The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-24
Makes Its Appearance at the State
Capital.
THE PORTLAND CITY SOLICITOR
SENT TO PLEAD FOR IT.
Hearing of the Bill Requiring a Majority
of Registered Voters to Redistrict
Wards-Statements Made by Mr. Zoo
ey of Portland.
Especial to the Press.l

AUGUSTA, February 23.- Gallagher's
new ward lines were discussed in lively
hearing this afternoon before the legal
affairs committee, and the spectacle was
presented of the Portland city solicitor
appearing by order of Mayor Ingraham
to oppose the measure in his official ca
pacity. The city solicitor did not ex-
plain whether Mayor Ingraham, in send
ing him to Augusta, acted as mayor or as
leader of the Democratic party. The
bill under discussion was that to change
the law so as to require a majority vote
of all the registered voters in city to
change the ward lines instead of ma
jority of those voting.
Senator Seiders spoke in favor of the
bill. He said that since he spoke to the
committee on this matter several days
ago, he had consulted with number of
gentlemen, and found quite a strong SEN
timent in favor of making change in
the ward lines dependent upon two
thirds vote of those voting, instead of
majority of the registered voters of the
the city. That question he would
leave to the committee to settle.
1t was certain that the bill in either
form would tend to prevent altering of
ward lines in partizan spirit wherever
the political control of city changed.
There was now in Portland proposition
pending to change ward lines and this
change, Mr.. Seiders was informed, would
make discrepancy of 500 votes between
wards containing highest and lowest
think there was any necessity for re-
districting which would arrive at such
result as that. For thirty-six years with
exception of perhaps six years, the Re-
publican party had elected Mayors of
Portland, and under the redistricting
now proposed in Portland the Republi-
can party would probably go on electing
Mayors with the wards as it was pro-
posed to change them and it would be
impossible for the Republicans to elect
a majority of the council.
They would choose Mayors and these
Mayors would find opposed to them, the
Mr.. Seiders did not believe
that any gentleman present could
favor such state of affairs as that.
Clarence Hale, ESQ.,, in few words fav-
ored the bill as tending to prevent the
redistricting of towns and cities in
partisan spirit. 1t would prevent t k
lug of such important action by bare
majority of those who might get to the
polls on a stormy day.
City Solicitor A. W. Bradbury of Port
land said that he had not heard of the
bill until day or two ago, and for that
reason was not prepared with data as to
the proposed redistricting in Portland.
He came, he said, primarily to represent
the city of Portland. He regarded this
as an important measure, and did not
think that this bill should be railroaded
through the legislature, neither did he
apprehend hat it was within the pro-
vince of the legislature to pass bill in
tended to make the city of Portland
Democratic OF Republican. From time
immemorial people of the cities of this
state had been allowed to manage their
own affairs in these matters. When the
proposed redistricting had been sub
mitted to him as city solicitor
covered up and he had not discovered
the great discrepancy of which his bro
ther Seiders spoke. He believed that the
new ward lines were laid out on scientific
principles and made as even division of
the people into wards as could be effect
ed. There was no doubt as to the pur-
poses of this bill 1t was intended to pre-
vent the majority of the people of Port
land from carrying out their wishes at
the next election. That election came on
March 6, and that was the rAason why
the bill was to be hurried through here.
The people of Portland had not asked for
| this BILL 1t was true MI. Seiders had
gone into the Republican convention in
Portland, convention of eminently re-
spectacle people, Col. Bradbu y had no
doubt, and secured the passage of vote
that this bill ought to pass. But he ven-
tured to say that no three men in that
convention knew what the proposed re-
districting would result in. Since Col.
Bradbury had been at the capital he had
not had the matter ON his mind, for he
had not intended to come here to oppose
the bill until he received a note from the
mayor at o'clock yesterday afternoon
for him to do so. He had met a number of
gentlemen who had told him that they
believed this bill should not pass. These
gentlemen were Republicans.
This bill was general and applied to
all cities in the state. A facetious writ
Ell in Portland paper had said that in
gerrymandering the city of Portland the
aldermen had not shown the ingenuity