Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-06
A Knife in Reapportionment.

A Knife in Reapportlonment'
After the bill for the reapportion-
ment of the representation in the House
had successfully run the gauntlet OF
the Senate 1t is unfortunate that the
measure should have struck snag In
the House itself. A combination OF
amendments adopted by the House IN
committee Of the whole threatens 10
kill the bill. One of these amendments
proposes to bar from the count OF the
population for apportionment purposes
all aliens. The other seeks to par
NEGROES from the count in those states
where the Negroes are not, through
State laws, permitted to vote. the
alien amendment was adopted first by
n combination of Southern Democrats
and Republicans from agricultural
States. Both these classes OF States
would lose membership in the House
the pending bill becomes a law. NO
sooner had the alien amendment been
adopted than the Tinkham amendment,
whose effect would be to reduce the
representation of some Of the Southern
States In the House, was put through
by a combination of Republicans from
the big industrial States and others.
Both of these amendments. or either
one. If insisted upon by the House,
would be SUFFICIENT to kill the bill. The
Senate might be expected TO stand out
against them for months.
The House apparently has played d.
rectly into the hands OF those Repre-
sentatives from States which do not
want any reapportionment bill. Tney
are the States that will lose repre-
sentation because in the last twenty
years the growth Of their population has
not kept pace with that Of other States.
There are more ways Of killing a cat
than choking 1t to death with cream.
That is a lesson which opponents OF
reapportionment have taken to heart.
The adoption of these amendments
In the House, as Senator Walsh OF
Massachusetts, said In the Senate while
the bill was before that body, strikes
dagger into the heart Of the measure
In the Senate an amendment was Oh
fered by Senator Sackett OF Kentucky
uroposins to eliminate the aliens from
the count in making the reapportion-
rnent of the House. BY a substantial
majority the amendment was defeated
IN the Senate. 1t was apparent that
some of the supporters of the propos-
nj were merely seeking to prevent any
xeapportionment legislation and sup
porters of the bill refuse to be drawn
into the trap. The House, on the otner
hand. apparently swallowed the bait
hook, line and sinker.
In the interest of reapportionment
legislation it is to be hoped that the
House will come to its senses and elm
mate amendments which threaten 70
kill this measure for the third time IN
nine wears, The Constitution provides
for the enumeration OF the population
Of the states every ten years. Upon
this enumeration representation in the
House must be based. The electoral
votes of the States in a presidential
election also are involved in carrying
ont this mandate of the Constitution.
Congress has neglected its duties during
the last decade in this respect. Twice
the House has passed the reapportion-
nnent bill and twice 1t has been allowed
10 die In the Senate.
The row IN the House over the ap-
portionment finds the industrial GEN.
tiers lined up against the rural sections
Of the country. 1t finds the prohibi-
tionists lined up against the vets, for
1t Is the Representatives from the dry
rural parts OF the country who are
insisting upon the amendment elimi-
mating the aliens from the count, hop
ing thus to reduce the representation
In the House of States where wet SEN
tinent Is strong. This is the claim Of
the vets. But at the bottom OF 1t all
lies the desire Of some members of the
House to prevent any reapportionment
legislation. The situation which has
developed makes it all the more clear
that permanent legislation such as pro-
vided In the pending bill calling for
. reapportionment every ten years and
laying down the rules Of reapportion-
ment Is needed.