Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-21
Senator Frye's Post of Duty.

Congress has now been in session over
eight months, and gives us Hnexampled
promise of hanging on until struck by the
frosts of autumn. This Unprecedented ex-
tension of the session in political on-year,
leaves the canvass in Maine, in a somewhat
anomalous shape because State canvass
without the presence of our entire Maine
Congressional delegation, is something we
are not accustomed to, and there with
Maine does not care to begin to get familiar.
Fortunately, the momentous questions of
the hour have had six months overhauling
in the House, thus relieving the Maine
House delegation from the necessity of con-
slant attendance on the sessions of that
body, but as the tariff contest has now been
shifted to the Senate, the situation is such
as imperatively demands full Senate. Add
TO this the fact that the fishery treaty, which
is in charge of our own Senator FRYE, is
menaced by the Democratic circumlocu-
ton office, and it is apparent that just at
this time it would be inadvisable that our
Maine Senators should leave their posts at
Washington to address the people of Maine
on the issues of the hour, much as the peo-
pie of this State want to hear these voices
in the campaign now opening.
We are led to this remark by urgent in
quiries which are being made daily if Sena-
tor Frye's eloquent voice is not to be heard
in Maine before our September election.
We fancy our distinguished Senator would
gladly exchange the heated Senate Chamber
at Washington for the breezes of the Maine
stamping ground, but, as our readers well
know, Senator Frye is not the man to ex-
change pleasant privilege for an imperative
duty. The Mills bill is shortly to come be-
fNrA tI,a
that its enactment would be severe blow to
many Maine industries. The Senate tariff
bill is now being matured, and Mr.. Frye is
compelled to appear before that committee
every day, on some special issue of Maine
concern. That Mr.. Frye does not pair, I'M
der these circumstances, and come to Maine
to take the stump, is simply an indication
| that he is more devoted to the interests of the
whole of Maine than he is to anything else.
The personal presence of Mr.. Frye in the
Senate in this exigency is worth more to
Names interests than his presence in Maine
| could be, highly as our people would appre-
ciate his magnetic speech in these Maine
tield-days The reader will remember that
in the tariff bill of 1888, both lumber and
starch were put on the free list in the Senate
and were only restored to the dutiable list
through the persistence and personal efforts
of the Maine Senators.
In view, then, of all the facts-the tariff
contest in the Senate and the fishery treaty
issue on the same floor which is to be under
Mr.. Frye's charge until vote is reached-it
seems to us that our readers will concur with
Senator Frye that his duties at Washington
are more important to the State of Maine
than his presence among the Pine Trees.
We observe however, that through Mr.,
Frye's diligence there is a prospect that the
fishery treaty may be finally disposed of
this week, If that prophecy be verified,
one barrier to Mr.. Frye's visit to Maine
will have been removed.
1t may yet be possible, accordingly, that
these issues may be SO timed in the Senate
as to give Mr.. Frye few days outing in
Maine before the tenth of September vote,
now less than four weeks distant A cam
paign in Maine without the voice of Senator
Frye, would be an innovation which would
tend to lonesomeness. 1t would be the first
absence of our eloquent Senator from a
Maine campaign since the Republican party
came into existence Much as we respect
Mr.. FrYe's conscientious devotion to the
work of his responsible official position,
we insist on entertaining the hope that at
least in the last week of the campaign the
Senatorial exigencies may SO be aligned as
to enable him to make a short trip to Maine
and, among other relaxations, spend couple
of hours at least with 1000 voters in City
Ha |, Lewiston .-LeHiStOn JOurH0i