Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-04-14
GOVERNOR Is RIGHT

The long looked for decision of the
United States Supreme Court settles
the muddled question as to whether
or not the governors signature is re-
quired on a redistricting act of the
state legislature. Governor Floyd B.
Olson would not sign the rediStricting
bill passed by the last session of the
Minnesota legislature. rightly deciar
ing that it was unfair. Those opposed
to him politically thought they would
have their pet plan put over without
his help. arguing that his signature
was not necessary. The highest court
held Monday that the governors sigma
ture is necessary on a redistricting
act as we'll as any law passed by the
legislature.
After the federal census of 1880 a
reapportionment act was passed by
Congress. Previous to that each con
FRESHMAN represented approximately
230. 200 people. With a membership
of 435 the lower house of congress
was large enough and it was decided
not to increase that membership,
hence each member would represent
approximately 275,00O people after the
various state legislatures had passed
redistricting acts. This meant that
some states would lose one or more
congressman. even in states where
there was some increase in pOpula-
ton. Minnesota lost one congress
man: Iowa. two: Wisconsin. one. ETC.
The states having the greatest gains
in membership were California and
Michigan.
In eliminating one con gressional
district in Minnesota much effort was
put forth to fix the new boundaries
TO suit the present members of con-
gress. there being more concern about
that than the political welfare of the
state.
The Supreme Court decision was
another feather in the hat of Cover
nor Olson. Concerning it The Mime
apolis Tribune writes editorially I'M
der the head of "The Penalty for
Gerrymandering," as follows:
IF such a thing as poetic Justice
can be imagined to exist in the realm
OF politics, the decision of the United
States supreme court upholding Gov
ernor OlsOnS veto of the congress
sional redistricting bill deserves that
description. The present members of
congress who participated in this
serrymandering business with the old
guard Republicans i'm the state legis-
lature will find themselves at a SER
lous disadvantage with scores of can
didates running at large for nine
seats in congress. The decision of the
United States supreme court makes it
almost certain that Minnesota will
have fewer Republican representa-
tlves in the next congress- Both the
Farmer-Labor party and the Demo-
cratic party will profit. the extent of
which no one can fOretell.
THE gerrymandering bill that was
vetoed by Governor Olson cut Min
neapOlis up into fragments without
any regard for our urban interests
and without justice insofar as pop
ulation was concerned. The regular
Republicans from the rural districts
were willing to parcel out Minneapo-
lis and Hennepin county with a syni-
cal Indifference to our rights in the
matter. Now we are faced with
free for all election with the chances
of success all in favor of the more
notorious among the spellbinders.
Candidates who have confined their
political activities to congressional
districts will carry heavy handicap
an the race. The Republican state
and national ticket will suffer by
reason of the hordess of aspiring con-
gressional candidates whose stock ar
guments will be the failure of the
Republican party. The rural sections
of the state will lose representation
in congress to the three larger cities
of the state. And all this is coming
about because certain interests in the
state legislature were more interested
in their individual political welfare
than they were in the political well
fare of the state.
The consoling fact in the whole
business is that this confusion will be
short lived and that the next legisla-
ture will undoubtedly get down to the
business of redistricting this state in
a fair and equitable manner"