The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-15

Democrats senatorial predomi'
nance is so great at present thai
the Republicans still will be mar
rowly outvoted in that chamber
even if they win every seat al
stake next year, which, OF course
they can't do. However, it's al
least theoretically possible fol
them to gain control Of the repre-
senatorial house, since those boys
all are chosen or rechosen bien'
nially.
And it will be a rare feather in
Joe Martins cap If he can get his
party into just one Of Capitol Hills
two majorities for the last half OF
President Roosevelt's third term.
In an odd way the latest census
returns, especially for Pennsyl-
gania, may count considerably as
4 deciding factor in the contest.
Why so and why in Pennsylvania
particularly calls for some words
If explanation.
Well, succeeding censuses show
various shifts in local populations
growth. There isn't much shrink
age anywhere, but some states
populations grow faster than 9TH
ers' If a state lags it's likely to
lose slightly in the number of ma
tional representatives it's entitled
to. When this happens the affect
ed state is expected to redistrict it.
self congressionally. = 1t isn't done
congressionally. It's done by the
legislature Of the state in question.
II legislature doesn't attend to 1t,
then that states next congress
sional election is Eat large"-not
as per each of its districts.
New York's Case
For instance, New York state
gained a couple of seats on the
strength of past censuses, but
I'dr'. redistrict itself. Consequent
ly it elects 40 OF its representa-
tives by district, with two at large;
the whole state votes on 'em. Now,
under the most recent census, the
Empire commonwealth gains an
other seat. If it still doesn't redis-
trict, it'll have three congressman
at-large. But lone congressman,
added or subtracted, out of total
of ass, doesn't greatly matter.
The same census trims Massa-
chusetts' delegation of Is to IA.
The Goldfish state. though, will re-
district itself, TO certainty.
There are various other changes
that don't materially signify.
But Pennsylvania?
The Quaker realm, next after
New York the most populous SUBJ
division in the land, is pared down
from "a to SO representatives. Un-
less it redistricts itself the entire
80 will be chosen at largely a
statewide vote, all Of 'em.
Now, SO, even out Of a 435 total,
Is pretty large mouthful. If one
political party wins the entire out
At, added to what 1t can pick up
elsewhere, it's liable to make a
stable dent in the next house Of
representatives.
And both parties in Pennsyl-
vania. hear from Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh and thereabouts, have a
notion that they can swing the
state in 1912.
At present, with 10 Democratic
to IS Republican Representatives
in Washington, 1t looks New Deal
ish. Nevertheless, 1t normally Is a
Republican commonwealth.
To Much Grabbing
Each group In the legislature,
from all accounts, is inclined to
make a grab for the whole aggre-
cation, rather than to deal with
the situation by districts.
But suppose one side or the other
decides that 1t would be better to
redistrict Then what? All, there's
another rub. Pennsylvania has a
Republican governor and state
senate, but Democratic state
house Of representatives. Senate
and house can deadlock with no
trouble whatever-whereupon no
redistricting; a solid block Of SO
with whichever party wins 'em, in
the next national house OF repre-
sentatives.
It's worth remarking that the
Pennsylvania representatives in
Washington vrapf IN ha r.df..~..