The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-12-01
REDISTRICTING OF MISSOURI
is GERRYMANDER SAYS
ATTORNEYS
Action of Gov. Hyde and Associates
Attacked in Supreme Court.

Jefferson City, Nov 2r.-The ac.
| ton OF Governor Hyde, Attorney
GENERAL Barrett and Secretary of
State Becker in rcdistrictng the SEN
atorial districts Of the state was at
tackled Monday in the supreme court
as gcrrymandcr by attorneys. who
declared the districts were not rear
ranged for convenience aud cdualitv
of population.
Former Atty Gen. John T. Barker
and former Judge John l. William
son OF Kansas City and former
Judge Fred l.. Williams of ST. Louis
made arguments ia behalf OF the
mandamus suit to overthrow the ger
rymander by the three state officials.
Attorney General Barrett and AS
sistant Attorney General Otis made
the defense for the redistricting in
opposition to the mandamus. The
nandamus was filed against Secre-
tary OF State Becker to compel him
to accept a certificate of nomination
OF Arthur V. LASTLY of St. Louis as
candidate for delegate TO the new
constitutional conventions from the
old IWenty-itth senatorial districts, |
district which was wiped out by the |
gerrymander. Barker in his argu-
lnent before the supreme court de-
clared the recent districting by the
state officials was eminently unfair.
the population OF the proposed dis.
trlcts ranging from $4,000 to 10000.
Under this plan more than $4,000
people in the state will be cut off
from representation in the state SEN
ate, Barker argued. He declared
Kansas City with four senator's, and
St Louis with I2. would be over rep
resented while the country would
4aett-l+4fftte-ee It's proper representation.
Attacking the proposed new Third
district composed OF Platte, Clay,
Ray. Clinton and Lafayette, Barker |
declared the district was 90 miles {
long and rs miles wide. |
fle attacked the Twenty-fifth dis |
trict i'll southeast Missouri as being
as equally as bad in that it was to-
tally devoid of compactness, require
ncnt outlined in the constitution. :
lie called attention to the Twenty !.
second district, extending from JET :,
erson City to Arkansas line and de- :,
'crlbed as being I24 miles long aud -
S miles wide. Barker declared that l.
ne present gerrymander was in ~
Imitely worse than any districtng =. :,
,ver proposed in Missouri He pic u
ured before the court how Attorney
icneral Barrett 10 years ago in the t.
Hitchcock case had vigorously pro- a
estcd against the distributing OF the II
tate by former Secretary OF State II
Roach and former Attorney General al
Aajor. Barker declared that Barrett
$ now attempting to do the same &C
hing that he condemned in 1911 and sd
which was knocked out by the su- pl
RENE court at that time. Former re
Judge Williamson argued that the tr
doption of the referendum and ri
Initiative clause of the constitution in OF
Jos repealed the grant to the state re
fficials to redistrict the senatorial tn
This contention was denied te
y Assistant Attorney General Otis. fig
The 1. w. w. with new programs ne
nd new leaders, are preparing to or
<ick Off the lid and raise hell"
liefs of the organization at New In,
ork declared Wednesday. Revival wi
activity on a nationwide scale has re;
gun with drive to organize the ha
eel workers. With all plans laid to on
lgineer strike. delegates" as the tn;
obblies call their organizers, have for
en- sent into Pittsburgh, Gary, Ind, wa
o.. and other steel CEN do
rs it was learned. tic,