The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-02
PATRONS DISTRICT PLAN.
Naming the Congressional Districts
for COnyeniencc-The Scheme Ex.
planned by it's Author,

for CONFERENCE.-The Scheme Ex-
planned by it's Author.
Representative II. G.. Patton, of Rich
land, has introduced q bill to redistrict
the State into more homogeneous and
natural divisions. To prevent confu-
sien as TO numbers, he has given names
! nations that are familiar and apprO-
PIRATE. The Encouragement under Mr..
eatton's bill will be as follows:
| Zee dee eDistrict-Chester rfield, Marl-
boro, Darlington, Florence, Marion and
Horny.
Santee District-G Georgetown, Will
liamsburg, Charleston, Berkeley and
Dorchester.
Edisto -Orongeburg, Barn.
| well, Colleton, Hampton and Beaufort.
Wateree District-Fairield, Ker.
shaw, Richland, Sumter and Claren-
| don.
saluda District-Laurens Green
wood, Newberry, Saluda, Lexington
Northern District-Spartanbu
Cherokee, Union, York, Chester and
Lancaster.
Piedmont District-Greenville, Pick
ems, Oconee, Anderson and Abbeville.
Speaking of this bill, Mr.. Patton said
to Register reporter that he was
more hrmly impressed with the belief
that the people of South Carolina
wished to have the State redistricted
the more the matter was discussed,
and the more he inquired into it.
His plan provides for the formation
OF districts by grouping what he calls
natural divisions" OF the State. In
regard to the novel feature of giving
the districts names instead of mum mbers,
Mr.. Patton said that such designation
cial Circuits and Congressional Dis.
tricts. The name "Pee Dec District
would Immediately suggest the location
and the counties composing it. In ad-
dition to that, their natural advantages
would be more homogeneous In their
composition, made up of people, as one
might say, more nearly akin In thought
and feeling.
So far as the matter of designation
OF district is concerned, there Is moth
ing, he said, in regard to it in the acts
OF Congress. 1t is only required that
Cogressmen should be elected from
districts composed as nearly as posi-
BILE OF the same number of Inhabitants
and that the counties or subdivisions
should be contiguous BY the presen al
arrangement the law is not observed
for the districts vary in population
from about 10000 in the smallest t(
overc2OO, 600 In the largest. BY the
present scheme that variation would
be reduced to about 140,O00 in thu
smallest to 175,000 in the largest, &C
cording to the census of 1890.
Mr.. Patton argues that the districts
as provided in his bill, will be mucl
more compact; much moro nearly eaua
In area. No county Is divided between
two districts, as is done under tn,
present arrangement, and each count,
would then exercise its full influence
He also calls attention to the fact tina
: the three seapOrts of the State are
under the present arrangement, in til,
same district and the three larges
cities In the State, outside of Charles
ton, are In the same, which distric
. contains about one-fourth OF the whit
population OF the State. This mani
testify should not be. Under the pres
ent plan he claims that not only 10 tn
matter OF population more equitabl
} adjusted, but another evil Is reformed
3 The only two districts containing
, very large number OF inhabitants hay
I the smallest number OF qualified cleo
t tors, who, OF course, make the selectio
3 OF the Congressman.
III mas Deen suggested that the mai
ter OF redistricting be postponed unit
the census of 1900. TO this Mr.. Patio
a says that III a new apportionment
A made it would not be until 1908, and /
would be worse than foolish to postpon
Y o change, the necessity for which /
8 felt In the present, for six years.
a So far as the change would affect tn
!. contests now pending la Congress, Mi
Patton does not think that the mos