Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-12-15
SENATORIAL
ApPORTIONMBNT

Apropos Of the task that shall come
mp at the coming special session OF the
State Legislature writer In the
Philadelphia Ledger" disoourses on
the probability of the work being &C.
oomplished. In the speculative scheme
amoug the new districts mapped out
are the following. which will prove
OF especial interest to people o! this
section:
Northumberland and Montour have
q population Of 1O6. 4S7. They can be
made into one district without vio-
lenoe to the constitution.
Lyooming, Sullivan, Columbia and
Montour at present comprise senat.
orial district. With Montour dropped.
the other three counties would have q
population Of 1877, ,693. a little more
than 900 in excess of ratio.
Centre, Union, Snyder and Mifflin
are adjoining counties, with a total
population of 100, $50. and would make
q fairly compact district.
Juuiata. Perry and Cumberland
would form as compact and as con-
tiguous district as could be found in
the state, outside of q single county.
They have population of 80, 561. This
is less than four.ffths of a ratio, but
it is difficult to carve out more pop
ulous district in this section Of the
state.
Lebanon is not entitled to be con-
stituted q separate district. Although h
the four adjoining counties are each
entitled to lone or more senators. "
Lebanon has not "one-half ratio, y
and therefore must be attached to one
of the adjoining counties. As Dauphin
has the least population by SO, ,000. 1t
follows that Dauphin and Lebanon
shall constitute senatorial district.
Adams, franklin and Fulton are now
part Of three districts. By combining
them district is formed with poE-
ulation of 9,822.
Although Bedford aud Somerset have
. population Of only $500, their
formation into q separate district is
held to be unavoidable because Of the
populous surrounding counties. except
Fulton, which is attached to an ad-
joining district. "
Carbon, Monroe. Pike and Wayne
form q natural district. Combined they
have q population of 1O4.6lS.
Susquehanna, Wyoming aud Brad
ford can hardly escape being joined
together to form a senatorial district.
Their population is 1866
Blair and Huntington form a natur-
al senatorial district. They run par
sllel, and have a population Of 119, 749.
Olearfield with Cameron and Elk on
the north. come within the constitu-
tional provisions as senatorial dis.
trict. These three counties have a
population of 100. 565.
Tiogs. Potter and Clinton are not
compact. nor, strictly speaking. con-
tiguous. Tiogs is east of Potter and
Clinton is on the south of Potter; Clin-
ton and Tiogs do not touch. Still it
would be difficult to improve OH the SO
as one district.
The writer continues: The senators
from the Jefferson. Indiana aud the
Mercer. Lawrence districts will prob
ably support the bill, as their dist riots
are continued intact, and the senator
from the new Somerset. Bedford dis
trict may he disposed TO vote in the
Affirmative. as the only alternative to
his district is to mske it smaller by
relieving it of Fulton county. The
same reason for voting for the bill ap-
plies to the senator from tie Lycom
ng-Sullivan. Columbia Montour dis.
trict, which has Montour eliminated
in the proposed apportionDent.
TIE senator from the Northumber-
land Union -Sndyer district is likely
to be for the bill. as it cuts off Union
and Snyder, which has been a politic.
al disadvantage aud attaches Montour
to Northum berland. The number of
possible supporters Of senatorial reap,
portionment is brought up to thirty
four more than is necessary.
There may be several senator's to
whom the reapportioument will be a
disadvantage. who will feel oonscien.
tiously Obliged to vote for it in compli.
auce with their oath to support the
constitution.