Evening star., 1962-05-13
BY RAYMOND J. CROWLEY
Associated Press Staff writer

Armed with two precedent
smashing Supreme Court de
ciSions, city and suburbia resi-
dents are stepping up a puSl
to wreSt much Of the strength
welded by their country cousin
in State legislatures.
A great shift in political pow
er may result, with incalculabl
impact on the course Of UniteC
States history.
In more than half the States
litigation is in progress
threatened. or discussed, Il
force reapportionment or 9th.
erwise revamp State votinf
systems. The idea is to reduct
rural citizens exercise Of pow
er so disproportionate to theiI
declining numbers.
In Tennessee the drive al
ready has forced the summon
ing of a special session Of the
State legislature, and some
other States may follow suit
Study groups are at work In
others, and in some there Is
talk Of constitutional amend
ments.
In some States, litigation has
clouded this years voting. For
example, Marylanders vote
Tuesday in an important pri-
mary without knowing what
the ground rules are or whether
the results under the existing
system-will stick.
Maryland System
For Maryland uses the unit
system In primaries, q system
which a Federal court already
has struck down in Georgia.
The unit system is under court
attack in Maryland, as Is also
the apportionment of the State
legislature.
Thus If a governorship can
didate, for example, wins Iom-
ination without q plurality Of
popular votes-which has hap
pened in the pasta fight is
promised. For the Maryland
Committee for Fair Represen-
tation has said it then will
press its suit against the unit
rule.
The Maryland unit system
works this way: Each county
and Baltimore city legislative
district is allowed the same
number of votes as it has seats
in the legislature. Candidates
who carry a county-even by
the tiniest margin-get all its
unit votes at a subsequent
State convention.
The unit system is weighted
in favor Of sparsely peopled
counties in the same manner
as the makeup Of the State
legislature. A suit against the
present legislative apportion-
ment is pending In Anne Arun-
del County Circuit Court,
II this court finds "invidioul
discrimination"-as Is expected
Gov. j. Millard Tawes, Demo
crat, has said he will call &
special legislative session tc
pass corrective legislation.
Other Litigation
Among other States In which
litigation about legislative ap-
portionment is pending or
talked Of are: Alabama, Colo
RADIO, Connecticut, Florida, In
diana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Michigan, MiSsis-
Sippi, Nebraska, New Hamp-
shire, North Carolina, North
Dakota. Ohio, Oklahoma, New
York. Pennsylvania, Rhode Is
land. Vermont. Virginia and
Wisconsin.
It seems certain that there
will be marked changes in such
situations as Georgia's, where
one vote cast in the least popu-
lous county has had the same
weight as 90 votes in the most
populous.
A three-judge Federal court
has voided the century old
Georgia unit system used in
Democratic primaries - tradi-
tionally the only real elections
in Georgia. The unit rule per-
mitted rural domination of
politics to such an extent that
the late Gov. Eugene Talmadee
(strong among wool hat"
country dwellers) once said he
never bothered to campaign in
q community big enough to
have street car tracks.
The present governor, Ernest
Vandiver, a backer Of the unit
system, decided to go through
the motions Of an appeal to the
United States Supreme Court
but evidently without real hope
OF success. The appeal, by the
Democratic Party of Georgis
and the State attorney gen.
eral, was filed Friday and asked
q quick decision because the
Democratic primary is set fol
September IL.
Has Alternative
II the appeal fails, the Gov.
ernor has the alternative O
calling a special legislative ses.
sion or summoning the Stat
Democratic executive commit,
tee to find new rules for run,
AnAAS IIAc party.
For years urban and subur,
ban voters in many States havr
complained that, despite q grea
exodus from farms to citie
over the past few decades, farm
areas still dominated State leg
iSlatures. The result, they said
was neglect Of such city need
as roads, schools. transporta
ton and aids to attract indus
try.
Rural champions, on tn
other hand, argued that history
custom, geography and com
munity relations should carr,
weight in apportionment. The,
raised the standard Of States