Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-02
CAPITAL CHAT.
Prospects Of Adjournment
About June IL.
A Vigorous Fight Being Made Against
Oleomargarine.
Maine Excursionists in Washngton-Manl
Congressman Looking Alter Their Fences.

lnere are some recent phases mere IN Tie
fight over the oleomargarine bill to tax
that product at the rate of ten cents
pound, which will interest the farmers of
the State of Maine. The labor bodies in
some sections of the country, especially
in very large cities, are taking a position
quite antagOnstic to the stand that the
farmers and dairymen Of the various
Northern states are taking. These labor
men are sending a great many rcsolu-
lions to Congress protesting against the
passage of the s0-called Grout bill anu
declaring that it would be class lcgisla-
ton and would also work great injury to
a large number of honest working men
who are employed by the olcomargarine
factories.
These resolutions have been sent large
ly to the ways and means of the House, |
as that committee has had charge of a
resolution introduced by Representative
Tawney of Minnesota, to require the
commissioner OF internal revenue to make
public the ingredients of Olcomargdrine.
The committee voted against that and ii
is more than probable that the ingrcdi-
ents of oleOmdrgarine will for some time
TO come remain Il trade secret, although
Mr.. Tawney will make n fight on the
floor of the House TO make these ingred- |
ents public.
These labor resolutions are intended t
influence the city members of Congress
whose constituents generally are very in |
different to the oleomargarine question,
but they viii probably interest the mem |
bers from rural districts to fight all the |
harder for the passage of the Grout bill. |
General Grout OF Vermont. tine author OF
the measure. has been working very
hard to get a favorable report from the |
committee on agriculture. That commit |
tee has his bill III charge.
The large party of Maine cNcursiOnistS |
who came here some ten days ago, left |
late last week after having had a very |
enjoyable visit in Washington. They ar |
rived Al the most delightful time OF the |
year. and from the cold and barren as |
pect of their own State Were ushered into |
a locality where the grass is green ana
where the trees are already well leaved
out. 1t was an unusual sight for many |
of them to see moving machine At
work in the Capitol grounds moving tail |
grass at tins season of the year. The eX- |
cursionists made the usual round of the |
national capital; viewing Congress a.
work, visiting Mt. Vernon, going through |
the various deDartmentS OF the govern |
ment. and taking side trips around Wash |
ington. one of the very delightful feat |
ureS of their trip was the visit to the |
White House and the reception that they |
were rendered by President Mckinley, |
through the courtesy OF Governor Bur
leigh. He accompanied the party of eX- |
cursionSts to the White House for the |
purpose OF showing them around it, but |
II not expected tlldt lfCE would see |
President Mckinley, as he lad been ont |
OF town. He returned quite suddenly |
that morning and. as Governor Burleign |
entered the executive mansion he met |
Major pruden, confidential secretary to |
the President Major Pruden and Cover |
nor Burleigh entered into conversation |
and when II was learned that Governor |
Burleigh was reSrettinE the inability of |
his party OF cXcursfonists to meet the |
President, on account of his absence, |
Major Pruden stated that the President |
had returned and he would try to arrange |
for a reception. So within few minutes |
the entire party was uSEcred into me |
pre- scncc of Major Mckinley. who gave |
them a very cordial greeting and who eX- |
pressed himself as delighted ut meeting |
so many people from the State Of Maine.
This is the time of the year when Il |
great many members Of Congress are cut |
Of town attending L. political busin ST
burning the long sessions The attendance
is very light along i'll the latter part OF
April and early part Of May, and it not |
infrequcnty happens during the latter |
part of the afternoons that there is less |
than quorum present. ! he Maine mem
berS OF me House, however, are always /
ON hand, because they do not have TO re-
turn home for cinctioncerlng purposes |
The business Of tn" session also always !
R&s when the weather gets warm, L.
people who are not ICclimIt,d feel in1it- |
fercnt towards sit Ing the long afternoons |
listening Ia the proceedings OF the House |
and Senate. y gTt at many members thus |
far have failed u grt 4 denomination, and |
already there is an assurance that the !
next House Will be composed to quite an
extent OF row mon. When The nominal
ing conventions were first started This
year il looked as though there would To
but few to drop Ey the way side. but this
number has increased very apprccilbly
during the last two or three weeks
The House last week voted pensions to
two Maine soldiers. Captain Isaac w.
Comery of Waldoboro, Maine, who com
mandcd Company ~ of the Twenty
first Maine Regiment. was voted pea
sion of fifty dollars month in lieu OF
twenty dollars Il month which he is now
in IL
ready passed the Senate ana now Suvs %
the president for his signature. II viii
undoubtedly become Law within week
The House also agreed to a bill to in
crease the pension Of Frank q. stevens,
from seventeen dul'a a month to thirty
dollars month. he served in Company
a. of the Eleventh Maine Volunteers
but Is now a resident OF Gorham, New
Hampshire. The bill in his benlif wa!
introduced by Representatives Subway OF
The exercises on Grants birthday.
which occurred in various cities last FIJI
day. called ou4 of town a great many
prominent speakers of the House, who
delivered addresses in various places.
Among these WAS Representative Little
field. who, as is well known. addressed
the Union League club OF New. York.
Representative Iittle1ield returned to the
city at once ana was guest OF the Grid
iron club At their annual banquet on Sat
Ii now looks as though the members Of
the Maine DELEGATION Will probably be
same time as the delegates who return
from the convention at Philadelphia. Tho
appearances grow that Congress VIII adj
iourn about June 18th and that most OF
the members will go over To Philadelphia
for the convention and from there return
to their homes. Nothing Is certain yet,
Of course, but the House has already dis
posed of very large share of the ncceS-
sary legislation and by the middle Of MAY
will have passed all the big appropriation
bills which are necessary 10 Keep the
wheels of the government moving. Not
few members of the House and sena-
tors are delegates to that convention. al
though 1t Is not the case with the dele
cation from Maine. In years gone by the
members of the delegation used to so to
the convention as delegates to groom the
candidates from Maine, but nowadays, as
Republicans well understand. the posi-
ton of delegate is left to other persons
prominent in the Republican party who
are given n chance to have u voice in the
convention. Hon. Joseph I'll. Manley still
divides a good deal of his time between
Washington and Philadelphia and is up
to his ears in the preparations for the
great Republican event.
The Oxford county supreme court
ut IT,.