The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-22
what THEY Think OF IT
Republicans interviewed Concerning
Senate ReappOrtiOnment Bill.
IT MEETS WITH LITTLE FAVOR
Majority OF Those Seen Think That
Lackawanna Comfy Should Continue
TO BE Separate Congressional Dis.
trict as II Is at Present

year, upon the SENATE measures, one OF
which-that re-districting the state into
| congressional distrcts-links Susque-
| hanna with Lackawanna county. Be
! low The Tribune presents the views of
leading Republicans upon this proposed
| change, and it will be seen that there
Is almost no desire for any new deals In
a congressional sense:
William Connell-"I am decidedly not
in favor of any scheme of a cohgres-
sional apportionment which would
throw Lackawanna county in district
alongside a purely agricultural county
like Susquehanna The various districts
in this part of the state are very salts
factorily adjusted as 1t Is. In our own
case. we were, five years ago, within
$4,000 of the requisite ratio of popula-
tion; and since that time our county
has grown rapidly. Under the proposed
senate plan, Luzerne, with 10000 more
than the ratio. is left intact, while Lacka-
wanna is yoked with another county
having interests entirely distinct from
our own. If Luzerne is not affected, l
do not see why we should be; and l am
firmly opposed to any unnecessary
changes"
County Chairman's Opinion.
Colonel Il, H. Ripple, chairman of the
Republican County committee and
president of the Scranton Central Re-
publican club, before leaving the city
on Friday last, expressed the opinion
that any change in the present congress
sional apportionment, so far as con-
Germs Lackawanna county, would be un-
wise. "The district" said he, sis now
safely Republican, 1t constitutes an in
dustrial and political division by itself,
and it's population is growing with such
rapidity that the addition of a county
like Susquehanna, whose population Is
stationary, would merely involve an
other change when the next reappor-
tionment is made. The result of all this
shuffling would simply be confusion and
dissatisfaction. No, Lackawanna is all
right as she is. I have heard nobody
ask for different arrangement"
EX-Justice Alfred Hand-"I prefer the
present congressional apportionment
for general reasons, and l do not see
how Lackawanna county's Republican
congressional interests would be ma
terially benefited by change. Sus-
quehanna county's interests are almost
entirely agricultural, while those of
Lackawanna county are entirely min
ing and manufacturing. A congress-
man serving for the two counties would
be subservient to two masters, con-
trary minded. Lackawanna is, think
safely Republican, so from a partisan
standpoint nothing is to be gained by
an alliance with Susquehanna. I am
not well enough posted to venture an
opinion upon what would be the politi-
cal result of adding Bradford, Wayne
and Wyoming ITO other than their pres
ent district"
Should Remain as 1t Is.
Major Everett Warren-"I do not see
why Lackawanna county is not big
enough and important enough to re-
main a separate district. 1t Is a sepa-
rate district industrially. It's interests
are entirely different from the interests
of Susquehanna. Therefore, l am op-
posed to making any change. We are
as near the ratio in population as most
districts are; and, all these things con.
sidered, 1t seems to me that the wise
policy would be to let we'll enough
alone"
JudgA II. NJ. Edwards-"T am opposed
to joining Lackawanna and Wyoming
counties into one congressional district.
think Lackawanna is of sufficient
Importance to constitute one district.
1t was so considered years ago when
this district was erected, and 1 be-
lieve 1t would be unfair to Susque-
hanna to attach it to so large and pow
erful a county as Lackawanna. The
two counties have nothing in common,
for ours is a mining and Industrial
county. while susquehanna is an agri-
cultural county"
Ex-Lieutenant Governor L. A. Watres
while there may be reasons why it
might be desirable that Lackawanna
and Susquehanna counties should COM
pose congressional district, there are
stronger reasons against it. Lacka-
wanna Is one Of the most important
and most aggressive manufacturing
counties in the state, while Susquehan-
ma county Is essentially an agricultural
county Their interests are different
and they should not be tied together
in q congressional apportionment. In
addition to this, such an arrangement
would be very unfair to Wayne county.
The Republicans of Wayne have been
striving for years to put that county
in the Republican column and they
have just succeeded in doing so. They
are entitled to consideration and should
not be destroyed politically by putting
them with Pike and Monroe"
As Congressman Scranton Views It.
Congressman J. A. Scranton-'T had
that Lackawanna county
would remain as q district by herself
and while we were short of the quota
when the district was made we still
had more population than the F'if-
teenth district, comprising the counties
of Wayne, Susquehanna, Bradford and
Wyoming. Our population has largely
increased since that time, while the
population of adjoining counties has
decreased, as is shown by Bradford
losing one representative in the pro-
posed legislative apportionment. I do
not understand that Susquehanna
wants to come with us. They objected
10 the move previous 10 tne IaSt ap-
and I should think the
old Fifteenth district counties would
prefer to stay together. If a county
must be added to Lackawanna we
would prefer Susquehanna to any
other and would welcome them In the
district. The effect Of such an alliance
upon our local politics would be to
anchor Lackawanna solidly in the col
umn of Republican counties. as every
two years the Democracy would have
no fighting chance whatever for the
head of their ticket. The effect of such
a condition of affairs would greatly dis
pirit the Democratic organization of
Lackawanna. AS a matter of local
pride we should prefer the district re-
naming as It is, being now one of the
most compact and important districts
I~..A r