The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-15
REASONS ON BOTH SIDES
Visiting Statesmen Heard by Special
Joint Committee.
THE PROSPECTS ARE FOR ARE-DS'RC1
The Watts Bill is Generally Fay red by Fast
ern and Central Members, But Vgor-
ODOasly Opposed by Some
Wastnrn 9emo>ratc
Western democrats

districts held two meetings yesterday
one in the afternoon and one at night
to consider bills for a re-district of
the State.
| There were three such bills before the
! committee~-all providing for ten dis
! tricts; one of them, by Speaker Moore,
another by Mr.. Watts, and a third by
Senator Arlington After these oils
had been read, but before discussion Of
them began. Senator Webb desired it
first be settled as to whether tnere
| We're to be nine or ten districts.
AT this point Senator James introdIc-
ed the following resolution:
| Resolved That the committee rec
ommend that the Congressional dis
| tricts remain nine in number. and that
one Congressman be elected for the
State at large.
Senator Brown. chairman of the COM
mittee, then stated that the object of
I the meeting was to hear from those in
| the city not members of the commit
tee, who desired to submit their views
on the subject &c reapportionment.
Mr.. John Y. Jordan, member Of the
Congressional Committee for the Ninth
district, was the first speaker. He op
posed any redistrctipg of the State just
now, on the ground that the political SIT
uation under the recently adopted amend
| ment was uncertain and any changes in
district lines at this time must there
| fore be matter of guess work.
''If you'll let the Ninth district alone
! and give US a Congressman at large Wc1l
carry the Ninth in the next election.
| very large per cent of the negro vote in
| The district will be eliminated by the
| amendment.
/ Representative Wright, of Rowan, ia
vored letting the districts remain for
two years as they are and the election Of
d Congressman at large. He added
ITO attempt any change now would be,
am convinced, a mistake. We can't
! tell whether the amendment will be up
! held by the courts or not
| The next speaker was Mr.. T. C. Lynn,
member of the Seventh district Congress
sional committee. He, like Mr.. Wright,
opposed any change,
| eve can carry every district as now
composed he declared. That makes
niue Congressman certain. How can we
set ten? BY electing one at large. The
effect of the amendment is uncertain,
and l am here to tell you that we had
|
and instead of ten Democrats, we may
have four or FIVE Republicans in Con-
] gress. We have now ten certain and
under either of the proposed bills Wen
! have at least three uncertain
! Senator Mcneil, of Cumberland, like
wise opposed a redistrict on similar
! grCAnds.
! 81 ask you, gentlemen" he said, mot to
/ lsf iOtts N
{ cause you TO make a grave mistake"
| Mr. w. w. King, of the Fifth district
committee, thought the status of the ne
! gro ought to be settled before any change
in political districts was made.
Let us first find how many negroes
there are on the registration books, then
we will know what we are doing.
can't tell how many negroes will be dis
/ franchised in my county no man knows
the number in any county, and until that
| is known no intelligent action can be
taken in this matter"
/ Mr.. j. r. Blair, another member of the
Seventh district committee favored the
Watts bill, and vigorously advocated a
-apportionment by this Legislature.
| Il want ten Democratic districts. The
more districts you have, the fewer cOun-
ties there are in a district and the closer
and more effective is the organization.
| If the Eighth and Ninth districts can be
carried Democratic. as now constituted,
| they can be carried under the Watts bill
| by even greater majorities.'
| Mr.. Blair quoted election figures for
/ the past ten years to show that all the
] districts under the Watts bill had always
| been Democratic except in 1895, when the
State went overwhelmingly Republican.
Representative Mason, Of CASTOR, adj
vised against hasty action. He thought
that 1--WE had better bear the ills we have
! than fly to those we know not Of" The
present arrangement of districts was not,
| he said, satisfactory but he feared 4 new
| one just now might turn out to be even
more unsatisfactory.
eve of the Eighth are tired of being
| represented by Republican, but we had
rather continue to be so represented for
/ q while than to jeopardize two or three
other districts that are now Democratic;
| and believe they will be so jeopardized
under any OF the proposed bills
Representative Beddingfield, Of Wake,
| did not think it wise to make changes in
| the Congressional districts at this time
| I've looked over these bills. and
| fear that if we try to make ten Demo
/ cratic districts. Well have at least three
/ that are doubtful with chances in favor OF
| the Republicans. If the districts are al
| lowed to remain as they now are. we'll
! certainly carry seven districts Demo
/ cratic and one at large-making eight
certain under the present arrangement
as against seven under the new reap
portionment.
Representative Curtis, of Buncombe, cp-
posed change at this time. He thought
| there would be a great change IN the
political complexion of the West
/ Mr.. r. b. Glenn, of Forsyth, counselled
the laying aside of personal ambition and
a striving. on the part of all, for the
| best interest of the State and the lasting
| good of the Democratic party.
AS for my county, Forsyth, We will do