The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1903-03-05
Our Washington Letter.
Hon. T.. =. Dole of HonoIuIu-Maine Daugh.
tsrs Of the Kevoiution-Maine people At
Washington Closing Days of the Session.
Especial to the REroRrRR.

Special to the REroHTRR.
Washington, y. e, March 4. Hon. +.
7. Dole, Of Honolulu, former attorney
general Of Hawaii, who IL here and who
has been arguing an important cons'i-
tutioual case this week before The
Supreme Court, talks familiarly Of Skow.
hogan aud vicinity as IL WIS generation
ago. AS soon rs the arguments before
the Supreme Court are closed he is %
ing 10 make trip to New England and
probably 10 SkOwhpgan. Il was born
IN the town Of Bloomfeld,n said he a few
nights ago IN the lobby of the Riggs
House, "but as Bt99n,firld Is 30 more o.
separate town have to claim SkoWhc-
gan as my native town. attended HI
Old Bloomfield Academy, which | under
stand has since been consolidated with
the skoWhegau high school," He saiu
he was unaware that the new building
was on the island as the old Aeadem,
WAS clear across he river. "Ihe oldpr
Showhegan people, added Mr. Dole.
will remember the yellow school house,
winch stood near tn Academy tuilding.
| stll have few relatives in SkowhegAn,
one Of them an aunt, Mrs. Fuller Nj.
Dole recalled the earlier DAYS Of how hi.
father and an uncle lived near the present
homo of Silas Leland. that having been
their birthplace. The case which he ha +
been arguing here is pronounced by some
lawyers one of the most important since
| the decision of the bred Scott case.
The Skowhegan chapter Of the D4ugh-
tiers of the American Revolution was
represented here the past week at the
Continental Congress by Mrs. George o.
Smith, who sat with the Maine delegates
and participated in many Of the beauti-
full social functions in which the Maine
ladies had part. President Roosevelt
gave the Maine ladies an especially cor
dial greeting at the White House when
the delegates to the general Congress
were received.
Gov. and Mrs. Burleigh are tarrying
here week or ten days after the session.
although the other three members of
the Maine delegation are Fastening back
to New England. The governor is tarry :
ing partly on account of Mrs. BuIleigh' g
i'll health and partly to complete some Of
his Congressional work before the de-
partments. The session just closed has
been such busy one, demanding his at
tention on many matters OF general
legislation, that he has now to catch VI
with the large amount of department al
matters that have accumulated in the
meanwhile. A portion of the time in
the last three or four days of the session
Gov. Burleigh had TO be at the Capitol
ten or twelve hours daily. Chairman
Mercer, OF the House Committee on
public buildings and grounds, relied
much upon Mr.. Bureigh to help him 10
getting the public building legislation,
which was wrested from determined OPP
position from some prominent men, who
were not altogether satisfied because
they had not gotten so large share as
they desired for their own constituents.
This necessiated a lot of skilful parlia-
mentary manouvering, in which Mr..
Burleigh was one of the ruling spirits.
Judge and Mrs. Whitehouse of Angus
ia were entertained at the Capitol late
last week by Congressman Bureigh,
who showed them about the building
and pointed out some of the notables in
Senate and House. They enjoyed their
visit here immensely. Col. Stanley
Plummer of Dexter, a former resident
of Skowhegan and once postmaster of
the Senate, has been in town on his au-
nual visit. He attended the dinner of
the Bowdoin alumni here but found the
Washington weather so disagreeable
that he has gone on trip to Florida.
Senator Hale performed legislative
wonders this year in getting his Big
navy appropriation bill, carrying total
of over $8l, 100000 through his com
mittee Oh naval affairs in one day and
through the Senate in one hour. The
senior Maine senator is very skillful in
plotting big appropriation bills through
the Senate, as Maine people know well
from his past achievements. He has
well earned long rest, after carrying
heavy legislative burdens through this
session. As one of the most prominent
leaders of the Senate he has had an
unusual amount of work to do at the
recent session. He won a great vic
tory, one of the greatest in recent
years, In defeating the omnibus state
hood bill, which has held the Senate in
deadlock ever since the middle of
December. 1t WAS his generalship,
assisted by that of Senator Aldrich of
Rhode Island, which saved the day and
prevented Senator Quay of Pennsylvania
from dominating the Senate with a
majority, made up of few western
Republicans and the solid Democratic