Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-23
FROM WASHINGTON.
hafne's Senators Push Things Mrs.
Buricigh Recovering.

/ tfANiSh recovering.
| WASHINGTON, y. c., May Il Especially -
It has seemed at times Ia the senate, dur
ing the last two weeks, as though Maine
were running that body. There was Mr..
Hale on the floor, watching the progress
OF the railroad rate bill, giving sugges-
lions and shaping the programme. There
was Mr.. Frye in the chair welding the
gsvei and literally making the Senate
"hnmp itse1f'.
Neither took hand openly until late in
the proceedings, when the prolonged
talking had become wearisome. Mr.. Hale
reserved his most csnstic remarks ON the
duly -dallying till the last few days. As
soon as the lawyers had discussed the con-
stitutionsl points involved in court review
he reminded the Senate that almost as Inn
pnrtant as proper court review, which he
heartily favored, was the authorization
Of strong commission TO administer the
laws.
That struck q responsive chord, and he
and Mr.. Lodge started out to secure the
best possible provisions for an interstate
commerce commission. They made hard
| fight for 1t, but were thwArted, when the
| cry was raised that it was a New England
fight. There is still some hope of improv-
/ ing the organization OF the commission.
as the Senate amended the House para
| graph on that subject, and 1t will have to
| be discussed in conference.
Time and again when the Senate cham
Der was filed with the noise OF conversa-
tion, because senators were weary OF the
debate, Mr.. Hale caught the drift OF some
thing important that was being said
| Then he would rise and call the atten-
ton of the presiding officer, Mr.. Fair
banks, TO the lack OF order, and announce
that the senator speaking was saying
| something shAt the Senate ought to hear.
| There is rarely disorder when Mr. Hale
rises TO speak, and the Senate generally
| respects his request for attention to any
| other senator's remarks. lie is most
watehtul himself, and little that goes on
in the Senate escapes his attention. More
| than once he has denounced the conversa-
ton habit in the Senate. II makes great
| confusion when the attendance OF senators
is large. Mr.. Hale himself is an interest
ing conyersationalist, but he does not
converse in the Senate, except on topics
| that fully warrant conversation.
MIR. Frye is another OF the silent men,
when the Senate is in session. When he
wants to talk he retires to the cloak room,
which is only q step away, and which is
regarded as the proper place for senator's
who want TO talk. Mr.. Frye made no
| speeches whatever during the debate on
the rate bill, but he did utter one ex-
clamation that viii be remembered. 1t
was on the day when an agreement TO vote
on amendments was reached.
THANK the Lord, exclaimed the junior
| Maine senator, in a voice that could be
heard above the confusion.
But during the debate Mr.. Frye occa-
sIonally took q hand TO help Vice Presi-
| dent Fairbanks out OF a parliamentary
tangle. Mr.. Frye is probably the best
parliamentarian in the Senate. He has
/ presided In the Senate so long, some six or
seven years in all, that he knows every
trick and kink in the Senate rules. 1t
| takes a lot of time to learn all those
things, and therefore ii is no surprise that
Mr.. Fairbanks could not always cut the
parliamentary knots, which senators
better than any other men in the world
know how TO tie securely.
| Vice President Fairbanks is very
| punctual in attending the sessions OF the
! Senate He does not like TO be away from
/ Washington while the Senate is in session,
but he promised long time ago to attend
a Methodist general conference in
| Aiabama. The date was at a time when
Mr.. Fairbanks supposed the rate bin
would be out Of the way, But the debate
| dragged on so long that the vote had not
been reached, and so Mr.. Fairbanks had
to go away, leaving Mr.. Frye to take up
the gavel.
And 50 it was that Mr.. Frye presided
| for the last two days of the rate bills
consideration, and he verify made things
hum. He made the dilatory senators sit
| up and take notice. There was no tagging
| for minute, unless 1t was while some
| long winded senator was talking. 1t is
| one OF the things to be remembered in
| connection with the passage OF the rate
bill, how Nr. Frye dispatched business so
I that the vote was secured as soon as it
was.
| During the long and serious illness here
| -, A. Rnrieigh REPRESENTATIVE Burieigh