Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-30
Presidential Sentiment in Congress.


cases might be mentioned of men in
Congress who are ardent champions Of
the Speaker but whose districts are
running riot for Mckinley, Babcock
of Wisconsin, chairman of the district
committee, for instance. is Reed man
at heart, although his state is pretty
generally taken by the Ohio governor;
so is Bartholdt of Missouri: and AL
drch of Illinois, one of Reeds strong
est supporters, has as yet been able to
get almost no help for the Maine man
in his own state. If the Republlcan
members of House and Senate were
constituted the national convention at
St. Louis Mckinley's chances would
be severely crippled, and Mr.. Reed
would go into the contest leading on
the first ballot. Perhaps this is but
natural. Reed is better known here
than Mckinley. and those familiar
with legislative procedure know how
fictitious is the claim made by the Nc
Kinlevites in effect that their leader is
the great and only exponent of protec-
ton The accidental placing OF Ac-
Kinley at the head of the committee
that drew up the tariff act of 1890 does
not give him that title to ownership of
the protective idea, which he seems to
have with the voters Of the middle
West"
So writes Lincoln, the Washington
correspondent of the Boston Tran
script, and there can be little doubt OF
the truth of these statements when il.
considered the Willingness with
which the present House has followed
Speaker Reeds leadership. The Re-
publican majority in that body is so
large, that from the first its enemies
looked confidently ahead to its becom-
J ing unwieldly. Up to this time, there
| has been a remarkable freedom from
| the errors into which a big majority is
likely to fall
All this has required mastery lead
| ership on the part of Speaker Reed and
feeling of personal friendliness not
| to say loyalty on the part of most OF
| the influential members of that body
| This is all the more remarkable from
| the fact that there have been peculiar
ly trying conditions. The Democratic
administration has run the country sc
deeply in debt that parsimony seems
demanded by the people. But even
economy is a difficult thing to obtain
amid 50 many divergent interests.
| however, to this Mr.. Reed pledged his
| efforts in the beginning and has beer
able thus far to secure the cooperation
of the members in securing it. 1t Will
however, be no reflection upon him i!
| they occasionally break away IN max
ing the final appropriations A good
many of these members feel that they
must get through certain apprOpria-
tons in order to please their constit-
uents, appropriations that with q
proper revenue would be regarded as
necessary, but which Mr.. Reed feels
should be withheld until we can hav,
| adequate resources for the eXpendi-
lures 1t was no slight task to keeI
expenditures for naval defence within
reasonable limit, as Congressman
| Boutele well knows from very recent
experience. 1t requires not a littl5
courage to check popular expenditure
but there are times when it is best t.
do so, if those in authority will as
sumo the task Mr.. Reed has moi
shirked the responsibility nor relaxed
| in his efforts to cut the garment ac-
cording to the cloth, and although ht
may not be able. probably will not, tC
do all that he would like to accom-
| the highest credit for what he has
| achieved. How much of an achieve
ment that is can be no better apprc
ciated than by the men who them
selves have assisted in attaining it OF
have lent their efforts to thwart it TO
what they deemed their own advan
tage. Moreover these men are bette
able than people generally to arrive a
a correct estimate of fellow member
abilities, and we have yet to hear of
congressman even intimating that MI
Reed could not satisfactorily fulfill al
required by the Republican party .
: it's presidential candidate
This is glowing tribute which Con
gresham Mccall of Massachusetts
paid to the great speaker in his speed
' before the Massachusetts convention
last week, but we don't believe Their
a will be single congressman, whateve
his preferences, to question the fines
of it:
4 Our party is indeed rich in states
men. who may well embody it's princi
pies, and whom we would follow witt
: pride. and it is in disparagement of n