Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-01-10
AUGUSTA LETTER.
Doings I'm and About the Capitol Inter-
estingly Described.
Special to THE AMERICAN.

The readers OF NE AMERICAN perhaps
would like to know something about the
legislature, Is personnel, ctc.; hence ny
ideas of Augusta and the Assembled wis
dom of the State" may worthy of pub
LEGATION. l shall not attempt detailed
accounts of the transaction of the legis-
lature because the papers daily give you
all that.
Augusta is the city of beautiful trees
and magnificent ravines, and, except one
street, is quiet as a country village.
Like all New England towns, it abounds
in churches, in fine school houses and
other public buildings; and with but
little apparent business or business facil
tiles, its residences show evidences of
solid comfort and general thrift and
prosperity.
The legislature is now fully organized
and ready for business and has ad journed
unfit Monday, when short session will
be held for the inspection Of petitions and
orders. Tuesday the real work of the
session will commence. The organization
has been consummated much sooner than
latures. This was owing to the fact that
there is no democratic party and hence
really no need of caucuses, still the 'pow
ers that be- decided on caucuses and so
the evenings We're devoted to them; but
of what earthly good they were is past the
comprehension of your correspondent;
for no changes were made in the pro-
gramme already arranged.
The committees are announced and
perhaps the prevalence of so many
worthy and hungry applicants made the
task of proper selections of he right men
in the right place unusually difficult.
But, as a whole, perhaps, the work was
we'll done, and possibly no more han the
usual suppressed kicking exists. OF
course, as everybody knows, the COM
mittees are made up by presiding
officers, with the advice of their friends,
secured either long before the session or
in the corridors of the Augusta house
any one member is determined by his
friends at court"
The prevailing sentiment now is that
the session will be short, for there is a
general desire to make few changes in
existing laws. and to eliminate proposed
special legislation, as far as consistent,
from he work. There will doubtless be
quite fight on taxation and its methods,
aud ON simpitication of some of the exist
ing laws pertaining thereto. The ques-
ton of charging the old insane asylum or
building Il new one at Bangor will GER
tainly I've before the legislature, with
growing tendency toward d ne" build
cause some work for the committee on
towns.
The farmers seem we'll pleased with the
elect ion of Tax Assessor Burleigh, and feel
that their interests are safe i'll that
direction. This feeling makes them quiet,
and so the leaders, hose dear lovers of
the farmers-wil probably not ask for
new dog, sheep or bird law.
Hancock county got its share of the
pIums i'll the appointment of Senator
Spofford as chairman of the judiciary
committee in the senate and of Mr. Ham
lin in the house. This makes them
managers or leaders of both houses.
The mythical country member who,
arriving at Augusta in the early evening,
nistook the Augusta house, with its
dazzling show of life, for the capitol,
was ''wiser than he knew" for it is here
that he Legislative work is actually done
and the ''enacting" at the capitol only
confirmatory.
The caucus for the nomination of Sena
tor Frye-athough really nominated long
before the "ides of December called
out the elite of the town and gave fine
opportunity for the pent-up flow of
eloquence of members of the Legislature.
The speeches We're very eloquent but
slightly tedious and spread eaglish,
because the audience wanted to hear
Senator Frye. OF course he was nomi-
mated by reclamation and gave us, as
Senator Frye always does, an able,
brilliant and eloquent speech on the
political situation.
Looking at the house one sees
wonderful sprinkling of gray and white
scattered all over the hall; but the
whitest head belongs to the venerable
ather Dickey with his eighty-four years,
and more than thirty years of service in
the legislature.
The senators look so dignitied, so owl
ish and so mysterious that will not
attempt their personnel. 1t would be pro-
family.
The governors message contains much
valuable information and is such an able
ca