The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-17
.AGIN THE AMENDMENT

u
Editor Star: The makers of the u.
S. constitution did well when they de-
|cIared the small states should have
the same number of U. S. senator's as
the largest states.
The makers of the u. S. constitu-
ton did well when they proportioned |
the House of Representatives accord
| ing to population, giving the larger
and smaller states the same represen- |
ltatives according to population.
The makers of the u. S. constitu-
ton did well when they caused an au-
tomato re-apportionment each ten
years according to population. The
apportionment adopted by the makers
of the u. S. constitution has been in
active force for the last 128 years,
without single change or single
miss.
| Let US compare the apportionmentl
lof this state with the national consti-
tuition and see which is best, and then
Iact accordingly.
j The constitution of this state says
there shall be but 80 senator's, SO rep
Iresentatives (barring the one repre-
sentative from each new county, and
leach ten years the legislature shall
Ire apportion the membership of the
Legislature.
i Our state constitution is 80 years
old.
i The legislature in 1897 and in 1907
! failed TO re-apportion the state legis-
lature. There was an effort made in
Z 1907, an effort made in 1909, two eff
! forts in 1913 and 1915 by a three
ffths vote of both houses. A new
constitutional amendment was passed
land to be voted on by the people this
fall) something on the order of the
: national proportionment.
B There are now 80 senator's, ID leg
3 islators-106 members. Yet our con-
/ stitution limits the number to 100.
y The constitution of the state should
1 be above the action of the legislature.
3 The legislature of the state has fail
ed to obey the state constitution in
the past.
], If our constitution is right, then
some of the past legislatures were IL
!, legal.
] How can an illegal legislature pass
il legal laws?
If the proposed amendment is de-
feated at the polls this fall then it is
up to the next legislature to make a
{ new e-apportionment.
q Judging from the past the legisla-
I, ture will refuse to do SO. Because it
would say to Lake, Nassau, st. Johns,
{ Putnam, Hamilton and Bradford or
!. other counties but half of a Senator,
: and but one representative, and Hills
! boro and Pinellas but one senator be-
5 tween them, etc.
s Will these counties submit to such
: treatment?
A few days ago the Tampa Times
showed the inequality of giving a
small county the same strength in the
!. state senate as the large county.
The Tampa Times failed to show
|, the inequality as it exists today.
81 Look at the inequality of the Unit
U Led States Senatorial apportionment.
New York has more than 5000, 900,
! Florida has 100000. New York ten
: times that of Florida. Nevada has
5 $1,000 people Hillsboro county has
!. SO, 000-more than the state of Neva-
s da. New York has more than 100
times as large population. The
} twenty states in the Union having the
lowest population have about the
J same population as New York state.
! They have 40 votes in the United
t States Senate to New York's two.
You say this is wrong.
: If this wrong why has. it continued
3 for 128 years?
= What injustice has it done?
e Why no complaint?
s Why is there change in the re-
4 Iapportionment Of congress each 10
I years without fail?
There is an eternal and righteous
fitness in this fact that says to III
!. Legislative department of this great
= country that the small and weak state
shall have the same voting strength
IN the United States Senate as the
! large and strong states have.
Hillsboro has now one half sena-
tor, two representatives. The amend
ment proposes for Hillsboro to have
one Senator and three representatives
Pineallas, has one half senator and
tone representative. They shall have
one senator and two representatives.
Manatee has one-haf a senator and
one representative. She shall have. one