The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-25
GERRYMANDER
AGAIN STR0LLS
ACROSS NATION
Thirty-Two States to Face
RediStriCting Problem
This Winter.

BIZ ScriDDs-Howord Newspaper Alliance
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25. - The
gerrymander viii prowl through the
land this winter as he has not done
Tor twenty years.
This strange creature, first given
a name in 1912, has been a part Of
American life ever since, whenever
a reapportionment of representa-
lives or other legislative officers was
TO take place.
This winter thirty-two states, in
Guiding Indiana, must rearrange
their congressional districts as re-
suit Of the new census and the new
reapportionment of congressman.
and most of them are in turmoil
over it already, though the re-dis-
tricting can not take place for
about three months.
Twenty-one states must combine
some Of their present districts with
others, to eliminate twenty-seven
congressman; eleven states must
create new districts for twenty
seven congressman to represent. In
all, however. the problem worrying
each politician is how to group dis
tricts strategically so vets or drys,
Democrats or Republicans, may
profit by the change.
Minnesota Has Puzzle
For instance, Minnesota must be
so divided that there will be one
district less and one less congress-
man hereafter. Representative
Kvale. the states one Farmer-Labor
member, comes from a district that
is almost in the center of the state
II would be logical to redistrict by
adding a little of this Kvale district
to each of the others.
But each of the other members
of the Minnesota delegation is
determined this shall not be done.
Kvale was reelected last fall by
the biggest popular vote given any
Minnesota congressman. Each of
mis- colleagues fears that Kvale will
move into his district, when the re-
apportionment is made. and proceed
to defeat him for office.
Missouri now has sixteen con-
gressional districts and she must
compress these into thirteen. Part
Of the state is very wet. part very
dry. One side of it is Democratic,
the other Republican. Democrats
row are N control of the state leg
stature, and if they draw the new
district lines in the proper manner
they may be able so to split up and
separate groups of Republicans
that they will be in a minority in
nearly every district. though there
now are ten Republicans and six
Democrats in the house of repre-
sentative5
Bad for Democrats
On the other hand, Missouris
Governor is Republican. and if he
should veto the Democratic legis-
lature's reapportionment bill, Mis-
souris congressman would all be
elected at large, in which case they
would probably all be Republicans.
Theoretically, the only element
entering into reapportionment is the
requirement that each district con-
tain approximately 280, 900 residents,
but there's not state in which the
problem will be as simple as that.
The last time Maine was reap
portioned, a strange pipe-shaped
district was created, running from
north to south. then east to the
coast, then north again, so it might
include every Democratic commu-
nifty in the state.
This year. the pipe probably will
be broken, and the Democratic dis
tricts distributed around among the
three others, for Maine loses a con-
gresham. But even while the
Democrats were massed together,
the district never elected Demo-
cratic representative to the house.
Dates Back to 1912
The Democrats will not fare well
in Wisconsin, either In that state
the Progressiyes will be given OPP
portunity to intrench themselves
more securely by the change in
districts, and the loss of one con-
gresham. The delegation in con-
gress already has caucused to dis
cuss the problem, and its one Demo
cratic member seems destined to
lose.
All of which maneuvering goes by
the name of gerrymandering and
has since 1912 when MASSACHUSETTS
with Elbridge Gerry as Governor,
passed bill dividing itself into
fantastic-shaped senatorial districts
so Democrats might triumph in the