Evening star., 1932-10-19
STATES GET RIGHT
OF RED|STR|CT|NC
Supreme Court Ruling NuIIs
U. S. ReguIation-Missis-
sippian Quits Race.

The United States Supreme Court de-
cision giving States unrestricted free
dom in reapportioning their congress
sional districts as they see fit paved the
way today for the early settlement of
redistricting trouble in three Southern
States and definitely killed the regula-
tions imposed in the reapportionment
act of 1911.
The ruling, handed down yesterday,
upholding the redistricti,C Of Missis-
sippi, resulted Immediately in. the with
drawal from the congressional race in
that State of Representative ]. Will
Collier, chairman Of the important
House Ways and Means Committee,
whose old eighth district had been COM
bined with the seventh to conform with
the act of 1929 eliminating one Repre-
sentative from that State.
The decision is expected to prove a
controlling factor in redistricting con-
troverSies which have arisen in Ken
lucky and Tennessee, but probably will
have no effect on the problem in Vir-
ginia, which centers around a State
Supreme Court decision declaring as a
violation Of the Virginia Constitution,
the 1882 redistricting act of the Legis-
lature. All candidates for Congress in
Virginia are running "at large"
Change Is Challenged.
In the Mississippi case, redistricting
of the State was challenged on the
ground it violated the act of 1911,
which prescribed that all districts must
be compact and contiguous and contain,
as nearly as practicable, equal numbers
of inhabitants. The Supreme Court de-
lot
in force.
The validity of the Mississippi act
had been challenged by Stewart c.
Broom. A three-judge Federal Court in
Southern Mississippi, upheld his con-
tention and declared the act invalid
and prohibited State officers from hold
ing Congressional elections under It,
While the State was appealing the
decision to the United States Supreme
Court, Representative Collier former
Gov. Theodore G. Bilbo, who was at
tempting a political comeback. and
others filed as candidates at-large." "
Their action was rendered useless by
yesterdays decision. unless they choose
10 run as Independents. against the
regular Democratic candidates who had
been nominated from the various dis
tricts.
Representative Collier, who served a
score of years from the eighth district
in announcing his withdrawal, said he
would abide by the courts decision and
support Representative Russell Ellzeys S
support Representative Russell Ellzey,
nominee from the new seventh dis
trict. combination of Ellzeys old
district and that of Collier Bilbo,
who received word of the Supreme
Courts decision while on a campaign
tour, hurriedly changed a scheduled
address in behalf of his candidacy to
one extolling the Roosevelt Garner
ticket. He said he would return to
Jackson. Miss. before announcing his
position with respect to the ruling.
Situation in Virginia.
In the case of Virginia. Assistant
State Attorney General Edwin H. Glib
son announced today no attempt would
be made prior to the election next
month to obtain a reversal of the State
Supreme Court ruling which held the
redistricting of Virginia violated the
State Constitution. Under the 1882 act
of the Legislature the entire State had
been redistricted and candidates nomi-
mated from each district in accordance
with law.
In overthrowing the Legislatures &C.
ton the court decided the case one
day after the ballots had been printed
and some political observers in the State
contend that all candidates will have
been elected illegally Virginia elec-
ton laws require the printing of ballot.
80 days before election day. The court s