Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-25
Busy Program Of the
Maine Members.
"reminiscences Of Maine Man
Who Guards Senate Door.
Mr.. lttlefeld Well Satisfied with Fiqht
for Swayne.


There is an interesting old timer here
from Maine in the person of Warren +.
| Presley of Lewiston, whose earl,
wears. however, We're spent in Mercer
| and along the upper kennebec. He
| holds the office of assistant postmaster.
| His duties, however. are to look after
the throngs that daily seek admission
| to senators on the floor. He sits near
| the entrance to the Senate rear lobby.
which is the reception room, and man
ages force of five or six messengers
| who take in cards.
| Mr.. Presley came here in the early
| 500 with Senator Frye ana has been
at the Senate end Of the Capitol ever
| since. some "a years in all. He knows
| III" ms and outs Of the Capitol as well
rs any other official and he also gauges
| the character and the errands of the
| Thousands who come there.
| There is 4 distinct Improvement in
| the cl"SS OF people who surge up here
| now" said Mr.. pressey the other day
do YOU see that Capitol policeman
| over there? You have no idea of the
| splendid moral effect of his presence.
| one of the rules is that visitors enter
| ing the reception rooms must remove
their hats. Well. most of the men who
come here nowadays do that, for the
| visitors are now better hammered than
| they used to be. Eut in the old days
| We used to have a time. Very few men
| did remove their hats and when re-
uunsted to do so they would remon-
strate. They generally wanted to
argue the matter with Us. and we had
| neither the time nor the disposition TO
| do that. Then 4 great many would
| come smoking. and the rules OF tn"
| Capitol do not permit smoking. eslrc-
| tally since The late Speaker Reed put
that rule into effect for the House.
FINALLY. worn out with arguments
| and expoStulationS about removing
| hats we decided to station Capitol
| policeman near. Whenever Z stranger
became recalciirant. We simply referred
| him 10 the huecoat and soon Ill
strangers came to know instnCtively
| that the bluacolt was there for tTe pur-
| pose not only of preserving order but
also to make men take off their has.
on entering the reception room. Ana
| NOWADAYS there is little difficulty in
kacIing the heads Of the visitors
| barred"
Considering the multitude and char
acter of requests that are made o.
them. Senators are very accessible TO
| visitors. There are very, very lew VINO
refuse to respond to the card OF any
newcomer with respectable request I"
| make But some will not respond TO
| everybody or at any time. There are
| many Senators who will not see Vlsi-
tors before > o'clock in the afternoon
because from noon till , r. M. the Sen
ate is engaged uron morning business.
which Senators generally follow moro
| closely than the consideration or any
business pertaining to 4 Dill thdt mas
bcco,ne the regular order. Senator
| FRYE of Maine. IS one Of the men VINO
refuses to see visitors before y. m
hut he always makes an exception OF
callers who come from Maine. The iat"
senator Quay. Of PENNSYLVANIA. h"d =
peruiarity about receiving Vislt"rs.
While very courteous to people from ms
own state he would never receive j
woman at the Capitol. even IN the mar
bio room where most OF the CARERS 20
after the noon hour.
Tins far al this session Congress ms
been proceeding very lcisurely with rs
business II is as though Senate inu
House mad been loafing rs much rs u
Could Int now things have come !"
the noint Where there must be DISK
nasS 70 get through with the necessary
biI,s That however. is just what inc
| ,o,1erS wanted for they strive 70 par
IN the undesirable legislation possible
Whom al the time is needed for appf"-
nr;,tion bills there is less opportunity
for little bad bills to slip through.
The six Maine rren mere have by no
,,c,ns bcen idle 1t goes without say
ing that the two Senators nav" ther
hards FIJI. Senator Hale has plenty OF
work IN the big approximation DIS ana
more looming in sight every week.
senator Frye IS doing all that Ms
strength will permit. :" that ne hau :.
deliberate about accepting Inc outs "
prasiding over the Swayne 'rlal. "hl'h
is proving a great stunning pioch ~
tbe Senate. where the leaders Nante'i
the time for considering the statchoo''
bill.
Over at the House end. Gov. Burleish
is still working away on the detd'is "
the omnibus public building bill IN"
. end Of that work is no" lear al hai'''
REPRESENTATIVE Iittlefeld is relieved AT
having the Swayne fight of his haiiuS
for good. He made a splendid hsht
and is we'll satisfied With the results,
being convinced that the senate WI
never convict Swayre on the pe'iu'''S
Impeachment proceedings. Represc
tative Powers has been giving cofisia,
cradle attention TO proposed hnanciai
legislation. coming out of the COM
mittee on Banking and Currency, Oh
which he is a member. Mr.. Allen mas
I his never ending tasks on the Dlstri''
OF Columbia COMMITTEES. which occupy
c considerable Of his time. All '"e
Maine members are also doing much
: Department work.
The government authorities mere
have just fixed the dates for oi'i'
r Service examinations in Maine. Tnese
examinations afford an opportunity Tor