The Portland daily press., 1897-01-05
Legislators Assembling for The
Coming Session.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN AT.
TORNEY GENERAL CONTEST.
MIR. ssiders' Friends Claim That He is in
the Lead-Candidates for Minor Offices
Proposed Changes in Secretary of
States Office.
ESPECIAL TO THE pRnss.1

trains today have brought the first scat
then there are the gentlemen who are not
mem bers, but who, nevertheless, have a
lively interest in what the members pro-
pose to do. There is the Hon. George M.
5eiders of Portland, who expects to be
the next attorney general aud in the
same hotel is the Hon. William L.
Haines of Waterville who, bis friends
say, also thinks he is the pext attorney
general. MIR. Seiders is receiving his
friends in rooms one and two at the Au-
gusta house, and Mr. Haines likew Use
has his headquarters there.
This evening gentleman who is one
of the most active of Mr.. Seiders's sup
porters, stated to the PRESS correspond
ent that Mr.. Seiders had pledges Of
seventy votes in the eight western
counties of the state, and twenty more in
tho eight eastern. This would nominate
Mr.. Seiders on the first ballot. The
nomination is made by the Republican
members of both tho Senate and House
In Joint caucus. There are now 143
Republican members of the lower branch
and 81 in The Senate making total Of 174
SO that if Mr.. Sesdsrs gets ninety votes
he will have clean majority. The
gentleman who made the above state
ment to your correspondent, added that
| Mr.. Seiders was tile second choice of a
considerable number of members who on
e. al
didates. In this enumeration, the eight
counties referred to as those in the
western section of the state are York,
| Cumberland, Oxford. Androscoggin,
franklin, Sagadahoc. Lincoln and Knox.
The full Repu blioan membership of the
House Is 145, but two members must be
chosen to fill vacancies, SO there are now
143.
On the other hal NJ. Haines a. fo7
lowers seem equally oonfident, and there
are many abou5 the hotels who predict
the triumph of Mr.. Haines. They do
not give out any figures on which to base
their estimates, but say that Mr.. Ha1nes
will be nominated ON the first ballot.
This contest over the attorney general
ship is the one topic of conversation in
the hotel lobbies. At this stage of the
game, the talk is almost wholly confided
to the chances Of the leaders and little at
tention is given to the dark orses,
Messrs. Appleton and Walton.
Then there is the gossip about the next
Council to give the arrivals something to
talk about. There are no contests. how
ever, except in AndroscoRgin county,
from which the member for the third
district will be chosen. There are four
candidates in the fold. here. They are
Messrs. A. M. Penley of Auburn, W. T.
Smart of Lewiston, r. G. Boothby Of
Livermore, and Jesse M. Libby of Me-
chanio Falls. Leaving out the third
district, the new Council will be made
up rs follows:
First district, York and Oxford,
Edward S. Marshall of York, the present
inou nbent.
Second district Gum mberland. E. Dudley
freeman of Yarmouth, the present in
cumbent.
Fourth district, Lincoln and Sagada-
hoe, Fitz Fl. Twitchell of Bath.
Fifth district, Hancock. Knox and
Waldo, Elmer Z. Spofford of Deer Isle.
Sixth district, Penobscot and Pisea ia
quis, Fl. A. Mayo of Hampden.
Seventh district, Aroostook and Wash
ingtop, Voranus Coffin of Harrington.
Where counties arc classad together to
make council or district, the apportion-
ment act provides that each county sh all
furnish the meinber in specified years.
1t is customary in the caucuses to nomi-
nate the candidates, to let the counties
furnishing members designate who shall
serve, but if the county cannot agree, the
matter may be fought out in the general
caucus.
That august body, the Senate, will be
organized with the list of officers much
the same as it was two years ago. Mr..
Kendall, NJ. Dunbar Of Damariscotta
will again be the secretary, place he
has ably filled for several terms. Mr..
Hnrold Smith. the assistant secle ary. is
not candidate for reelection. Amos
K. Butler of Augusta, Frank H. Pur-
rington of Limington, and Mr. French of
Vienna would like to succeed Mr.. Smith.
Messrs. Butler and burlington have each
developed considerable strength.
No session of the Senate would
seem to be properly conducted without
bD6 N6lp OIL IuE. OudFleS II. AOv6JUy VI
Sidney, for many years the messenger.
Mr.. Lovejoy is hore meeting old friends
and is already to begin his labors, be-
cause no one thinks of competing with
him for the nomination. j. Frank Ashford
of Windsor will again be assistant mes
senger; A. B. Il. Chadbourne If Dix
mont, folder; Walter B. CLARK of Damar-
isootta assistant folder and Simeon A.
Holden of fremont, mail carrier.
There is also liability to be little to
no change in the list of the House
officers. Mr.. W. S. Cotton will again be
the clerk with Mr.. Il. NJ. Thompson as
his assistant. Mr.. g. II. Fisher, the
efficient messenger, with his capable as
sistAnts W. J. Smith and b. A. Stevens
are sure of re-. election having a cleaI
field. There were two candidates against
Mr.. Walter I. Neal, the mail carrier, but
it is understood that one of them, sx-