The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-11-03
REDISTRiCTlNG TIE STATS.
4 BID that VIA Likely Pasa the Next
Session.

4 Bm that VIII Likely Pasa the Next
Mr.. H. G. Patton, O. Coiumbia, s
Representative in the Legislature
from Richland County, has bill now
beicr the Legislature which ne thinks
will pass at the next session. When
asked by Reporter of the Columbia
Register il he intended TO press his
bill in the same shape it wss intro
duced, Mr. Patton said:
Il should much prefer to DO that.
Before I introduced it. l tried almost
every possible con- bination, and the
one that I finally settled on IS, upon
the whole, tie best and fairest. But
there is another arrangement that l
have made tbat should be willing to
have substituted. I devised this to
answer objections Of , number Of
members who voted against the
original plan, and who have declared
that with these changes they are now
ready to vote and work for the meas,
ure. wilI giveyo this arrangement
iu miaute or tao. Il the meantime,
let me s2y that either ore will suit
the people CT R;chlaad. What we
| want is to keep our county from beiog
ia two different districts, and 10 be
IN one district Of reasonable s.za and
composed OF sdJacent territory. Now,
here is the bill as Il stands CT the house
calender:
Pee Dee District: Chesterfield,
Marlboro, Marion, Darlington, Flor.
ence, Horny.
Santee District: Georgetown. vii.
liamsburs. Charleston and Berkeley.
"Edisto District: Orangehurg, Barn
we'll, Bamoerg, Hampton, Beaufort,
Conetoo, Dorchester.
"Saluda District: Aiken, Edgeield,
Lexington, Ssluda, Newberry, Law
rans, Greenwood.
'Kiowee District: Abbevilie, An
derson, OcoDee, Pickens Greenville.
Catawba District: Spartanburg.
Union, Cherokee, York, Chester,
Lancaster.
"Wsteree District: Richlaad, Fair
feld, kershaw, Samter, Clarendon.
Now the other arrangement which,
as have just said, l should be vii,
ling SIS g representative of R:chland,
to have substituted, is this:
Pee Dee District: Marlboro, Marion,
Horrv, Georgetown, Williamsburg,
Florence. Clarendon.
Santee District: Berkeley, Charles
ton, Dorchester, Coleton, Beaufort.
Edisto District: Lexington, Aiken,
Orangeburg, Bsrnwell, Bsmburg,
Hampton.
Saluaa District: E5gefeld, ssluos,
Newberry, Laurens, Greenwood, Able
Wills.
Kiowee District: Anderson, Oco-
nee, PickeDs. Greenville, Spartanburg.
Catawbs District: Cherokee, Union,
York, Chester, Lancaster. Chesterfield.
Wateree District: Fairfield, Rich
land, kershaw, Sumter. Darlington.
Now, while, as have just said, I
prefer ny original plan, it must be
confessed that IN some respects the
latter is an improvement, and both
are thousand times better than the
present absurd, unjust and grotesQue
districts. By the way. let me show
you something that I accidentally
stumbled upon this summer. Just
glance ever that.
''Ihat" proved to be g volume Of
the statutes OF South Carolina con-
tanning the acts of 1911, among which
was an act TO divide the state into
seven congressional districts. Curious,
" enough, the districts established by
this act were almost exactly coipci-
dent with those proposed by Mr.. Pat,
ton.
Did yod have this sct before you
when you proposed your bills' was
ssled. No replied Mr. Patton. las
have just said. I only found that act
short tine ago. The very easy ex-
planation OF the coincidence is that
then as now, under cur new constitu-
tion gerrJmandering was not neces
sary. The districts were established
simp with the view OF securing, as
my bill proposes to secure, equality OF
Representation, with districts com.
1osed Of contentious territory and
Homogeneous population. Is We were
both aiming at the same result, and
the problem not difficult ore, we
naturally reached about the same
conclusion.
Rescued in Midoce>n.