The Republican journal., 1882-12-14
Congressional Appointment.

Congressional Apportionment.
VIEWS OF CONGREssMAN-ELECT MILLIKEN.
The Maine Legislature at its coming session
will have to decide upon an apportionment of
the State into four Congressional districts.
The Lewiston Journal says:
One-fourth of the population of the State is
1872, 236, and to divide the State into four equal
districts as near this number of inhabitants as
Pc slble should be given to each. There is a
great desire to respect county lines; but it is no
easy matter to make equally populous districts
and respect these lines. In order to effect an
equal division, one plan proposes to divide Pen
obscet county. Another proposes to divide Sag
adahoc, place part of the towns in the first and
the other part in the second district in order that
Lincoln county may be included in the second
district, it being contiguous to the Sagadahoc
towns which under this plan would be included
in the second. Another plan proposes to divide
Oxford county and place the western towns IN
the hrSt and the eastern towns in the second
district. Whether Kennebec county shall be
Included in the second or in the third district is
another point of discussion. When the legisla-
tors meet and exchange views, harmony and
justice will undoubtedly be the result of their
action.
The journal publishes letters on this question
from Hon. Sch l.. Mililken, Postmaster Manly
mond, and an interview with Senator-elect w.
D. Pencil, Of Androscoggin. The latter was
not prepared to give decided opinion, but
gave some of the divisions which have been
talked over by various parties The first named
would avoid, if possible, dividing the counties.
Mr.. Milliken wrote as follows:
BELFAST, Dec. Sth, 1882.
" 81. for
next Congressional apportionment.
| can conceive of no way to apDolton the
State for members of Congress without dis
memberng the central district, that is. the old
third. The extremes of the State must, of
course, remain together, or 20 with New Bruins
wick or New Hampshire.
Taking it for settled that the third district i
to be dlsmcmbercd, think it would be wise to
maintain the integrity of the other four districts
as far as possible. Having been bound together
i'll the past twenty years they have become ne
quainted with each other and will be likely to
act together more intelligently and harmonious
~ than if they should be made up entirely OF
counties that have not acted together in the
past.
think it very Objectionable to divide coun-
ties in making the apportionment. A di>crepan-
cy of Il few thousand in the population of the
different districts would be altogether less harm
full than to divide counties. unless the counties
should express Willingness to submit to diNi>-
ION. 1t should also be the purpose of the Lcgis-
laturr in adding new counties to make up the
new districts, to put those together which would
be likely TO act in harmony. Wherever there
have been old feud> between counties. if >uc
have existed. they should not be puttogetheI
in the same district if possible to prevent it.
Then the political complexion of the ncW dis
tlct> should be regarded 50 far a> il can be
done without dividing counties. And in thi,
connection it should be remembered that tn,
Republican maiOritics III the Eastern counties
are made up almost entirely Of large Republican
gains made ii the last election, and are, there.
fore, much less reliable in IL hard fought con
test than those in the Western counties whose
maioritit> are of Olden date and whose gains at
the last election were comparatively small.
Ii seems to me that the counties of Washing
ton. Hancock. Waldo. Kennebec. Somerset Pts
ca aquiS, PenobScot and Aroo>tOok must con
stitute the two Eastern districts. Their popu.
laton is very nearly half that of the State THEN
interests and industries are much the same, ano
though their Republican maioritie> at the last
election aggregate somewhat more than those Of
! the remaining countries, | think that their re-
liable maioriies can hardly be said TO be great.
]. hoWcl cr, do not look for close con@rrssion-
Ill districts in Maine in 1884. The people have
seen the folly and fraud of fusion. The recent
Democratic Victories in the Middle States unt
the west rest upon no permanent foundation
They occurred. not because the people have i'm.
patriotism of the Bourbon Democracy. They
were accomplished by Republicans as rcbulle>
to certain methods and practices within ouI
own party. which the party will take immediate
and cffectua' measures to II mruY. and long be.
| fore 1884 shall have arrived. it will Be seen bt
the country that to the party which saved til,
nations life, and not to that which endcal ored
| to destroy it: to the party which wisely recon
structcd the government, and not to that one
which resisted reconstruction: to the party
which has given us sound finance and protect
i've tariff. and not to that which pandered to fiat
money hcreSies and free trade: to the part,
which has praciced all the civil ser, ice reform
which has been seen in this country. and not tc
that which has cried aloud for it, but already
begins to weaken from its position taken upon
that question. before election, it will br safe anC
wise to cntrust the great interests. the liberties
rights and business affairs of the tiftN-thrrc mil
lions of people in this land: and the people OIL
Maine will not be backward in making this dis
coVery. Indeed, they have already made il ant
their patriotism can be relied upon TO show it.
self in the next election a. it 50 magnilicentlN
did i'll the last.
| think it would not be in good taste for me
TO go further than have done in my suggest
ions As to the Congressional apportionmtnt: tC
state what counties should make the different
districts. So far as | may have any persona
interest in the subject, if indeed shall have any
at all, | shall be satisfied with any wise anC
equitable apportionmCnt, and such / have Nc
doubt that the Legislature will make.
;. l.. MILLIkEN.