Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-02-19
Senate Tied
On Proposal
Redistrict
Smith Throws Wrench
In Organization Pro-
gram by Declaring
Support

Senator Smith, of Josephines
dyna mited the e-apportionnisnE
program of the senate organizations
of which he has been a consisteEx
unit, this morning when he arose 20
questional of personal privileges
and announced that he would nos
vote for the bill as 1t stands.
The bill now on the calendar for
final passage throws Jackson ana
Josephine counties into one joi1<
district. Under the existing cias-
sification Jackson has a senator OF
it's own, c. M. Thomas, whose teyuE
is expiring, while Josephine has n
senator, Smith, who was elected
last November and therefore has
another session yet to serve
The combination of the two
counties into one district woattst
leave Senator Thomas high and dryr
with no chance to run for re-sfsc-
tion, under the law, Smith would
become the joint senator for the
remaining two years.
1t was this circumstance whicH
threw Thomas into such a rags
Yesterday afternoon when the re-
port of the e-apportionment COM
mittee came up for adoption and
EDDY made his futile effort to
amend that report by putting me
Jackson and Josephine districts
back into their present status.
Arising to a point of pera0nat
privilege at the opening OF the ses-
sion this morning Senator Sn,ttm
emphaticaRly denied charges or
double crossing which had BEEN
made against him I'm his absences
during consideration of the reap
portionment bill Friday afternooft-,
"Coming from senator Thomas
who is an expert in this line, nG
declared al leave 1t to the mean
hers Of the senate to draw th~sr
own conclusions
referring TO his attitude toward
the re-apportionment pf"stsltf
Smith continued:
II am opposed to the re-appoine-
mont hill as IL now stands. avn
and always have been opposed 90
onv program which coupled ur
Iosenhine and jackson counties-
Such a program would mean tne
complete submergence OF Josephine
county. Our representation IN mo
INNER house. would be compietsiy
lost So long as they insist on thIa
nrogram must oppose it.
oT voted for referring the DIN
hack TO the committee because y
believed Il should be sent back
there. In fact it would suit me 10
Sc II sent back to the comInisee@
and forgotten there"
Inasmuch as the senate organ
ization which is behind the re-aF-
portionment bill as 1t now stands
on the calendar, has been ahie 70
muster a bare 10 votes behind ~
the announcement of Senator Snith
dvnamited the machine, as the
alignment, with him against the
bill. stands fifteen to fifteen. Que
less than the constitutional major
ity necessary to pass measure.
and tie of the whole senate.
Efforts are now being made 20
effect some compromise through
which II will be possible, either TO
win Smith to the support OF tine
bill by restoring the Jackson ana
county status. or by
shifting some other districts abosf
by which the bill can be put over
with these two counties linked to-
gether.
What the fate of the re-appor-
tionment measure will be In the
house is a conjecture. Undoubted-
", from the volcanic bitterness OF
the debate in the senate yesterday,
any reapportionment bill will cause
one of the biggest rows seen In the
legislature for many sessions.
Whether any harmonious arrange
ment can be reached is puzzle
However. II an alignment can be
perfected in the senate which can
be held together under any stress
and storm, II may be that the house
can be whipped into line. All OF
the big road bills, all of the appro--
priation bills, and several other in
dividually important measures in
cluding salary bills, are now In tfas4
pocket Of the senate, a circun-
stance which gives the upper house
an immense leverage should the
worst come to the worst and "A bat
tie to the finish grow out OF the re-
problem.