The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1948-10-01
oser bauEdWitor'ss

rAiSSlSSlpPl lcduS one 10 won
der why the 16 Southeastern
counties, which includes Jack
son county, do not start a
movement within a movement
and call for a County's Rights
program to supplement the
present States Rights move
ment where we find our own
state political leaders we'll in
the vanguard. The cause of the
is counties is certainly as just
as that of the several states
leading the present States
Rights movement and perhaps
with sufficient fanfare and pub
licity, we might even have a
County's Rights plank inserted
in the platform.
The Is Southeastern counties
referred to comprise the Sixth
Congressional District, a d
among them are four that rank
well up the state list in indus
trialization and population.
They are Harrison, Forrest,
Jones and Jackson. Under pres
ent apportionment, the 16 coun-
ties are entitled to a total of
H. representatives in the State
Legislature, one to each county
and one extra shared by Harri-
son and Jackson counties. Now
let's compare this to the rep
resentation of a block of is
Northern Mississippi counties,
lying parallel to the Tennessee
state line. This group of l6
counties is entitled to a total of
81 representatives in the State
Legislature. The two groups of
counties, one in the North and
our own Southeastern group,
represent approximately the
same population, with possibly
the Southeastern group having
a slight edge. AS another point
of comparison we can take the
IL counties bordering on the
Mississippi river. These IL coun-
ties have a total of FL repre-
sentatives in the State Legis-
lature.
The same condition holds true
in representation in the State
Senate. County after county in
the Northern and Delta sec
tions of the state have direct
senatorial representation while
Jackson shares its Senator with
two other counties, George and
Greene, and Harrison county
shares with Stone. For in
stance De Soto county, in the
Northern part of the state, has
a population less than that of
either Harrison or Jackson, but
has two direct representatives
and one direct senator in the
State Legislature. Then take
Monroe, Lee and Itawamba.
The combined population of
these three counties totals less
than the combined population
of Harrison and Jackson. Yet
these three counties have a to-
tai of seven representatives and
two senators in the State Leg
islature. Harrison and Jackson
have a total of three represen-
tatives and less than one sena-
tor, for Jackson, sharing hers
with two others, has one-third
and Harrison. sharing with one,
has one-half. Then Pamela
county, with a population less
than either that of Harrison or
Jackson, has three direct rep
resentatives and one direct sen
ator more representation
than Jackson and Harrison
combined.
The same condition holds
true in county after county.
Holmes county has three direct
representatives and one sena-
tor; Noxubee county the same:
Lowndes county the same. None
of these have as much popula-
ton as Jackson county, and
probably half that of Harrison,
yet each has more representa-
ton than the two combined.
Another factor in the overall
picture is the fact that the
state as a whole is showing a
loss in population, while the
Coast counties show an appre-
ciable gain. Not a single county
of the 16 comprising the South
eastern group has more than
one direct representative, and
not a single one is entitled to
a direct senator. This, we con-
tend, is a sad state of affairs
and borders on, or possibly sur
passes in its injusticeS, the con-
ditions to which the States
Fighters attribute their present
movement or the national po-
litical level.
= .
Call us a hereto if you wish,
but we believe that the same
political leaders, including those