Evening star., 1927-03-19

Continued failure to order reappor-
tionment of the House of Representa-
tives has resulted in vigorous attacks
on Congress since it's adjournment.
While several attempts to conform to
the 1920 census have failed in the past.
the particular subject of criticism now
is the killing of measure which
would have ordered future changes in
representation on the basis of the
1880 census, to be taken three years
hence.
Directing attention to the fact that
California is entitled to six more rep
resentatives, the San Francisco Chron-
| icle independently says: "If there is a
| mandate at all in the Constitution
| there is one covering reapportionment
after each decennial census. And q
| denial of this mandate robs the grow
! ing States Of the popular representa-
| ton in Congress to which they are
clearly entitled. States that
have lost population have no right to
keep the growing States out of their
due representation"
The Philadelphia Public Ledger lin
dependent) points out that ''in Cali
| fornia alone possibly a million persons
are being denied their due and just
representation" and adds, 1.-TWO De.
| troit districts. their joint population
| running far over 100000, have just
| two Representatives and no more, al
though under the present basis of one
member to 211,877 persons Detroit
should have four and possibly five
| members in the House
| X X X
"The Republican party has been in
control Of Congress for a decade. "
states the Detroit News independently.
| This supremacy. together with over
whelming major1ties in two national
| elections, has made 1t arrogant, and
arrogance Is merely a form of stupid.
| ity. Here was Heaven-sent
opportunity for the Democrats. His
| torically, they are the party of strict
| construction OF the Constitution. A
Jefferson, q Jackson, a Tilden or a
| Cleveland would have seized this issue
| and would have made the country
ring with 1t. The strategic position of
the Democrats would have been unas
sailable. for 1t would have been States
normally Democratic that would have
lost the most places in the House and
/
Iaprortionment, unless the size of the
House was increased. Here was the
chance to play what Is known in chess
as a gambit-the sacrifice of piece
to obtain q superior position"
| n
"If reapportionment can go over one
census" the Baltimore Sun 0ndepend
enO declares, 'it can go over two or
three. If State which is entitled to
six more congressman than 1t now
has can be estopped from choosing
them, the denial of equal representa-
ton can be carried to still further
extreme. There is no justification for
refusing a State the voice in Congress
and the weight in the Electoral Col
lege the Constitution guarantees 1t. II
is manifest that Congress has estab
lished q dangerous precedent-one
which violates the fundamental prin
ciples of our Government and which
may be used to justify similar proce
dure whenever any combination oi
States desires to block reapportion
ment.'
Reminding its readers that "at least
one war was waged in this country on
1.-THE issue taxation without representa-
tion," the Peoria Journal Gndepend
ent) suggests. in view of conditions
the Illinois General Assembly prob
ably represent the Indifference Of the
people to their rights When the peo
pie don't care there is no compelling
reason why their agents should
worry" The Buffalo Evening News
Republican) holds that here is a
germ of a pocket borough system that
If allowed to grow easily might under
lmine the entire Government" and the