of
congress expressly says that the rep
shall be elected by the
'tate at large until such state shall
'e redistricted. After he Is reelected
o the position OF congressman at
arge, what good will the job do him
f 1t ceases to exist as soon as his
present term expires?"
Mr.. Anderson's view of the case
appears reasonable and logical and it
s the first opinion, thoroughly an
llyzed, that has been given to that ef-
ect
Bearing on the same subject and to
similar effect, Hon. W. A. Russell,
,ditor Of the Palatka News, who was
member of the legislature which
passed the redistricting act, gives the
ollowing opinion:
A LEGISLATORS OPINION.
The law means exactly what il
lays: This act shall take effect at +:
he expiration Of the present terms Of
'ffice Of the congressman now serving
rom this state The terms of office
u present congressman expire March
, 1915. On is serving the state at
a5ge, one from the First, one from
he Second and one from the Third
districts. Would law which de-
'rived these men from representing
ertain counties comprising a district
or which they were elected be eff :
ecttve? Could the law rob them of
part Of their districts? And, If 1t
lid make the attempt, would it be
'ood law? Scarcely. The new redis-
ricting law is ali right. 1t means ex-
city what 1t seys, and 1t says ex-
city what 1t means. It means that
lew congressional districts have been
reated to become First, Second, Third
nd Fourth congressional districts Of
florida when the present men serving
rom differently constituted districts
ave filed the terms for which they
7eer elected to represent those dis
riots. The Legislature did know ex-
city what IT was doing, and 1t did
xactly as it intended to do These
apers and the politicians jumped to !
heir conclusions; they should have
7aited until they had read the law"
1t thus begins to appear that some
the legal lights who were in haste