The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1901-01-09
Storm Centre Of Debate Has Been
Pine Tree State.
Names Representatives
From Other States.
Mr.. Burleigh's Remarks in
Favor of His Bill.
ESPECIAL TO THE PRESS,

ESPECIAL TO The fhksa-t
Washington, January S-The fight owe r
che apportionment has been one OF the
most interesting conflicts that has ever
occurred over the question which recurs
every ten years. This year Maine has
afforded the storm center, as Vermont
and Rhode Island did twenty years ago.
Some of the western men devoted consid-
enable time to Maine, especially about
the time MIR. LittlefisId made his spirited
attack on MIR. Hopkins for asssiling
Maine. Among those who spoke about
Maine was MIR. John r. Lacy, OF Iowa,
who said:
''AIains has, today, In this Congress,
in the Senate and House, ten members
She would have under the present appor-
tionment, only six. And yet Maine Is
represented on the floor of the two houses
by MIR. Alexander of New York, Mr..
Roberts of Massachusetts,, Mr.. Fischer of
Minnesota, and Mr.. Perkins OF Califor-
mia. was up in Maine few year
ago, taking dispositions in will case.
with a distinguished Maine lawyer, and
we took team, and a notary public
along with us, and travelled over York
county, In the district previously repre-
sented by the former Speaker Of this
House, Mr.. Reed, at present represented
by the gentleman from Maine, MIR. Allen
The first six witnesses examined, In re-
Spouse to the interrogatory, What Is
your name, age, place of residence and
ocoupationS' gave their age in each case
asked him his age, said GA 1 said,
you are quite young man.. He re-
piled, Yes, for Maine; The young peo-
pie have emigrated from Maine. They
have gone west to grow up with the
country And they have made them
ssiyes felt wherever they have gone. A
Maize man IS ikea Seotohman, because
st has been said in reference to Scotch
men that whenever you ind anything In
this world that is worth anything, you
either find Scotchman sitting down
waiting for it or sitting down on top
or 1t. so with Maine men Wherever
you so in the United States you will lind
a Maine man leading the procession.
"a state makes a mistake when 1t
assumes that its dignity in the House
depends upon the number of Its represen-
tatives, Take Maine, for example, with
only four representatives. Those four
representatives from the State OF Maine
in past congresses have controlled and
shaped the legislation of this country be- |
yond the representatives of sta ties with |
four, five or six times that number. The
influences and power of a state in this
House depends on the character of Its
representatives, the strength OF the men
selected to fill these representative POSI-
lions The time must come when Maine
must be cut down to three representa-
tives, or else this House nust become
still more unwieldy than it Is today"
Mr.. Littlefeld, In the course of his |
speech, ON Saturday, during the tilt with
MIR. Hopkins of Illinois, applied TO that
gentleman a term which recalls the Ia
NOUS tilt in which Blaine compared |
ConkIing to a turkey -gobbler. Mr.. Hop |
kins has light red hair and a sandy |
MIR. Littlefeld. in the course |
of the tilt, spoke Of him as diluted |
"aurora borealis.'
Governor Burleigh, in the course OF his |
speech In favor OF larger representation, |
gave the following forcible reason for |
more members.
s'I firmly believe that no member of |
this House should be required to look
after the interests of more people than it |
is possible to give a proper amount Of In
dividual attention. 1t Is desirable not |
only that congressman should be in
CLOSE and sympathetic touch with every
part of his district, but also that 1t should
not be beyond the range OF possibility for
him TO know personally the majority OF
the voters who make up his constituency.
Such an acquaintance and such a close
OF the needs OF his district is
not only essential to the highest type OF
but constitutes the strong
est safeguard which this government can |
have against all forms of pc Iitical job
berry and corruption. The people desire |
more than faithrul service. They de- |
mand, and they are entitled to have |
efficient service, and that kind of service
won render to a large extent fmpossihIe