The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-20
Senate Plan Would Reduce Dis.
tricts in Western Kansas.
Price, Thompson, Malone and
Doerr Favor the Scheme.
BILL WOULD MEAN A FIGHT
Its Introduction, However, i.
Seriously Contemplated.
Slice Down Big Ones and Add
to Little Districts.

The "Big Four of the Kansas sem
ate want to be reduced. Anyone who
is willing to undertake to engineer the
operation will be gladly commissioned
to handle the case. But, if no one
volunteers, it is more than probable
that one of the Big Four will put a
knife between his teeth and try to
bring about the desired reduction.
1t is Lerritory-not physical appen-
dages-that the Big Four would
have sliced away. Constituents, not
cancers, are what they wish to get rid
of. And if there is a possible way 10
do it Senators Price, Thompson, Ma
lone and Doerr, who represent the
four biggest districts in the state in
population, valuation and area, Will
have the senatorial districts redivided
so that they will not have SO much ter
ritory to cover during a campaign
year.
However, the heavy mileage of a
campaign year is not one of the i'm
portant things that have brought the
Democrats and Republicans of the far
west together in a demand for a re-
districting operation. They assert they
have such large districts and SO many
interests to look after that it is i'm
possible for them to give all of their
constituents the personal attention
lHey SIOuIu nave ana lfldI II is not IdlT
for their sections of the state to have
such small representation in proper
ton to population and property valua-
tions as they now have. They say 1t
was never intended by the trainers of
the constitution that districts in the
state with populations under 10000
and property under so million dollars
should have the same representation
in the senate as districts with popula-
tions of more than $4,000 and property
valuations of more than $50 million
dollars.
Would Iledistrict State.
They believe every fair-rninded
man will agree with them in these
contentious. but they are not so GER
tain that every fair-minded senator OF
every fair-minded voter will join with
them in bringing about a change
There are only two ways changes car
be made One is by getting an amenf
ment to the constitution incres hg
the membership of the senate to I a
number larger than forty and the
ether is to consolidate some of the
smaller eastern districts and slice off
some of the territory of the larger
ones OF the west and add it to those
i districts that are farthest east.
u is the general belief that the vot-
ers would not take favorably to the
idea of increasing the membership OF
the senate by a constitutional amend
ment. There is too much talk about
the legislature already being toe
large. Therefore. the big Four" are
trying to get at the trouble by oper-
ating in a different way. They are
agreed that a bill providing for redis-
| tricting the state will be introduced
| during this session. but no one of the
! four will admit he is making plans tc
| introduce and father the bill.
Bill Would Mean Fight.
1t is realized that such a bill canno
| fail to produce a bitter fight 1t i:
realized that there are no Alfonso
| CASTOR senators who will say: Sure
go ahead and take my toga; wipe ou
my district and consolidate it with an
other. 1 am willing to stay at home
/ the rest Of my life if it will be an ac
comm odation to you and your people
| Sure, I want to be fairi Go aheaC
! and take my district off the map,'
| 1t is realized that instead of saying
| these things the senators in the small
er districts will band themselves to
| IContinuo6 IN poOo Twnl