The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-27
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.J

| washington, May 26.-Ihere was VET
eran reunion in the Speakers room at the
| Capitol one afternoon this week. The
company was not large, but was famous.
The participants were General Charles
II. Smith, General Squirting, General
Charles P. Mattocks and Capt. Charles
]W. Ford. General Smith formerly COM
manded the First Maine Cavalry, and
later commanded a brigade in the Army
tof the Potomac. He was one of those
Officers who was always equal to what
ever position he was called to fill. After
the war he entered the regular army, and
became Colonel of the Nineteenth Infan-
| try. He was in the command of that
regiment when he reached the age of re-
| tirement. General Smith was educated
at Colby, and is a frequent attendant at
the graduating exercises of that institu-
ton He is also member of the Phi
Beta Kappa of that institution, an honor
which he prizes highly, although many
other honors have fallen to his share dur
ing his busy life General Squirting went
to the war as lieutenant in the company
of the First Maine cavalry which General
Smith commanded. Lieut. Squirting
was very daring and adventurous Off
Ger, and made so good a record that he
was transferred to the command of the
Second Maine Cavalry. Later he was
promoted to the command of brigade.
When the HCount-out' troubles came in
| Maine he was United States postoffice
inspector He went to Augusta, and was
selected, on account of his great personal
courage and reputation as fighter, to
[ stay in Mr.. Blaine's house to see that no
violence was done him. This fact seems
strange to those not familiar with the in
cidents Of the "Count-out' and the ex-
cited state of the public mind in Maine at
that time. Augusta was the rendezvous,
not only Of earnest and angry citizens of
Maine, but also of adventures and
roughs OF many parts of the country
General Mattocks and Captain Ford have
long been residents of Portland, and their
military records are well known in
Maine. The other officers have not been
residents of Maine since the war. General
Smith resides in Washington and Gener-
four met in Washington largely by
chance, General Matotcks having come
here to attend to business before the pen
sion office, and General Squirting being
here to see about the Argentine mission.
The four had delightful time, going
about to see the ST ghts together.
THE SITUATION IN THE SENATE.
The Republican caucus of the Senate
has met, and the result of the delibera-
tions has been such as to warrant the be-
lief that the efforts of one party will be
directed towards getting early action. So
far nothing has developed to indicate that
the other parties in the body wish for I'M
due delay. Hence a feeling Of confidence
may be said to peryade the situation
There is evidence that the Senators are
beginning to feel the weight Of public
feeling. Washington is never a good
place from which to judge the sentiment
of the country. AS long as there are
plenty of offices in the departments and
the people of the city are well employed
in their business, which is holding gov
ernment office and ministering to those
who do hold office, public sentiment in
Washington is satisfied. The contrast
with the places, where people get their
living by private enterprises is very
marked. But of late the protests of the
country have been heard. "How are the
people talking about Cuba?'' asked a
man who had been greatly excited over
just returned from visit to Ohio.
'sThey are not talking at all about Gu
about themselves. Of colirse the fathers
of the Constitution did not intend that
the Senate should be SO subject to the
feeling and wishes of the people as is the
House; but neither did they intend that
salutary action which is foregone
conclusion should be delayed merely for
Whims.
o course there must of necessity be
radical difference between the views
which the House and Senate take of a
tariff bill. This will probably be illus
trated by a prolonged and serious disa-
greement when the amendments of the
Senate come into conference between the
two houses. In the Senate the vote pre-
miles of territorial area; in the House ac-
cording to the density of population
The conference must be an effort to COM
promise the interests of square miles with
those of peoples. This may be illustrated
by comparing two groups Of States:
Nevada Pennsylvania,
Montana New York
Idaho Ohio
Wyoming Indiana
Utah Illonois
North Dakota Michigan
South Dakota Missouri
Colorado Massachusetts
Washington Texas
In each group there are nine States,
and in the Senate each group has eigh
teen votes. Therefore in that body the
one group exactly offsets the other SO far
as the influence of votes is concerned.
Turning to the House, there is found a
radical change. The first group have
only ~ members out of 357, and their in
fuence is almost nothing. The second
group on the other hand, have 173 mem
bers within seven of an absolute MAORI
ty of the whole body.
In general it may be said that it would
be possible to assemble 46 Senators, who
would be majority of the Senate, repre-
senting States which would in the House
have only 81 votes. That is, PROPOSE
ton which might pass the Senate by
vote Of 46 to A, would be defeated in the
House by vote of 900 to 67 if the House
members from the various States should
follow the votes of their Senators.
This illustrates the difficulty of reach
;10 a. satisfactory agreement between the