Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-30
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Speaker Reed Sees that All
Rules Are Strictly Observed.
How He Stopped De Graaenried from
Smoking in the House.
Large Party OF Maine Ercursi0nsss Ln.oyng
Lie at the Capital

| has been SuHerlnS Tor TOUR weeks WIFI
irit!s, an aiIiction Of the eyes. Lately
on account of the pain and the medi-
| cine administered, he has been confined
to his residence. Generally the eX-
| governor is "A very active man, especia l.
/ ly for one Of his age. He has a large
acquaintance in Washington. and en-
| joys watching proceedings at the
| Capitol When the lunch hour comes
| he walks down to the restaurant, sits
| at the counter in plain democratic
| fashion. and eats a frugal but hearty
| meal He retains the same simple and
| unassuming manners that have char
! acterlzed him in Maine The society Of
| the Sons and Daughters Of Maine
wished to call and pay their respects TO
| him. Monday. on the occasion Of MS
birthday, but the governors affiiction
was SO great that he was unable to r.
ceiVe them.
The inhabitants Of the upper kenne
bee valley Will receive another visit dur
ing May from Representative Freeman
Knowles Of Deadwood, 5. ID. Although
he is the only Populist in the House,
who claims the Pine Tree State as the
place Of his birth Mr.. Knowles loves
the old scenes and is determined to
visit there every year while he remains
in Congress. He was telling the Jour
nal man today. how much he enjoyed
his visit there last year, and how he
found the places the same as they We're
80 and 40 YEARS ago. The old home
farm. on which he was born. IL in the
vicinity Of Malvern Mills on the road
that leads from SkoWhegan to Har-
Skowhegan, last year, he paid a call at
the SkoWhegan high school. where he
attended when a boy. The pupils wer"
being examined in history of the Civil
War hat day. and at the request II
the principal, Mr.. Knowles. after being
introduced made a brief talk about
some If his rcmembrances of that CON
fliCt. The incident was a very pleasant
one to Mr. Knowles He expects toI
run again for Congress. but the vote
will be close one. for South Dakota is
naturally A Republican state.
Speaker Reed not only keeps an iron
hand over the proceedings of the House
but he secs To it that the rules are Ill
strictly enforced. His strictness eN-
tends to the mercst matters of conduct, |
where there is language in the rules
affecting it. For instance. the eHclu- |
sion Of all from the rear lobby at the |
House. where only members and eX-
members are entitled to 80 is enforced /
to the letter. The unfortunate door |
keeper who does not observe the rule |
strictly. gets prompt reprimand from |
the big Maine man.
Some of the Democrats are disposed !
to pa que the Speaker If they can get
an opportunity. one Of theS" oppor- |
tunitjes il in the matter of: smoking |
Until the last session of the Fifty
fourth Congress smoking was allowed |
in the corridors Of the House and in
the Hall of representatives.. Finally.
however, the Speaker promulgated a
rule that there should be no smoking,
except in committee rooms and in cloak
rooms. All sensible people supported
him In the rule for it was not entirely
inspiring to witness the House of
Representatives of the United States
transacting business, enveloped in a /
great cloud of tobacco smoke. And
that was what it amounted to for there
was 50 much smoking all of the time
that the entire air in the hall was per-
meated
Representative De Graffenried big,
sturdy Texan. to whom nature gave
much Drawn and muscle. which he has /
augmented by roaming on the plains and
III building railroads, is one of the law
makers who is apt to trespass whenever |
he feels 50 disposed Instead of smoking !
his cigar in the cloak room Mr.. De Graf |
fenried pokes his head outside INTO the |
House. The other day he walked bravely (
hot ella p
around the House at the rear Of IN" |
seats. looked calmly over it and blew in !
to the air a big puff of smoke: Inc |
Speakers eagle eye detected the offender /
and at once one of the employees was
dispatched with orders for De Graffenried |
to deSiSt.
Those are the Speakers orders said !
the employee apologetically.
We'll the Speakers orders are coun- |
fernandez " retorted De Graffenred with |
much buster. Now you take my orders |
to the Speaker Tell him that I'll come |
up there and settle the matter with him |
myself" .Interlarded with this was some |
emphatic language.
When the reply had been returned to |
the Speaker he inquired in his character |
istic manner: lis DE -.raffenried armed?'
but in the meanwhile De Graffenried had |
taken pains to conceal himself within the |
cloak room.
The monitor Montauk, which has been !
ordered to Portland Me, by the navy de-
partment. was sent at the request of |
Speaker Reed and Senator Hale. These |
monitors are capable of terrible eNecu-
ton as harbor defenders. They are not |
q bic to Vancouver we'll at sea or to ride
in rough weather. Naval experts gen,
orally agree that they are the most ter
rifle fighters yet devised by the worlds |
inventors. The Montauk is an old type /
Of monitor and has but one turret, where
as the modern monitors have two tur-
rets and four guns. The Montauk is pro-
PEELED by one screw whereas the modern
monitors have twin screw propellers. |
Nevertheless this fact does not lessen |
the Montauk's fighting capacity per gun.
With the good harbor defenses at Port
land foreign foe would receive a warm
reception. The Montauks guns could
shoot as far as those of any Spanish war
ship and would readily penetrate tire ar
NOR of her cruisers. AS Spain practical
~ has no battleships. she could send
than her heavily armored cruisers.
large party of Maine eXCursioniStS.
chiefly from the eastern part of the State.
are in Washington this week The ma /,
jority of them come from Bangor, but
some are from Houton. Belfast. Bath.
and other Maine towns This is an ideal /
season of the year to visit the Capital |
city. Congress is in session. signs of
spring are already come and the wealth
er is delightful as in the latter part of |
May in Maine. Many of the excursionists