Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-02-21
MAINE LEGIELATURE.


An act TO apporton the State for representatives +
Congress-
Be & enacted By the Senate and House of Repre-
SIGNATURES in Legislature assembled, As follows:
sECTIoN /. The counties of York. Cumberland
With the following towns in Oxford couniy-Brown
oxford, Porter, tow, sweden and wa:erford-shal
form the first district, and be entitled to elect on
representative TO Congress.
SECTION 2 The counties of andre scoggin, aga
dahoc, Franklin and kennebsc. excepting the town
of Clinton and Benton together with the remaining
towns and plantations in Oxford county. and tbs
towns aud plantations in omerset county lyins
west of the kennebec River, including Norridgewoei
and skowhegan, shall form the second district ans
be entitled to elect one representative TO Congress
SECTION 3. The counties of ancoek, Waldo
Knox and Lincoln, together with the towns o
Orrington. Newburgh. DiXmort, Plymouth, New
port, Dexter and Corinna in Penobscot county, ant
the towns and plantations in >omerset county lyins
east of the Kennebec river shall form the tnrG
dis riot and be entitled TO fleet one &c
Congress
SECTION 4. The counties of Washington, ARGOS
took, Pisca;aquis and Penobscot, except the towns
in that county included in the third district shall
form the fourth district and be entitled TO elect
representative to Congress.
Mr.. Rust then spoke as follows:
| oppose this bill which is now be-
fore the Senate upon general considera-
tons. oppose it because it violates princi-
piles which are above party. 1t is violative
both of the spirit and the letter of the APP
portiOnment act of Congress: it subverts the
principle of the equality of voters, and it
puts the choice of congressional candidates
in the possession of political county Office
holders and office-seeking rings instead of the
people. The law of Congress declares that
congressional districts shall be formed of
contiguous territory and as nearly equal in
population as practicable. 1t does not mean
the mere hooking together of the counties OF
State in the form of string. but that dis
tricts shall be formed SO that all parts shall
be as near a common centre as practicable.
The spirit of that requirement is grossly
violated in this bill. A strip of territory ex
tending almost entirely across the State has
been made district on the pretence that rail-
roads extend from the distant points, while
the convenience of the people who live a
long distance from those roads has not
been consulted. 1t was claimed in favor OF
the famous shoe-string district of Mississippi,
which had excited much republican ami
madversiOn, that all the counties composing
it laid along the Mississippi river. Let re-
publicans now forever hold their peace about
shoe-string districts. The law of Congress
further requires that the districts shall be
made up of equal population as nearly as
practicable. How have they been made up!
The first district contains AS. 625 population
while the second contains liz, 793-a differ
ence of "a 10,
To Justify this mOnstrous inequality resort
is had to the f1imsy pretext that it is i'm
polite to divide counties; that they are units
under our system. This is the first time in
the political history of our State that such a
pretence has been set up. For more than 60
years appointments have been made upon
the principle that the cities and towns were
the units, and districts we're made up of cities
and towns without regard to county lines, ex-
cept so far as the population of counties
lying contiguous correspondent to the number
required for a district. This doctrine of
county units is mere invention to serve a
political purpose Our New England system
grew upon the principle of town units.
The equal influence of the vote of every
voter is the vital principle of our elective
system. 1t was one of the grievances of the
people of the free States, during the long pc
riod of the slavery discussion, that the votes
of seven voters in South Carolina were equal
in the elections of congressman and electors
to the votes of thirteen voters in the free
States. Behold the same principle incorpor-
ated in this bill And what will be the re-
suit of this Wanted idea of keeping county
lines intact? Every county has its ring of
political manipulators, office holders and
office-seekers who connive and plan through
the members of Congress to obtain and hold
the IeuPTdl anu OtueT OUlCes,auu dgdlust WHOst
wishes the petitions of the people of the party
in favor of a candidate of their choice pass
for naught. The dividing OF counties and
placing their parts into new political rela-
tions would be detrimental to the interests of
those county bosses, but a great gain for
civil service reform.
If the trainers of this bill had desired to
divide the State into four congressional dis
tricts of contiguous territory and containing
an eqral number of inhabitants. the task
would have been easy. The Kennebec river
separates the population into two nearly
equal parts. Two districts could easily have
been formed on each side Of that river, and
all would have been of equal population, with
compact territory and each would have been
of equal Importance as a commercial district.
This is the provision of the amendment |
have offered. The pretense of equality as
between the parties is most f1msy and char
acteristic of ward politicians, and | am sur
prised that the able committee should have
acted upon such principles. Fairness de-
mands that there should be such contiguity
of territory as snail convene the people. and
that the votes of the voters shall all have
equal influence. The ever changing aspect
of political parties should not be considered
in a measure so important as this.
But it is useless to protest or argue. This
iniquitous apportionment plan has been
forced through the other branch in spite of
the indignant protests of the republican
members who desire to see something done
by the party in the direction of civil service
reform. Nothing is left but to submit and
wait the time when the people shall act to
gcther to secure the beneicent objects OF
that reform.
Mr.. Weymouth of Penobscot said that the
bill now before the Senate had been through
" discussed in the committee, in the public
press and by the people of the State. and il
was the general impression that it was the
fairest apportionment that could be made.
One of the first rules adopted by the com
mittee was that county lines should not be
interfered with. Many plans have been pre-
scented. but the one agreed upon seems to be
the fairest as regards population. wealth and
political status of the districts. Taking the
vote of 1880 as basis. We have two repub-
lican and two democratic districts. The bill
is not gerrymandering scheme in any re-
spect 1t was discussed in the committee. de.
bated in the House, and now comes before
the Senate. He hoped the bill would receive
passage.
Mr.. Mclaughlin of Cumberland said thai
he saw no reason why the bill should not BIZ
passed and it was only wasting the time o.
the Senate to attempt to amend it. If ar
amendment were tackled on in the Senate, tbs
bill would have to 60 back to the House TO bs
fought over there. 1t is getting late in ths