The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-07
THE NEEDED APpoRTIoNMENTs

As the Legislature is about to draw
TO the close of it's session, and as very
Important work ought TO be done il
the way of apportionmcnt, we venture
to inquire what is to be done in thi,
direction! There are two apportion
ments necessary to be made; one divid
ling the State into two Congressiona
districts. and the other dividing the
State into legislative districts for Sen
atorial and Representative purposes.
With respect to the first, undoubted-
! ly the best division would be TO throw
salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Morgan, and
Summit into one district, and the re.
nlaiuder Of the State into the other
| This would give substantially equal
division of the population, and it would
give the business interests Of this State
an opportunity to be heard in the lower
house of Congress, where tariff and
taxation measures originate. As it is
now, we have two rural members with
whom no interests would think for a
moment OF resting their cases where
adverse legislation might be threatened
We have the lead interests here, the
wool interests, and the beet sugar in
trests. and whenever there is anything
threatened on either of these it is
necessary always to send special dele
cations to Washington, since we have
no Representatives there that can be
considered influential enough to take
charge of these interests in the hear.
ings that are held, But, by dividing
the State as here proposed, there would
be an opportunity for live business
man to be sent to the lower house of
Congress, man who would be recog-
nized as au authority on the questions
that might arise with respect to his
constituency, and who could give a
good account of himself in any hearing
that might be ordered. We should be
glad to see division of this kind
made, for the reasons stated.
With regard TO the legislative appor-
tionmcnt, there is no question of the
urgency of it, and neither is there any
question about the duty of the legisla-
tors to make this apportionmcnt, in
with the mandatory pro
visions Of the State constitution. We
are aware that it is becoming quite
fashionable in this State to pay no re-
gard to the Constitution; but we urge
that this is false position altogether;
and we call upon the Legislature to
act as the Constitution requires.
We are now choosing members to the
on the basis of a popula-
ton enumeration taken twenty-three
years ago. There have been great
changes in the population since that
time. The State has almost doubled in
since 1890, the date when
the census under which we are work.
ing was taken. Then the population of
the State was 2l0,779. BY the census
of 1910 the population was 373,
35l. The increase since the census
OF 1890 was taken would doubtless
bring the population very close to the
mark of 100 per cent increase. But
this increase has not been uniform
the State, Some localities
have increased very largely in popula-
ton; others very little. This shifting
Of the bulk of population requires a
new basis of representation, not only
to the mandate of the Con-
but according to the justice
Of the case. The basis of population
for representation should follow the
principles of the Govern
ment. Representation according to
population is the keynote Of popular
rule, and taxation without representa-
ton is utterly reprehended and alb.
horrcd in all phases of our popular in-
stitutions. And yet if representation
is not fairly apportioned, taxation
without just representation necessarily
We urge therefore, On the
general principles involved, as we'll as
upon the constitutional mandate and
the principles Of justice to the commu'
mites which are denied representation,
that it is the clear duty of the Legis"
lature to take up and pass fair meas
ures of apportionment for the State.