The Portland daily press., 1876-01-31
The State Capital.
The Fourth Week-A Lost Art-The Per-
sons and Papers misunderstanding
Hisiory-The Setting Senaior-Pensiors


sOuB anu APCES uAcAbcf-1uttfcstAuS
Hisiory-The Setting Senator-Pensiors
AUGUSTA. Jan. 20, 1876
THE PAST WEEK.
The fourth week of the session has passed
away. The committees are busy at their work;
the petitions for legislative favors have been
turned over to the next Legislature-those who
have come since Wednesday; the wheels Of
legislation are rolling on, only hereafter to be
impeded by that multtudlnous slack-jaw which
began on Thursday and has since kept the
morning business on the Speakers table. The
Committee have had some lively hearings and
counsel from abroad have appeared, but when
the glory of the Eastern Railroad departed and
the Maine Central decided to play the coquette
with both her Boston suitors, the professional
lobbyist found himself as Othello as to occupa.
ton, and with now and then mournful excep-
ton, the place that used to know them and
those who used to pay them, know them, no
more. The business has played out, though it
is said one or two put up job for the liquor
dealers, and that while one remains to keep up
an appearance the other has returned to the
bosom of his family with comfortable role of
greenbacks. 1t is one of the lost arts, lobby
ing in Maine and Mr.. Pixies general railroad
bill will be the death kuell of the disreputable
business.
INVESTIGATIONS
Mr.. Bass of Bangor, who would be a really
"amoosin little cuss" if one could al ways rid
himself of the apprehension that his apparent
uneasiness is caused by neglecting to avail him.
self of potent anthelmintic agent, has already
started to investigating committees enobled
with tie Iiead power ~ send for persons aza
papers, His first committee was to correct an
election return. havn't seen any recusant
Bangorian before the bar of the House on this
case, nor have seen hand-cuffed citizen of
that city in charge of Messenger Walker. The
other committee is to investigate the ten years
old rumors respecting the sale of Icollege land
scrip. Mr., Bass has been appointed chairman
of this special committee. The fact that Mr..
Bass in his preamble indicted the Governor
and Council of 1865 and 1870 without hear
ing, would have been ample cause for Speaker
Robie to have omitted his name when he made
up his committee, for there is good reason to
believe that the man who gravely charges 9TH
ers without hearing is not sufficiently candid
to be judge of testimony. We trust that Mr..
Bass will be lenient in the exercise of his great
powers of sending for persons and papers and
administering oaths. We trust that he won't
undertake to send out West for that fellow who
got land scrip to the amount of &c. 900 acres; for
Mr.. Bass, even your power to send for persons
has limit. We implore you, Mr.. Bass, that
you won't put Gen. Franklin Smith of Water
vile in Bastile with big B. democratic
name tor iail) if be refuses to testify that he
paid some Republican official ten cents an acre,
for being allowed to bid in 15 900 acres of scrip
at 81 cents an acre, because Gen. Smith is an
oder Democrat than yourself.
HISTORY.
Speaking of Investigations and the readiness
manifested by the Republicans to investigate
anything which the Democratic leaders desire
to bring to light, reminds one of the unwilling
ness of the Democrats to investigate frauds or
alleged frauds charged upon them when in
power. Here is a case. The Legislature of
1916 was democratic. 1t had United States
Senator to elect. During several weeks the
State Senate elected John W. Dana several
times and the House gave Hannibal Hamlin a
majority or large plurality. Then the law pro
vided that the election must be made by each
branch and not in convention after the first
trial. The Senate refused to go into caucus
for long time, but after time, a compromise
candidate was found in Hen. j. w. Bradbury
of Augusta. The day came. The Senate
promptly elected Mr.. Bradbury, but in the
Democratic ranks of the House there was
trouble. On the first ballot Mr.. Bradbury
wanted ten or dozen Of an election, eleven
Democrats voting for Bion Bradbury. The
second ballot eight Democrats voted for Bion
Bradbury, but the Wigs cast So votes for Mr.
Evans, the freesoiers voted for their candidate
and there were several scattering votes On
the third ballot, the whole number of votes le-
ing the same. Mr.. Bradbury was elected by
four or five majority, hut Mr.. Evans ouly had
AZ votes. and one vote thrown for VIM Pitt
Fessenden was not found in the return at ALL
At that time the voting was by ballot aud not
Uire Uoce as now. This result was astonishing.
The Democrats claimed tina: the Wings secret.
ly voted for Mr.. Bradbury. This every Wing
member most emphatically denied oyer his
own name, stating the person he did vote for
at each of the three ballots. Mr.. Bradbury
could not have been elected without the
change. Directly after the election, every
Wing member.of the House, with all the free
soilers and independents asked for an investi-
CATION, but under their strict party discipline,
which ever characterized the Democratic party,
it was refused by strict party vote! We do
not assert that that there was any fraud in the
ballot by (which Mr.. Bradbury was made
United States Senator for six years, but gen.
tleman now dead, who was at that time and
since, an active and influential Democrat says
it was known to few at the time that Demo-
cratic member from Oxford hastily took the
vote of section in his balot-box and retired to
the room which was in the vicinity of the pres
ent Judiciary room, at which place be arrived
some time before the rest of the committee.
lnasmuch as the Oxford patriot was soon.after
called to fill an Office in Washington, some
wicked Wing suspected that he took out seven
of the Evans and Fessenden votes on his way
to the place OF counting and replaced them
| with seven for Bradbury. But with these ru-
| mors the Democrats denied investigation Now
| how changed!
APPROPRIATIONS.
1t is predicted that it will prove hard year
l for appropriations. There is pinching air of
prudence. One Senator has resolved to sit on
every appropriation in the regular line If he
is heavy enough to keep them under him, it
will be very bad for roads, bridges, fish culture,