The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-12-21
Letter from WASHINGTON.
Three Strenuous Weeks. in Congress. Gov.
and Mrs. Burleigh at the Richmond.
R. F. D. Routes. The Tariff Situation

R.F. D. Routes The Tariff Situation.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. IS. Congress
is Just closing the initial stage of its session,
comprising three strenuous weeks. Its
members, Including most OF those from
Maine, are nurrying away for the holidays
Nearly everybody seems glad to have the
little vacation, which will be for about ten
days, although the working period has been
brief. But nearly everybody came here
after busy summer and found lou OF
work to do in the Departments. Besides
that the sessions of Senate and House
have been long ones about every day. The
debates have been energetic Democratic
orators have had full swing, especially in
the House of Representatives, where they
have washed their dirty linen and engaged
in general criticism of their Republican
opponents, much of which the Republican
leaders did not deem worthy of answering.
"Uncle Joe" Cannon, the Speaker, has
been putting his leaders through their
PAGES and he has demonstrated more than
ever before the capacity OF Republican
majority for transacting business when 1t
is working under a full head of steam.
Climbing Capitol Hill daily at noon, after
logging around down town, visiting De-
partmenta chiefs on errands for their con-
sttuents, they have found the Speaker had
plans for them. During the last few days
many members have found their forenoons
also occupied with work on committees at
the Capitol The sessions of committees
are almost always held in the morning, be-
ginning along about 10 O'Clock. AS rule
they come to an end at noon, the hour Tor
the assembling OF both houses.
The Republicans came together for Con-
gress this year in fine spirits. They found
Washington enjoying the finest KIND OF
weather, it being almost as balmy here IN
mid December as it usually is In June.
But before-Songress adjourned for the holt
DAYS the Capitol was enveloped in one OF
the toughest snowstorms of years and
sleighbels were jingling through the
streets and broad avenues. The President
has contributed much to the activity by
pressing to the front matters in which he
is interested congressman visiting him at
the White House Offices have found him
with well defined ideas about policies he
wishes put into execution.
The Maine members all called to pay
their respects, or as some say, their duty
call, soon after arriving in Washington.
Ex-Gov. Burleigh, the dean of the Maine
delegation in the House, had pleasant
chat with the President the first week OF
the session. The President talked with
him about affairs in the Pine Tree State
Mt Governors
plans for the session of Congress. While
their talk at that time was OF but few mo-
ment's duration, as the Presidents morn
ings are always busy ones with callers, he
expressed the hope that Governor Burleigh
would call again soon when there would be
further opportunity to discuss Pine Tree
State affairs.
Gov. and Mrs Burleigh are living this
winter at the Richmond Hotel, where they
have a very comfortable suite of apart
ments 1t seems more like home to them
than any other place in Washington, De-
cause they lived there when the Governor
came to Washington as a new member OF
Congress. The Richmond was not open
last winter. which neceSsitated their living
elsewhere, and they took apartments at the
Raleigh. While that is a very commodious
hotel, the noise and hustle incident to the
conduct of a hotel in the heart OF city
made the location less desirable for them.
Accordingly this year, when the Richmond
WAS reopened, the Governor and his wife
decided To return where they could live
more quietly. After the busy days he puts
i'll here at Congressional work the Cover
nor generally prefers to spend his evening
at home and their apartments this winter
have been made as attractive as possible
with that end in view.
Rural free delivery routes, which have al
ways commanded close attention from Gov.
Burlegh, are being extended throughout
the counties of his district. He has just
received letter from the Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General stating that new
route out of Belfast has been ordered to
begin February LIST next. Ii will have one
carrier. He has also introduced about
twenty bills at this session, some of them
bills which he was working for at the last
session and which failed to become law.
Shipping matters, in which Maine is
much interested, have been considerably to
the front in the last two weeks. Mr. E. e.
Plummer of Bath, who spends the winters
here looking after the interests of sailing
vessels along the North Atlantic Coast, is
located at the Oxford. He will nave some
matters of legislation to press as the SEES
sion progresses. Maine men generally are
disappointed in the provisions of the Mer-
chant Marine Bill, now before the Senate
for action, because it has nothing that will
be of benefit to the sailing vessels along the
Atlantic Coast. However, the disappoint-
ment is not very keen, because it is recog-
nized that the bill cannot become a law at
this session Of Congress. Even if it passes
the Senate, the opposition to it is so strong
in the House that it will not pass there.
The tariff situation in Congress is very
satisfactory from the Maine point of view.
Soon after he arrived here for the session
Gov. Burleigh, in response to request
from the local papers for his political views,
discussed the inadvisabiity of revision
from the standpoint of Names interests.
There is no sentiment in Maine, SO far as
| have been able to ascertain" said he, sin
favor of tariff changes. The people of our