The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-12-20
COUNTRY GOING ON
GERRYMANDER SPREE
Republicans Determined to
Take Advantage of Their
November Victory.
10y JOHN b. ERWIN, Washlnuton
CorreanondentO

Correspondent.)
washington, y, G., Dec, 90. The
spree Encouraged by u landslide In
the last election and tmhucd with tho
laudhblc purpose 0f keeping control of
the government IN nerpctulty. rcpub-
llcan leaders Of the house are prcpar-
Ing to ruah through n rcappor tIOnmont
hlll which win contribute 10 thRt end.
The new apportlonmcnt based on tho
new census. In To be made effective at
THIS time owing 10 the large number
Of state legislatures which meet In jan
uary, The November landslide gave re-
puhllcnis control nf nearly nll lepRia
lures of north aud western stntoa and
plain ana fancy gorrNmanderlnF Will
aoon he In order To insure permanent
republican control In as many congress
alonal Districts na practicable
There iR likely to be retaliation In -
few democratic states lIko Tennessee
whero the possibility OF congressional
seats held for many wears by demo-
Gratis slipping Into republican hands
whs demonstrated quite forclbly IN Mo-
vombor.
Increase In House.
A bin fathered by Chairman SlcRol,
Of the census committee, ANA approved
by the republican steering committee,
VIII he rop"rted out tomorrow increaas
Ing house membership from i9b ~ Asa
The basis Of representation eAtnhlRhpa
by this measure viii be one representa-
tive IN congress to onch 2lS07n populn-
tlun m against II present bnMR Of one
member TO every 2il,SI7 persons.
The new hlll viii afford substantial
gain In representation for those stntcH
whlch are regarded ns inherently re-
publican At the Fnme time II VIII be
noccHHniy TO give fcw new members
10 sumo southern states on any basis
Of Increased population that la taken,
but II has taken considerable AKIN TO
work ou' tha present bill, which gives
safely republican Atntun n net Increase
of Approximately thirty momborA The
solid south, republican leaders say. win
not havc To be taken no largely into
consideration In future cont7ats for the
control Of tho government
Tho Increase to AN8 momhora win
nonn no loHa Of membership 10 any
state. but tho following states VIII on
,9ls basis gain .scats, california. o.;
Michigan, ohio Now York And penn.
Nlvnnla, onch; illlnola ana TcXna.
oRch Massachusetts, New Jeracy and
North Carolina . each Alabama. Ar
mnsaF Connecticut, Georgia Mary.
land Minnesota, New MoXico. OklH-
ginia. Washington. Wisconsin West
virginia nnh Tennessee, I ench.
States TO Rsdlstrlet.
Following establishment Of n new
basis ~ representation by congress
stat" legislatures viii rcdlsirlrt HtHtos|
Whtf" tluhEtH UfN maze. Nhplc lNttt
lE an Increase In "A ntuto'a TrDfoFCutR-
tluG ana no action rs taken by the
Etntf, the state automatically becomes
entitled 10 a number II congressman
nt large, which the new apportionnent
inw authorizes
Lightning rods arc expected 20 ho
holptod without delay fpr the extra seat
In the Tennessee congressional delcRa
ton.
Tie change of apportlopmrut basis
affords opportunity for focal politicians
In states 10 exhibit their SKIN Hi gerry
the congressional districts -
aE 10 mako them safety republican or
according to which party
hug control ~ the Legislature
LorriuR n county m ono district nnd
adding n 10 another wiil make some
rurprirIuglv drastic changes in the pu.
liiical complexion ~ somc congregational |
districts
GOV. Roberts thrrp' about rodlstriet- |
.uT the Eighth district in rrprlsnl t'r |
'pugrcpHman.clect SCOTS activity lu !
opposition to CARROTS nomination or !
federal Judge lR regard - RH ilrrfun |
nor ~ TcnnrHHor changes IlNriiu |
county viii probably be taken m the |
Eighth and Fwauped for one NJ The !
dcmpctBilc counties M
.nr Sin'h thus tumriug democratic
,.utral - both districts
n W. lfolv "a similar movement WI /
Yr Hiprfr1 for tho Third district v'l |
tnr ~ the f"puhlirh conu'lrE VIII h'
fptpi ~ far a democratic county ''
rrurr tho election ~ q d"WurtRfIr rnT-
.c.sur 10 EruresHntptiyc-c', J.'
Brown Two years hence