Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-12-05
Reapportionment.
From the New York Herald-Tribune.

FROM tue New 1orA netdiQ-IIlOune'
Reapportionine of the Congress districts |
by the Legislatures of the 81 States which I
either gain or lose members under the re-
appOrtionmenI will be beset by many diff |
cuities. 1t will be major problem 10 each |
of them, except Vermont. which has been |
spared the trouble by having its quota cut |
down to one representative. Many of the
States will find it difficult to put through
redistricting bill prior to 1882 because OF
party division between the governors and
the Legislatures. And in some cases it may
be muc longer before any agreement can
be reached. Even where one party has
undisputed control of the legislative and the
executive branches, sectional rIvalries will
cause bitterness and delay. Where one
party is in full control it will inevitably be
tempted to eerrymander so as TO cut down
the number of possible districts for its OPP
ponents. 10 addition to the contest between
Republicans and Democrats for advantage.
the wet and dry issue is certain to figure
prominently in the consideration OF new
district lines.
Where redistricting is not accomplished.
every State whose delegation is reduced
must elect all its representatives as mem
beIs at large by a Statewide vote, as in
| the case of senators those which gain will
have ITO elect the additional member or
members at large. This unquestionably
will bring about an abnormal division in
the House to be elected in 1932-to what
extent may only be surmised. The partisan
pendulum is likely to swing far and pre-
dictions are hopeless.
There are more facts upon which to dis
cuss what reapportionment will mean in
terms of Republican and Democrat and of
4 .kr. 81 RaRa har
accomplished their redisuicting. Many di-
yereent, and at the present time unknown.
factors enter into the problem. One can.
however. speculate. Starting with the nor
NAL division under the present distribution
of seats and taking into consideration the
various possibilities of redistrictine, it would
seem that there is likely TO be net gain
| of normally Republican districts of any
where from five to eleven.
Any attempt to determine the effect Of
redistricting upon the wet and dry vote IN
| the House is more difficult. Solely on the
| basis of prohibition sentiment of today as
| indicated by the recent Senate and House
elections, making no allowance whatever
| for the growth in the public demand for
repeal. which seems certain. one may figure
| gain of at least seventeen wet seats. That
the cities, which have grown in population,
are, generally speaking. wet. and the coun-
try districts, which have lost. are dry, also
that southern California, which will get
most of that States nine additional seats.
and Texas, which gains three. are both
classified as dry, has been considered. How
conservative our estimate is may be Judged
by a statement made by Wayne B. Wheeler
more than ten years ago. Eager for the
| immediate passage of an enforcement act.
he said I'VE have got to win now. because
when 1920 comes and reapportionment is
| here, 40 wet congressman will come from
the great wet centers. with their rapidly
increasing population The reapportion-
ment he feared then did not come until
this year.
| From the reports of our correspondents il
seems certain that in the number Of States
in 1882, due to failure to redistrict, the en-
tire House delegation will be chosen on a
Statewide basis. That this will bring about
unusual situations is certain. Take for in
stance, Massachusetts,. which will lose one
seat. 1t gave its electoral vote to Governor
Smith in 1928. II elected a Democratic
Governor and q Democratic senator this
year. At the same time itkept unchanged
. the division of its Congress delegation
thirteen Republicans and three Democrats
and elected a strongly Republican Legis-
IL WOuiu oCCh hi6hhy
that an agreement on new districts could
! be reached. That would mean fifteen con-
, eressmen to be elected at large. An all
Democratic or an all Republican delegation
ia clearly possible, not to say probable.
In Missouri the governor is Republican
the LEGISLATURE Democratic That STATE
may elect its thirteen congressman at large
in 1882. Detroit. which is entitled to most
IL no. ALL of Michigan's four additiona
seats, is wet Because there has been nj
reapportionment and no redistrictine il
many years the Legislature is controlled
: by the dry rural districts. The probabili
7 ties are that the four new seats will b
e, filed at large in 1892. In Indiana. wher'
] the governor and the Senate are Republi
cans, but the Assembly Is Democratic. ~
redistricting can be expected in 1881. l
the Republicans do not recapture the lowe
house, all that States twelve coneressmer
must be elected at large in 1882. The Re
E pubicans have nominal control Of the leg
s itlature in Ohio. but the governor Is I
. Democrat. The chances are that her tw'
additional congressman will be chosen
large. The same is true Of New rorl
: State.
I, These examples show what an extraor
= binary and unpredictable factor has beef
a injected into the 1882 election by the lare
4 number Of representatives at large certain
10 come before the voters Of many States