Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-23
CAPITAL CHAT.
Political Talk Among the
Congressman.
Lively Campaign Assured for
the Coming Summer.
Maine People Who Are Now Visiting il
Washington.

mere - Il tttl Oh I1OlitlCS OF the cam
paisn sort just now in the big build
ing ON Capitol where Senate and House
hold their sessions. That is because
%SG members. or thereabouts. are look
ing forward to denomination. Probab-
ly out of the total number there are
not more than % who have voluntarily
retired and are not seeking another
term. Probably twenty-five more
members have already secured their re-
nomina tionS.
In the old days there used to be lit
tie or no uniformity about holding
Congressional elections. The districts
in some states began electing in June
and the elections We're strung along
till up to November. Now every state
has swung into line for a November
election Of congressman, except Maine,
Vermont, and Oregon. The divergent
practice about nominations for Con-
SreSs however, continue. The nominal
atiOnS begun over a month ago. The
last of them will not be in till the mid
die of next October.
Several of the middle states are for
early nominations for Congress and for
long campaigns. Indiana. where there
- l'icIt I'''llll'sS 10 lIIt StltIait HIGH.
perhaps. than in any other state of the
union, is, notably SO. OF her thirteen
members Of the House three or four
have already hecn nominated for an
other term. Oiic or two. Of these men
have been away half tine winter fixing
up fences ana lighting for control Of the
convention. Ohio, too, holds 4 lot Of
early Congressional conventions. an in
stance Of which was the convention
some weeks ago that defeated Gen.
Charles II. tirOSVenor, Il veteran of the
House for denomination. Illinois, too.
holds some early conventions. Two Of
the Republican members from chicago
have been back home q deal during the
last month Looking after political mat
tcrS. one is Representative t'nss;. vino
has Frequently been Ia Maine daring
Processes "f Congress.
Down in Missouri early conventions
are also in favor ana candidates are
l."l't speaking at every favorable up-
rnrtunity during tht hong summer ana
autumn. Representa- tive Champ Clark,
who delivered u speech at a Demo-
cratic state convention in Bangor,
some years ago. has just been renomi-
mated.
While some Of these middle western
states cling to the old practice OF long
campaigns, the tendency has been in
other parts of the country to curtail
the campaigns and to do so effective
" b. deferling nominations till very
late. Massachusetts is the most con-
@piruouS example. Neither party in
that state meets t!ll carly in October 80
that the campaign is in full blast for
only about one month.
With the large House, inaugurated
hy the Hpportionmcnt Of 1900 with
which Representative Burleigh had
very much to DO there are now n0mi-
mated every two gears close to coo can
didltcS fOr Congress. That means
Thousand CoErcSSioEal conventions ana
the cnnycuin@ ~ hundreds Of thouS in3s
Of men. In a frM DISTRICTS however,
,hi"tly in PARTS nf Pcnnsl Ivania. cnnti-
dIt"S ar" not nominated by cnnvcn-
tinn% bat hN what are known as rcfer-
cos. These referees are chosen by
county conventions as a rule. Some
districts, to ke sure. have only one can
didate for Congress. sometimes in the
strong Republican Districts of the
-'''i III ''t'i - - 'lllS Oitt' man nominate
ed and he is Il Republican. Sometimes
i'm the southern states. where the dis
trictS are overwhelmingly Democratic
only on" man is nominated and he is
2 Democrat In some Of those South
ern states. too. there are no Congress
Sional conventions. because the nomi-
nations are made by primary The
primary plan for nominating Congress-
men is followed thus far BY but few
northern states. but il will be conforced
this year in Wisconsin for the first
time.
In numerous other districts. especial
~ in the close districts and in the
city districts. there are four or five
candidates. Some are Independent
candidates. some are socialists. and in
the far western states ii few Popuists
are still running for Congress, although
the last PopuIist disappeared from the
House some six years ago.
As 4 rule the personnel Of the House
changes Very considerably every two
years. The majority between the two
rartieS varies materially and then
many new men come in. one who was
acquainted with every member Of the
House four years ago would find that
he does not know two-thirds Of the
members in the present House.
II is not uncommon for ten or
twelve deaths to occur in a Congress.
which covers period Of two years.
Many of the members are well past
fifty years old and the average death
rate is considerably above what the av-
eraGe death rate would be in an aver
age community.
The livelest interest follows among
members of the House in the fortunes
Of their colleagues in getting back"
Many warm friendships are made
among men thus thrown together from
all parts Of the country. These friend
ships are by no means confined to par
ty lines. As nearly every man has at
some time been through a lively con-
test for Congressional honors. he knows
how to sympathize with those who are
trying for a denomination or a reelec-
tion.
The current comments one hears
.1o,-c about 20