Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
REAPPORT|ONPLAN
DEBATED ON RADIO
Vandenberg Urges Bill as
Rankin Raps Tactics
of Advocates.
Continued From First PageD

government The word describes the
process through which each State gets
its constitutional share OF Representa-
tiveS in Congress and of presidential
electors Such a process is the we'll
spring from which flows the control of
our constitutional democracy. Nothing
could be more fundamentally impor-
tant. Therefore, honest reapportion-
ment, pursuant to the Constitution s
mandate and formula, concerns every
prudent citizen who thinks straight
enough to realize that the Constitution
preservation is prerequisite to the Re-
publics perpetuation.
Charges Political SeIfishness.
From 1890 to 1910 there was a census
every 10 years and reapportionment
based upon the resultant enumeration
of the American people, as ordered by
the first article in the Constitution. 1t
was the clearly expressed purpose of
the trainers of the Constitution that
the House of Representatives thus
should accurately reflect the changing
trends of our population. Those who
now expediently bubble about the in
tentions OF the fathers are answered
convincingly by the unbroken record of
120 yearS-from Washington to Taft
during which no Congress ever permit
ted more than two years to intervene
bSbhCCh tdIIl uCItIliildl CcIlSuS ana It's
Sequent reapportionment For more
than century this basic function was
Scrupulously protected. There were no
detours from the great main highway
OF constitutional good faith.
Then commenced an amazing inter-
Jude of entrenched political selfishness
and Of fragrant and contemptuous nulli-
flcatton. There has been no reapportion-
ment since 1911. The census Of 1920
has haaT1 raHantad In inn
ment of Representatives in Congress-
and. correSpondingly, of presidential
electors. The House twice initiated
the necessary legislation-once in 1921,
and again in the Winter of 1923. But
the Senate stolidly declined to face its
constitutional obligation. 1t strangled
the first House bill in a committee
pigeonhole. 1t killed the second in the
windstorm of a perverse Senate fill
buster. AS a result, four Congresses
and two Presidents since 1920 have
been chosen on distorted and anti
constitutional basis. According to 1880
census estimates, this decade of treSpass
and default now produces % misplaced
seats in the House Of Representatives,
70 misplaced votes in the presidential
electoral college. and 80 900 600 default
ed persons who are robbed of the
craftsmanship which the Constitution
promised and intends. This element
OF progressive fraud taints the entire
legislative and administrative structure.
Sees U. S. Tranquility Threatened.
Surely it cannot be gainsaid-in the
face OF such alarming exhibits-that
reapportionment Is of paramount con-
Germ, not only to the integrity Of the
Constitution, but also to a Just sense
OF elementary American fairplay and
good craftsmanship. Nay more: The
perpetuation OF such outrage might, in
Its heightened shadow, threaten the
tranquility OF the Nation. 1t is not to
De wholly forgotten in this connection
that the Republic was born in the ira
vail OF war which responded to the
significant Shibboleth that taxation
without representation is tyranny" It
always was tyranny. 1t always will be
tyranny. It Is tyranny today. Yet that
precise tyranny has been recklesSly in
nicted upon great American conStitu-
encies ever since 1920.
The magnif1ed imposition may be
personified by a single comparison.
There are today approximately as many
people in one Michigan congressional
district, having one Congressman, as
there are in the whole State of Missis-
sippi. with eight Congressman. Cali
1ornia likewise has one congressional
district equally as large. Such contem-
tulonal justice. It must seem almost
unbelievable to the casual observer that
Congress should have declined to rectify
such glaring discrepancies. Yet Con-
greSs has thus refused for eight sterile,
contemptuous years, and large elements
In Congress are continuing this very
month to embrace every possible re-
course which once more may checkmate
eapportionment in 1880.
An, they do not meet the issue thus
squarely. They profess great sympathy
with these disfranchised constituencies
and they join the lamentations over
ugly notification since 1920 But the
only reapportionment law which they
ever seem to favor is some law which
IS not pending before Congress. The
pending proposal is always wrong. They
keep the word of promise to the ear
and break it to the hope.
Last December-if may be pardoned
Q personal world announced on the
floor Of the Senate that since a census
has but one constitutional purpose
namely. to provide a reapportionment
base should do my utmost to prevent
1880 census unless it could carry
within itself the guaranty OF a CORE
spending 1880 reapportionment. Thus
the 1880 census law was held back, and
thus census and reapportionment are
linked together in the bill which now
approaches climax in the present ex-
ira session. climax supported by the
logical and patriotic recommendation
OF President Hoover that the issue is so
emergent as to demand this extra ses-
sion verdict. AT last article l Of the
Constitution-first in import as we'll as
number-gets its belated day in court.
Would Cure Reapportionment Faults.
This pending bill aspires permanently
to cure all reapportionment defaults in
each decennium hereafter. 1t paral-
lels and authenticates the Constitution
for keeps. 1t provides that when the
1880 census, and each subsequent CEN
sus is completed. the President shall
report the result TO Congress. He shall
also report a table showing how the
existing sized House NOW 435 members)
would be reapportioned by the method
used at the last preceding apportion-
ment. If Congress thereupon fails to
pass its own reapportionment law. then
the table reported by the President be-
comes automatically effective. Thus the
country would be assured that the 1880
census will be validated in a constitu-
tional apportionment. Thus, indeed, ac-
ton would be guaranteed in every sub
sequent decade. Congressional inertia nc
longer could cheat this fundamental
constitutional purpose. Such an OBJ
structive, destructive privilege does not
rightfully belong to Congress. Congress
must be the servant-not the master
of the Constitution. Otherwise we live
in an elective despotism and constitu,
tional democracy Is dead. Otherwise
the ak Is laid to the root OF the tree
of representative government.
Opposition to this bill has come chief
" from States which would lose Repre-
sentativeS il there were reapportion'
ment. Because l decline to question
the motives of my able colleagues in the
opposition, prefer to look upon this a!