Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-06
When 1 Was There.

The proposed reunion of the legislators of
the State of Maine, reminds me of the wears
now long past, 'when | was there " 1t was
NV fortune to commence attending upon the
legislature As reporter as long ago As 1882.
For nearly twenty wears followed this occu-
patton, mostly in the House of Representa-
tives. but one or two sessions in the Senate
MANY curious and interesting scene took
place in the House during my years of atten-
dance.
One of the first recall. was when the
democratic party was in power in both houses
+. .. j. Smith, then q young-looking, beard
less man,was President of the Senate Virgil
ID, Paris was one of the leading members of
the House. One dav the two branches met
in joint session in due form. Smith presiding
Paris had his seat in a corner ust under the
gallery, where there was draught of air
from the open gallery. Etiquette required
the members of the House to be uncovered in
the presence OF the Senate But Paris. on
| account of the draught, put on his hat. The
youthful President called one Of the pages to
his chair, and sent BY him message to Paris
to remove his hat. The indignation of Paris.
who the elder of the two, was such as |
will not attempt to describe.
At another time. on some question under
debate 10 the House, Paris was in the minor
n.
and the previous question was moved. This
excited the ire of Paris, who. desired to
speak further on the matter in debate But
the previous question having been seconded,
he could only give his reasons WHY the pre-
vious question should M then be put 1t
was soon after John Randolph made his once
celebrated speech in the L. s. Senate. in
which he paused every little while and called
out Tins. more porter Paris adopted a
similar course. He took Jeffersons Manual
as his text. read a paragraph or two. and
commented upon it, and then cried out
Page, bring me some water, or some apples
or whatever he happened to think of He
would then read again, and talk on as long as
he could, At frequent intervals calling on the
page for something. This he continued for
about four hours, to his own amusement if
not TO that of the House. | was reporting,
and wrote out the best sketch of his speech
that could. being careful to put in all the
Interruptions. 1t was printed in the Daily
Journal next morning, and Paris ordered a
large number of copies to mail to his friends.
Twas reporting when William Pitt Fessen-
den made his first appearance il the House.
He was young and slender looking and being
in the political minority, his opponents may
have thought at first that he would not prove
a powerful antagonist. The late william
Delesdernier was then a democratic leader, a
man Of some energy, but coarse and vndic-
tive One day he was in some way provoked
with Fessenden, and insulted him with rude
allusion TO his unfortunate birth. Fesserden
made but little if any reply. But the House
although democratic by large majority. was
excited with a whrlwind of Indignation
| Delesderner's friends had to hustle him out
of the hall to escape the consequences. The
next day, the then Speaker was forced BY the
unanimous feeling of the members to vacate
the chair, and place Fessenden in it, where he
presided the most or all of that day.
Nathan Clifford was a democratic leader in
the House when he and Fessenden were
members. Clifford was a man of ability and
energy, but not a ready or fluent speaker