Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-10
CAPITAL CHAT.
Gov, Burleigh on Congression-
al Campaign Committee.
Prospects Of Ship Subsidy Bill Are
Not Good.
A Washington Man and His Mt. Yer
non, Maine, Farm.


mittee. viii put Upon the Maine MEM
her some Of the hard work Of the com
ing autumn. The executive committee
does most Of the hard work, keeps in
touch With the progress ot the cam
paign IN the close districts over the
country, and gives the chairman the
benefit of their advice on questions Of
policy ANA management.
/ III, list IF the executive committee
Nas Sent down here from Atlantic City,
wher. Mr.. Babcocl is now sojoulning
for thc. benefit NJ his health. Although
q NormOnter by birth, Mr.. Babcock
has been III Congress for the last eight
or ten years as Republican member
from Wisconsin, He is accredited
! With being one of the best and shreWd-
est politicians in the country ana he
| picks his executive Committe from
members of the House who are also
members If the Conere ssiunal COM
mittee and likewise well vcrsed in poll
ties
Mr.. Babcock was first attracted to
the ability Of Cx-Goycrnor Burlegh in
| the appointment fight before Con
! gress 4 year ago, when the third dis
| trict representative engineered a sue
cessful light against the leaders Of the
House in behalf of the interests of the
Pine Tree State on continuing to have
! four members Of Congress. Mr.. Bah
cock admired the tact and resourceful-
! ness with which Governor Burleigh
/ tackled that problem and he did not
forget it as the months rolled by. He
/ had only three new places 10 fill on
/ /
except three, desired to serve another
| term. one Of Governor Burleigh's col
| leagues on the committee is Repre-
| sentative Mercer of Nebraska. With
! whom he has served as a member Of
the committee on public buildings and
grounds. As Il matter Of course con
siderable superintendent of the Con-
grcssionaI campaign i'll New England
will fall to Governor Burleigh's lot, al
! though h. has one colleague from
! connecticut, Representative Russell.
Senator Hale had passed in inc sem
ate a few days ago Il bill to allow the
! secretary uf treasury to issue duplicate
registered aud coupon bonds to the
amount Of over $4,000 to Elisha A.
! Goodwin Of Nanccboro, Ne. The case
was rather an unusual one. the bonds
which We're purchased over twenty
wears ago of the Maverick National
| bank III Boston by Alexander w.
| Goodwin. whose executor Mr.. Elisha A.
| Goodwin is, having been lost in some
mysterious fashion.
Tile treasury officials went over the
case very carefully ana Gid not recon-
mend the passage Of the bill, Till
means had been devised Of fully pro-
tecling the government from any
possibility W loss. Mr. Goodwin viii
have 70 furnish q large penal bond to
thu government. before he can get
| duplicates Of the securities. 1t hap
pens occasionally that people lose gov
rrument bonds but it does not often
| happen that Congress is called upon to
take cOEnizanCc Of the losses. It is not
infrcQuout that bonds and other Sc
clIiticS are lost At sea and Congress is
asked 20 make good through the issll-
arcc az duplicates. The loss Of securi-
ties thai sunk in the Atlantic with ii
laundering Cunard steamer some
twenty years ago was brought to the
attention Of Senate and House in a bill
for duplication some two or three years
aao.
It was only three or four days since
that congress sent a bill to President
Roosevelt to release Collector Stack
able Of Honolulu, ana his boudsmen
from responsibility for the loss Of $50,
600 IN gold certificates which went
down III the Pacific or the coast Of
California some two or three years go.
ii viii BE- remembered that the steamer
Rio Janeiro struck on a reef. hung
thereon for a day or two, then fell off
and dropped TO the bottom. floating
away. whittier the divers were never
able to ascertain. Mr. StaCkable's $780,
600 in gold was part Of the Inflated
cargo but, after furnishing an in
demnity bond for $50 600 Mr.. Stackab bic
will be relieved from obligation.
A much more frequent cause Of legis-
lation by Congress is the loss Of checks
in the mail By different government
Officials. Two or three times in the last
six months large mail trains have been
burned together with millions Of let
tiers 1t is not strange that government
checks are sometimes destroyed in
these confagrations and elsewhere. If
the sums are not large. not over $1,000
there are certain officials Of the treas
ury department who have authority
under. certain conditions to issue dupi-
Gates following the expiration of a Ger
tain period But occasionally the loss
is larger than that and the only rem
civ then is to appeal to Congress for
LEGISLATION. The legislation is generally
promptly granted
coca sion9Ily Maine gets an office over
r in the Portsmouth Navy yard, which
| is located iii Maine more than it is In
New Hampshire. The latest is an an
nouncement from the Navy Depart
+ ment that Mr.. Fred r. Whitcomb Of
Thomastou. has been given q place as
= clerk in the paymaster's Office at the
t Navy yard. Congress this year is APP
( propriatng a large sum on the naval
e bill for continuing improvements at
5 this navy yard.
Representative Littlefeld has been
& promised two additional rural free de-
: livery routes for his district. One Of
! them viii be from Lewiston and The
: other Will be out Of Topsham. in Saga =
+ dahoc.
$ The word has gone forth here that a
Y determined effort must be made to pass
t the ship subsidy bill at this session OF
n Congress- Ii is fully realized that il