Drawing the Lines for Statehood
As Washington approached statehood, the territory grappled with how to divide itself into twenty-five districts to select delegates for a constitutional convention.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There will be seventy-five delegates in the constitutional convention. The territory must be divided into twenty-five districts, in each of which three delegates will be elected. The work of districting will be performed by the governor, chief justice, and secretary of the territory. Assuming a population of 274,424, each district must contain approximately 10,977 people. Yakima is grouped with Adams and Franklin in the ninth district. This apportionment acknowledges the rapid growth of the territory, with ten districts east of the mountains and fifteen west.
“This gives a total of twenty-five districts. There are ten east of the mountains and fifteen west.”
This article highlights the perennial political struggle over representation and 'getting your fair share' of power. Just as in 1889, districting remains a foundational conflict in Washington, reflecting the ongoing tension between the urban Puget Sound and the rural eastern side of the Cascades.
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