The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-01-17
NO GERRYAiANDER
portland Oregonian)

The state Of Oregon, under the
proposed congressional reappoint-
ment, may get four members OF the
house Of representatives; and 1t may
not. The bill has not yet passed,
nor even been reported out OF com"
mittee at Washington; and II Is likely
to encounter obstacles which will
greatly alter its form. But the an
noupcement that the states repre-
sentation may be increased has al
ready started movement in the leg
islature for redIstricting the state
into four divisions. Why four dis
tricts when II is not known that
there will be no more than three rep
resentatives?
II would not be fair to say that
the demand for redistricting comes
wholly from members Of the legis-
lature who are nursing an ambition
to 20 to congress; but It is proper to
say that, IL It Is to be done they pur-
pose to say how 1t shall be done The
result is a great variety Of tentative
proposals, having in view the geo.
graphical situations Of several gem
tlemen. No one can be blamed for
holding an ambition to 60 to con-
gress; but there should be no gerry |
mander to make It feasible.
The state divides itself naturally
into three parts-western Oregon,
eastern Oregon and Multnomah
county. The new census gives Ore
gon a total Of 7s3,3ss. of which all
the counties east of the Cascades
have 160,502 and those west Of the
mountains, exclusive Of Multnomah,
have 363.599. Here now We have
the great territory east Of the Cas-
cades with less than one-fourth OF
the population Of the state; yet one
proposed scheme would divide the
district. and attach 1t to part Of the
Willamette valley. To be exact. II
would cut off Ho Cd River and Wasco
counties. and add. them to Clacka-
mas. Washington, Columbia and
some others,
The design is obvious. Represen-
tative Sinnott is a resident OF Wasco
county and It is planned to gerry
mander him out of eastern Oregon
and throw him into strange and
new district so that the whole wide
remaining expanse east of the noun |
tains will be left free and open for
any other county which would like
to have a congressman.
The plan would do a great injus-
tice to Representative sinnott. Mr..
Sinnott is at the head Of the i'm
portant committee on public lands,
and as such is in position to render
valuable service to his entire district
and to state and nation. II the leg
islature should hamstring him by
cuttinb off nine-tenths Of his district
and tying him up with humber OF
counties west of the Cascade noun
tains, where he has slight acquaint-
ance and no. present, special knowl-
edge of legislative needs, his in
fluence would be lessened here and
the vast territory which embraces
the greater part of his district would
lose valuable public service. 1t Is
incredible that the. legislature will
i take any action which would do vio-
lence to a natural situation, and at
the same time would commit Mr..
sinnott to needless perpiexity- and
embarrassment for the future.
Quite clearly eastern Oregon
should be left alone; and Just as
clearly Multnomah should not be
disturbed. II is not SO easy to say
how the remainder Of the state
should be divided; but that two dis
tricts should be made out Of western
Oregon, exclusive of Multnomah, Is
plain enough.
But why redistrict the state now
at all? Any plan will precipitate
the legislature into protracted and
futile controversy and its time is
needed for more pertinent affairs.
y