Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-01-16

gone outside the limits of their dis
tricts to find, a. Congressman. Ben
=. Butler was once sent to congress from
a district in which he had never re-
sided.
Mr.. Richard Guenther, now consul
general of the United States at Frank
fort, was a member of congress twen-
ty years ago, but at that time he lived
in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was the
member for the Waukesha district, in
quite a different part of the state.
Many other instances of this kind
could be mentioned. But the district
lines are usually regarded as impassa-
BILE Certainly no nonresident candi-
date for congress could be elected in
Georgia. and there are comparatively
few states in which this pride of To-
cality does not prevail quite as ar
bitrarily as in Georgia.
When Benjamin H. Hill became a
candidate for congress in the Ninth
district of Georgia in 1875 his home
and his law office were I'm Atlanta,
and had been here for several years,
and this fact was industriously used
against him. But II turned out that Mr..
Hilrs legal residence was still in Ath-
ems. and the people Of the Ninth dis
trict claimed him as their own. At
lanta claimed him, too. In fact, the
whole state of Georgia claimed him.
Ben Hill was too large man to be
appropriated by one district, or even
by one state.
The trainers of the constitution
were wise in making no requirement
that a member of congress must re-
side in the district for which he is
elected.
If one district has a man Of con-
spicuous ability and qualifications for
congressional service and declines to
call upon him for It, or rejects him
when he offers himself as a candidate,
why sould not an adjoining district.
or a district a hundred miles away,
elect him, provided it be in the same
slater
We have all seen. some districts con-
spicuously rich in congressional tim
state very meagerly supplied in that
line.
Would It not be far better for these
poverty stricken districts and for the
country II in such cases district lines
were ignored in the selection of repre-
sentatives?
VIII not common sense and sound
business considerations finally bring
about a reform in this matter?
If the biggest Democrat in a state
happens to reside in district that is
hopelessly Republican. why shouldn't
some Democratic dictrict elect him?
They do these things better in Great
Britain than we do as rule.
A British statesman of exceptionally
fine qualifications need not worry about
the locality Of his residence. A seat in
parliament is usually at his command.
When the electors OF Bristol went back
on Burke dozen other boroughs stood
ready and eager to take him up.
Gladstone lived in Wales, and during
the greater part Of his illustrious ca
reer in parliament was a member for
far off Scotch Midlothian.
There are scores OF members Of the
present parliament who reside in one
borough and represent another. and
II has been so in every parliament for
generations past.
While there is nothing in our law.
provided a state has more than one
district, to restrict a congressional
constituency TO its own territory when
IL comes to choose congressman. the
great majority of the constituencies
themselves have established a cast
iron rule on the subject which often
deprives them of opportunities that
they could use to great advantage.
Nothing that is said here Is intend
ed to apply to the recent election in
the Seventh congressional district Of
New York, but the raising of the issue
Of residence in that contest suggests
the thought that the custom of hating
at district lines In electing congress-
men might frequently be more hon.
ored in the breach than the observ-
ance.