The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-14
CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS

Inc JOINT committee on Congressional
districts held two meetings yesterday
lone in the afternoon and one at night
Ito consider bills for a re-dstrict of
th2 State.
There were three such bills before the
committee-all providing for ten dis
trcts; one of them, by Speaker Moore
another by Mr.. Watts, and a third by
Senator Arlington. After these DIS
had been read. but before discussion OF
them began, Senator Webb desired 1t
first be settled as to whether ohere
were TO be nine or ten districts.
AT this point Senator James introdlc-
ed the following resolution:
Resolved. That the committee re-
commend that The Congressional dis
tricts remain nine in number. and thar
one Congressman be elected for thc
state at large
Senator broWn, chairman of the com
mittee, then stated that the object OF
the meeting was to hear from those IN
the city not members of the commit
tee, who Ccsired 10 submit their VIEWS
on the subject &c reapportionmenr.
Mr. John Y. Jordan. member OF the
Congressional Committee for the Ninth
district, was the first speaker. He op-
posed any redistrictiDg OF the State just
now, on the ground that the political sit
uation under the recently adopted amend
ment Was uncertain ana any changes in
district lines at this time must there
fore be matter of guess work.
If vor1l let the Ninth district alone
oo1 ,yiya nc ('on qyrpcCrnop al large we'll
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
Congressman at large. He added:
"To ATTEMPT any change now would be,
/ am convinced, q mistake. We can't
tell whetheT be amendment will be up
held by the courts or not
The next speaker was Mr.. T. c. Lynn,
member OF he Seventh district Congress
sional committee. He like Mr.. Wright,
opposed any change.
I'VE can carry every district as now
composed" he declared. THAT makes
Line Congressman certain. How can we
get ten? BY electing one at large. The
effect Of the amendment is uncertain,
and / am here to tell you that we had
better 90 slow. Redistrict the State now
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 We'll
have at least three uncertain"
Senator Mcneil, of Cumberland. like
wise opposed a redistrict on similar
grounds.
Il ask you. gentlemen" he said, not TO
let the aspirations of q few ambitious men
cause you TO make n grave mistake
Mr.. w. w. Kings 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 viii be dis
franchised in my county, no man knows
the number in any county, and until that
is done no intelligent action can ne
taken in this matter"
Mr. j. r. Blair, another member of the
Seventh district committee favored the
Watts bill, and vigorously advocated
re -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 maiorities.'
Mr. Blair quoted election figures for
the past ten years to show that all tho
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 eve 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 new
one just now might turn out TO be even
more unsatisfactory
1--WE OF the Eighth are tired of being
represented by q Republican, but we had
rather continue to be so represented for
a while than to jeopardize two or three
other districts that are now Democratic;
and I believe they will be so ieopardized
under any of the proposed bills"
Representative Beddingfield. OF Wake,
did rot think it wise to make changes in
the Congressional districts at this time.
i've looked over these bills. and l
fear that If we try to make ten Demo
cratic districts. We'll have at least three
that are doubtful with chances in favor of
the Republicans. If the districts axe 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 great change in the
political complexion of the West
Mr.. Il. B. Glenn, of Forsyth, counselled
the laying aside of personal ambition aud
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 viii 90
all we can, no matter where you put us
I'm sorry to see that nobody here seems
to want us. They seem to think we are
hopelessly and forever Republican
want to say that the day is past when
Forsyth will ever again be anything nut