The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-23
DISTRICTS WANT
TO Be LET ALONE
Most Congressional Divisions
Prefer Not to Have Lines
Changed.
COMMITTEE HEARS VIEWS
Political Considerations Agitatc
Situation in Second and
Fourth.
COMMITTEE HEARS VIEWS

Extreme reluctance to sever The no.
htlcal ASSOCIATIONS of years was very
mahitest In tho hearing held yesterua,
afternoon on the question OF reJistrict.
ing the state for congressional repre-.
sentatioh before the two Committees
on Privileges and Elections The scs
SION WAS prcceucd by numerous con-
terences OF men from different districts
VINO In nearly every case deciued TO
ASK that the cNisilng lines be unois-
turbed.
On motion of Chairman Martin Will
haIns, OF the House committee, Char
man Saxon w. Hot, OIL the senate cum
Wittee. acted as presiding oincer. It
"as determined TO near from the dis
tricts in reverse order. beginning with
The Tenth.
Want Tenth Let Alone.
huRh a. White. Rouse member from
Nockbridge, protested vigorously
against the projected changes in his
district. al outlined in the Bowman
oiii. which was the basis OF the COM
inlttccB consideration. He said Craig
should not be- put In the Ninth. lie
also opposed taking Fluvanna from the
Ienh TO put 1t In the Seventh, absorb
ing Charlotte from the sixth anu tax
tHS Al ETlHCc EDWARD from the FOURTH.
The result or such rcarrangement no
said. would be two shoestrinGs crossed.
Tho people of the Tenth. he said, arc
homogeneous as tho district stsnds.
Its population is nearly the average,
and he wanted 1t let alone.
lilo was followed by n. E. Spessard.
OF Crsig. who did not want 10 be taken
away from the Tenth. he said his
county was almost inaccessible from
cts nd
Ninth Heard From.
For the Ninth DIstric, the nrst
speaker was A y. Campbell OF Wythe
lilo voiced tho sentiments Of meeting
Of district leaders. from which ne had
Just come. While some people wanted
Giles, Bland and Tazewell taken from
tho district. he opposed this, saying
that the district did not want TO lose
Giles. He knew the district had about
10000 too many people. according TO
the average. but he was Satished to
have Il stay as II ie. However. II the
committee thought change best lie
would have Smyth taken rnfy and
added to the Fifth. He also would like
very much 10 have Craig. which was
an the district for many years. At al
avents. with Smyth eliminated or IL
ret alone. he promised ito retire slemp
Mr. Campbell Incidentally asserted
that Henry c. stuart was actually eject
cd 10 Congress in 1910. but was de-
srived OF the certihcate II was after
wards found out. hy frauds committed
by Republicans in one county. Reply
ing TIC suggestions as 10 taking his
own county of Wythe along with
smyth. Mr.. Campbell said 1t had been
brought from a Republican major ~
Of sal IN 1908 to ono OF two votes in
1910. whils last November II elected
its entire ticket of Democratic county
officers save one.
ConhtitutIon DISASTROUS.
r. Tate Irvine, OF Big Stone Gap.
followed. When the eastern part or
the state rid Itself OF the negro under
the new Constitution, he said, the
Ninth was burderened with the poor
white" the effect being disheartening,
The Democrats OF the district had
fought for years "a compact. agrees
eve Republican machine"
rs TO population. Mr. Irvine called
attention to the wide discrepancy In
other States. In ono district In New
York there was population OF 100000
and In the adjoining district one OF
$4,000. One district IN Kansas had
twice as many people as another. This
lie declared to DE gcrrymandering ana
not right. but IL showed that Congress
left 1t with the States TO arrange their
own districts.
For his party. saiw Pcyton f.
St Clair, OF Giles. he was willing 10
let Craig stay in tho Tenth, but he
wanted Smyth put In the Fifth. IL
would then so into a Democratic dis
trict--"or II will be Democratic when
this committee gets through with it,
others Wnnt TO Stand Pat.
Speaking for the Eighth District. Mr..
Oliver said his people would strike
the glad hand" with those CT the
Ninth in the desire to be let alone
and have the lines unchanged. al
though 1t has a population far below
the average.
Senator y. b. Early, Jr., said FOR the
Seventh that 1t wanted 10 be left as
II Is.
Some people from the sixth desire to
he heard later, said DuVaI Radford, Of
Bedford.
Coming to the Fifth, Senator George
r. Rison said II wants Halifax TO
help make II Democratic and 10 bring
up its population. Senator Edmorson
said he was willing TO stay IN tn.
Sixth, but his protest was not Urgent,
Senator Parr,. of Patrick. Republican
member of the committee, said he
would like to be let alone: that cX-
pcrience has shown that when the
lines are changed. the Republicans
gained He recalled that when Floyd,
with 500 Republican majority, was cut
off from the Fifth. "the Democrats
thought they had us. but instead we
made q gain"
satisfied with losing Halifax, but adj
ded, You are going to give us Bote-
tourt are YOU not?" Mr Lunsford, of
that county. indicated that Botctourt
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