Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-27
The Ne,o Abbort;onment
-HE well-founded assumption that the
new congressional apportionment will

-HE well-founded assumption that the
new congressional apportionment will
result in constituting congressional
district of Fulton county, as pointed out by
Secretary Of State McLendon, scarcely is no
more welcome than the obvious fact that the
reapportionment, in so far as 1t applies to
the nomination of at least one Georgia rep
resentative in Congress-, will vltiate the
county unit rule. The county unit will be-
come useless and imperative in the nom1na-
ton of Congressional representative from
a district that is constituted OF a single
county, or even two counties.
Under the 1910 apportionment, based upon
the census returns from the decade ending
that year, there was one representative IN
Congress for every 211, 877 people This fig-
ure gave to the House of Representatives
membership of 435.
It is estimated, semi-officially, that the
1920 census enumeration will give to CONT
mental United States population OF loo'-
600 900. Unless the membership or the
House Of Representatives is materially in
creased, obviously iEjwill be necessary to in
crease the basis OF representation. II the
mem bership is held at 435, and this is likely,
il. indeed, the membership is not reduced,
the apportionment will be one representa-
tive in Congress for every 243,67S people.
The population of Fulton county, as Off
cially announced, is $4,000, or $4,000 less
than the estimated basis Of the next appor-
tionment. The population OF DeKalb county
is something over $4,000. If Fulton and
DeKalb were Joined in a single congressional
district, the basis of apportionment would be
considerably exceeded
It has never been the practice for the Fed
eral Government to intermeddle or become
disturbed concerning the relative population
OF Congressional districts. The apportion-
ment laws fix basis under which each State
is entitled to as many representatives in
Congress as the apportionment figure may
be divided into the total population for the
State. The constitution OF the districts ls
matter for the State Legislatures to deter
mine, and it frequently happens that one dis
trict will have fewer people and another
more people than the apportionment basis
actually set by Congress.
In these circumstances, 1t is obvious that
the Legislature, when it takes up the ques-
ton of reapportionment, can constitute
district Of Fulton county, even though it's
$4,000 population is under the basis &C
tually set by Congress. By the same token,
the Legislature can join Fulton and Dekalb
or Fulton and any other county in single
district, even though the combined popula-
ton exceeds the figure set by Congress,
It is apparent, however, from population
reports thus far announced that Dekalb
county will become one Of Georgia's big six
under the new apportionment. In other words,
DeKalb will be entitled to the same repre-
sentation in the Legislature as Fulton, and,
under the county unit rule, each will be en-
titled to six unit votes, or twice the number
of votes it has in the Legislature.
Obviously, the county unit rule would be-
come useless if Fulton and DeKalb are joined
in a single congressional district. If Fulton
were united with any Of the smaller adJoln-
ing counties the unit system Of nomination
would prove even more useless and ridicu-
lous The successful Congressional cand1-
date would have only to concentrate on Full
ton and capture it's vote to insure his nom1-
nation The people of the smaller counties,
in such circumstances, would be disfran-
chised.