The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-23
DIRIGO.
E.t SINS Of Maine Always TO the
Front.
T hITlCAL PROMINENCE OF THE
PINE TREE STATES MEN.

* i5,f, furnished the Two Most Noted
/; .less since the War-Maine's Fa-
III - epresentatives-She VIII Fur
iea President Unless the Signs Fail
.,...'- parliamentary Progressiveness.
4ork, December 23.-The Sun
lie selection Of Thomas B. Reed
Gusiy by the Republicans in the
Al Eouse of Representatives to be
5 kas was not geneIallyaccepted among
!cians as tribute to the State of
mime, Of which Mr.. Reed is native and
resid Mt Che was born and lives in Port
land, J forhe is popular among Republi-
cans in other parts of the country as well.
But supplemented as it has been bysfay-
orable consideration of his name for the
Republican nomination for the Presiden-
cy in 1896, it shows, many politicians
think. that the influence of Maine did
not cease, as they thought it might with
the death of James G. Blaine In the al
lotment of ohairmanships in the Senate,
Maine comes to the front with Mr.. Frye
So@--
merce, and Mr.. Dingley, also of Maine,
is to have prominent Craftsmanship,
If not, perhaps, the most prominent, IN
the House of Representatives Joseph
II. Manley, still another Maine man, is
at the head Of the executive committee
of the Republican National Committee,
and is an active factor in the work OF
Republican party organization.
Maine men, indeed, and more especial
~, Maine Republicans, have no cause to
complain over any discrimination against
them in the field of American politics, for
though they come from state relatively
small in voting strength, and never
strong enough to exercise decisive IN
fnence in the electoral college, Maine has
Jared uncommonly well in the distribu-
ton of political honors. No native OF
Maine, it is true. has ever held the office
of President of the United States, but the
first vice. President elected by the Repub-
loan party, Hannibal Hamlin, was a
Maine Republican, and the two most
conspicuous Speakers Of the House Of
Representatives since the close OF the
war. Mr. Blaine and Mr.. Reed, were both
from Maine.
Both Garfield and Harrison took their
Secretaries of State from the State of
Maine. Mr.. Lincoln chose one Secretary
of the Treas ury and Grant another from
that state. The last Postmaster General
under Democratic administration prior
to the first Inauguration of Mr.. Cleye-
land, was Maine man.. and Maine has
been at all times represented on the Su.
preme Court bench in Washington. Like
Ohio, Maine has Jared poorly in the con-
sular service, the political shrewdness of
the Maine men seeking political honors
always running in the groove of sgetting
ham III J,ao OF
not at points at u distance from the
Pine Tree State.
One reason, perhaps, for the former in
fuence of Maine statesmen in American
political affairs, is the fact that Main
was one of the states which held its cleo
ton n advance Of other states, in the
month Of SEPTEMBER. So long as this
condition lasted Maine was battle
ground for the two political parties, and
into it in q national election both sent
their most eloquent orators, and upon the
Judgment of Maine depended to aGconsi d.
erabie extent IN q national election the
result Of the contest. Little by little,
however, this distinction, the memory of
which was perpetuated in the verses tel
ling how Maine went hell bent for Gov
ernor kenr.' has been lost, especially
since tie extension of the term of the
governorship from one to two years, as
it is now. What distinction Maine now
enjoys i'll American political councils is
due to the prominence of its leading men
on the Republican side, for the Maine
Democrats do not SO to speak, cut N UGH
ice. Mr.. Reed received four votes for
President in the Republican convention
of 1892, two of which were from Texas
Thomas B. Reed is positive He is Pc
ouliarly original. He has ideas and con-
yiotlons and the nerve to carry them out.
He has blazsd new path in the wilder
ness of parliamentary law. jefferson s
and Cushing's manuals are already Civ
ing place to Reeds "Manual of General
Parliamentary Law" His friends say he
is progressive. The action of the Demo
Gratis in the House in the Fifty-third
Congress, with regard to counting quo
rum, certainly indicates that his friends
are right.
Speaker Reeds experience in the Fifty
first Congress has given him new idea
for the Fifty fourth Congress. In the
Fifty first Congress Mr.. jackson of West
Virginia was unseated by the Republi-
cans before any rules whatever had been
adopted by the House. 1t was done
under the Speakers Interpretation of gen.
: eralparliamentary law. He decided that
he had the right to count a quorum Of
those present and not voting, SO as to get
the contested election case before the
House When an appeal WAS taken from
publicans. This made the great Maine
mans ruling law. Under this action of
the House Mr.. jackson was unseated,
The House aferward emphasized the rul-
ing by Incorporating it in the rules.
In the Fiftieth Congress / there were
eightscontested seats Seven of them
were settled by the House. In the Fifty
first (Tom Reed's) Congress there were
IL contested seats, and only 10 disposed
of. In the Fifty second there were six
contested seats, and only four settled. In
the Fifty third there were IL, and only
seven brougt before the House. In the
Fifty -fourh Congress there are SO contest
I'd seats
There are more contested seats in Tom
Reeds second Congress than in any other
Congress since the foundation of the gov
eminent. 1t seems apparent that the
usual committee on elections will be un-
able to settle all these cases upon their
merits before the expiration of the term.
Mr.. Reed has promptly revised Jeffer-
sons, Cushing's and Reeds manuals. He
500 Reward 500.
The readers of this paper will be pleased to