The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-19
REPRESENTATIVE Districts.

One of the most troublesome questions arig-
ing out of the failure to reapportion the State
for representatives, in cases where several
towns have formed a representative district, is
to determine which town shall nov name the
candidate. In the district formed of Mon
mouth, l. tchfield and Manchester, the ques-
tion was referred to Judge Whitehouse of Au-
gusta. The bearing occurred on Thursday.
Oramandal Smith, Esq, appeared for the
town of Litchfeld, County Commissioner An
drews for Monmouth, aud /. N. Wadsworth,
ESQ.,, for Manchester. The Judge, without
going into legal questions, advised that the
towns act as if the present apportionment had
been renewed, and that the town that had the
old apportionment applied to this year, would
have had the honor of naming the candidate,
should now have that honor. The Judge re-
marked
1t was true the apportionment might not
continue, and if not, the facts with respect to
each town might be considered at the several
conventions of officers or delegates of towns in
making arrangements under the new appor-
tionment when made. There might in some
cases be considerations of an exceptional char
acter which should modify the application of
this general rule; but he did not find any in
this case of sufficient weight to r. quire any
Qual1nCdbiO0 OIL IL. lb w B tFu6 tudJ MduCuoo-
ter had not selected since 1877, but she exer-
cised the privilege each third yesr prior to
that time 1t did not seem practicable to re-
consider the question of population after the
towns had established the order of selecting;
nor should the coincidence of the first election
under the biennial rule with the last year of
the decade, affect the question. The election
of 1880 closed the decade, and the right to
select for that year had been assigned to Mon
mouth. The fact that in the meantime the
/ Il 81. .va6 htnrav. .falc
sions had been es ablished, ought not to change
the result The order had been carried out as
agreed upon, commencing with Lltchted and
closing with Monmouth. He therefore ad Vised
that the right TO select for the next election be
conceded to Litchfield.
The parties cordially expressed their pun pose
to act in accordance with the views Of the
Judge.
Judge Whitehouses opinion is timely and
valuable, and, doubtless, will be an important
guide to the towns formerly classed together,
in determining their course. Probably, it was
one of the objects of the fusion managers in
defeating the re-apportionment, to perplex re-
publi,ans and multiply entangling issues in
the hope that some of the close representative
districts might be gained by the fusionists.
Our adviees from many such districts, how
ever, lead us to believe that in every case re-
publicans will reach harmonious conclusions
Gov Plaisted does not expect to carry the State
but he will bend every energy to control the
Legislature He seeks not the executive chair
but Senator Frye's Nothing but republican
divisions can save his Excellency from Wat
erloo, and it is gratifying to observe that re-
publicans have no intention of accom- modat-
ing him with anything less.
The republicans now have twenty-three OF
| the thirty-one senatorships, but of these,
| twelve were secured by less than 100 plurality.
In the House the republicans had eighty-four
members to sixty-seven of the opposition. OF
these eighty-four six had from one to five votes
more than their opponents, nine had less than
| ten, and seventeen less than thirty. Six mem
bers sofEtheEoppositon had lessthan tenspluraity.
| The change of fourteen districts from the re-
publicans to the fusionists would elect Plaisted
United States senator, and there are at least
| thirty-five seats in both houses which the fus-
| ionists will struggle for. Hence, the obvious
| importance of the close legislative districts
| Let republicans heartily unite with but this
| object in vew-the nomination of the best
man for the complete overthrow OF Plaistedsm
| in Maine