The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1902-01-29
judiciary committee because Mr. wes


of the committee named. The speaker
gave additional information that sur
priSed Mr.. CDsgrovc. The bill had not
been referred to that committee of
the Speakers yO!ition or al Mr.
WeStOn'S request, buy by the vote OF
the house.
Mr.. nOminick vino seemed To be
warmed UP, protested that the COM
mittce on privileges and elections
doesn't want to so to the ncighbOr-
hood To which it had been consigned
by Mr.. Weston. lie defended the
committee. 1t is composed Of ono
member from each congressional dis
trict and these bill should have come
through that committee.
He referred TO Mr.. WcSton'S rciiec-
tion on CharleStcn's caucus politics,
and stated Significantly that they
have politics in the up-country, too
Mr.. Mendel Smith opposed rccomit-
ting the bills. 1t would mcan that Il
week would clapSc before the bills
could ever be considered. These bills
had come up last year. The matter
had been published widely and no
complaints had come from the people
He declared that ii would bc foolish
to have people come before the com
mitteP and make statements in regard
to rcdiStricting. The members Of the
several countiC; know the needs of
thcir congressional districts and this
matter could bc settled in open debate
Mr.. {. u. Sanders spoke along the
same lines as Mr.. Smith. Mr.. Eird
stated that me had heard protests
against rcdiStr;cting
The house 10y u large majority voted
down the resolution to rCcOmmit Mr.
NJ. l.. Smith secured the floor tn speak
on the main question, but seeing the
latcncSS of the hour had Mr. Williams
10 move adjournment. This was car
ricd and gives Mr.. Smith the floor
when the matter comes up for discus
sion Thursday morning.
When the rcdStrcting bills were
brought up for discussion, Thursday
Mr.. NJ. J.. Smith Of kcrShaw had the
floor. He made the general statement
that rediStricting is necessary and
further that everybody cannot be
pleased with the grouping in accor-
dance with population. He denied
that there is any personal motive in
the minds of the advocates of the
bill Mr.. McGOwan and Mr. Weston
have introduced measures which will
practically eliminate themselves from
congressional honorS.
Mr.. Smith declared that the trainers
of the federal constitution never
thought OF States being divided into
districts. In 1912 congress provided
for districts. Originally it was State
representation and the congressman
should now represent the entire people
of the State as they do of the entire
nation. 1t is necessary. however,
that these representatives should he
distributed over the State i'm order to
be supplied with as much knowledge
of The needs of the people Of different
sections.
He then cited figures showing that
according to the present grouping Of
counties into districts one voter in
| Hampton county has as much repre-
ScntatiOn as five in Grccnvillc. He
/ favored the McGOwan bill. He held
up the ideal district and compared the
/ districts i'm the several bills with this
/ ideal, to the credit of the McGOwan
/ bill. He called attention to the fact
| that all but one of South Cardinals
| congressman live i'm the border com-
| ties. This is the result of the gerry
wandered scheme now i'm existence
| and the interior counties have no
showing at all The county Of Rich
/ land is SO divided that One-half is
U T.. al,
the other to the Seacoast. He closed
with an appeal for a change.
MIR. Dennis wanted TO go on record
as faVOring the McGOwan bill.
Mr.. Freeman of Marlboro offered a
substitute for Mr.. McGowan'S bill.
| He said that some OF the districts i'm
/ the McGuwan bill were like gOurd
vines. He had consulted no candidates
| for congress in arranging his bill. He
/ had taken the map and worked every
conceivable combination and he had
/ presented what he believes to he the
best plan Of all. He then discussed
the merits of the several bills.
Mr. Etird moved to indefinitely post
/ pOne the whole matter. This was
( voted down 10y an overwhelming ma
/ jority-9S to II. The I4wcrc: BIcaSc,
Efrd, Fox. Hill. Kiblcr, Kinard, Lide,
LomaX. Maulding, j. B. Smith, Stro-
man, Tatum. Towill, Woods.
Mr.. Dorroh protested against Green
willie being districtcf with Spartan
burg. Union and LaurcnS. The re-
/ lationS between Grccnyille and Spar
/ tanhurg are cordial enough. hut much
closer are the relations between
/ Grccnyillc and Anderson, Abbevillc,
/ OCOncc and PickCnS. Grcenvillc and
| Npartanburg for 20 years have been
/ political rivals If YOU keep them in
I the same district you simply pcrpet-
uatc a row of 20 years standing.
/ Spartanburg. LaurenS and Union are
/ old counties connected by blood.
| Grccnvillc, Anderson, Oconec and
/ PickcnS were later settled and con-
ncctcd 10y tradition and association.
| We have heard there are excellent
/ people i'm Union but we are not ac-
quaintcd with them. The city OF
. GrccuyilIc was settled partly from 4 b.
/ bcyille and Anderson and the counties
/ Of Anderson and Grccnyllc largely
| settled PickcnS and Oconec. Green
/ vile. PickenS and OcOncc are the only
| mountain counties i'm the State and
should not be- separated
The McGowan bill provides collcc
I tiun of long strings. The Freeman
. bill provides collection of punches.
II am not a candidate for congress,
/ and never expect to be one, and | am