Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-12-12
Letter from Meehanicsville.

Mr.. Eait AS it is Of rare occurrence TO
see letter from Mechanicsyile ia your col
umns, deem 1t not out Of place TO inlict this
upon your readers promising in the future, as
in the past, to attend 10 my own business and
not worry your devil But seeing our lit
tie village, as it now is, (almost every house
new and newly painted, presenting snch an APP
pearance ofreatness and thrift and remem-
boring its condition only few years ago,
can remain silent no longer. We boast Of the
finest stores in the county, wheelwrights,
blacksmiths, shoemakers, and carpenters of
the 'frst water" Also, three-fourths OF the
roads diverging from here are turnpiked. Can
any other village in the county say this Our
Masonic Hall is often brought into requisition
both by regularly appointed and impromplu
meetings 1t was my good fortune to attend one
of the latter on the 9Th inst, at which petit
ton was gotten up asking theLegislature which
will meet in January next, to set off another
election district composed Of parts Of the first
and fifth districts, with the centre Of attrac-
ton Especially to candidates on election day.
following facts, which were kindly furnished
me by one of our most intelligent citizens,
would it not be well for the county to follow
the lead of Mechaniesyille and take action in
regard TO having the county re-districted, or
else have two election precincts to each dis
trict. Montgomery county although one of
! the large counties of the State, with surface
containing over FIVE hundred square miles is
divided into FIVE districts only, so that each
election district contains on an average over
one hundred square miles. Comparing this
with adjoining counties we find the INCOME
nience to which we are subjected more glar-
ing. Prince George, with surface rather
smaller than ours, has nine election districts
Howard has FIVE, although but little more thar
half as large as Montgomery Carroll, with &
territory smaller chan ours has eleven, Fred
erlek county, which is only one third larger
than Montgomery, is divided into seventeen
districts. Thus, these adjoining counties, av
erage one voting place for every forty-iv,
square miles, whilst Montgomery has not quit
one TO the one hundred square miles" There
fore, voters in our sister counties are not sub
jected as we are to the Inconvenience OF long
rides to deposit their ballots, and when there
to the discomforts and Dangers the conse
quence of large and motley crowds which of
ten obstruet access to the polls. Viewing thi
subject from political standpoint, l thinl
that the present majority of the Democrat,
party (of which have the honor to be a mem
ber) would be increased some 250 or 800, as i
is well known that the above reasons dete
many of our aged democrats from attending
the election, whilst our colored opponents
would walk twenty-five miles rather than mis-
the opportunity of exercising their right o
suffrage.
Fearing that have already trespassed toe
much upon your valuable space, will bring
this 10 an abrupt conclusion, hoping, however
to see the subject further agtatcd in variou!
parts of the county. W
December eth, 1873