Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-01-15
Notes from the legislature.

The legislature assembled for its sec
ond week last Wednesday, although tn
elections committee Of the senate met o.
Tuesday afternoon to continue consider
alton of the contested election case be
fore It. This is case In which Georg
W. Heselton Of Gardiner, Republican
contested the seat Of John B. Reardon Q
Oakland, Democrat, a. senator fron
Kennebsc County. The vote in Kenne
bee County was very close, and MI
Heselton claimed his election on q re
count. There was quite an array o
counsel on both sides, and the hearinI
promised to be long drawn out, but tn
case was terminated on Thursday by tn
committee voting to seat Mr.. Heselton
their count giving him 6,0S6 votes agains
6,071 for Mr.. Reardon. The latter grace
fully acquiesced in the decision, and OF
Friday morning introduced the orde
declaring his own seat vacant.
Superintendent W. w. Stetson, agains
whom certain charges have been made II
some Of the papers in connection will
his expense account, has asked thu
governor for an investigation of his de
partment. The request was sent to TIT
legislature by the governor, and was re
ferred to the committee on education
Governor Cobb states that If the com
mittee exonerates Mr.. Stetson from
blame, he shall reappoint him when hii
term expires next month.
On motion of Mr.. Hastings of Oxford
it was ordered in the senate Wednesday
that the committee on the judiciary BE-
directed to inquire into the propriety Of
amending or repeating that paragraph Of
the game laws which makes Sunday q
close time, and report by bill or other.
wise.
The flood really began Thursday. AL
though previous to that time few bills
and resolves had been presented, it was
Thursday that brought the first rush Of
new measures and old measures, some OF
them almost startling in their originality
Election reform seemed to be the
prominent feature in the days measures.
A bill introduced in the house by Weeks
of Fairfield provides for nomination Of
candidates for office by direct primaries.
The bill is quite elaborate in its provi-
sions, covering over twenty typewriter
pages.
Gleason of Mexico also introduced a
bill for nominations by direct primaries,
which had the additional feature of pro-
viding that a different colored ballot
shall be used for the nominations Of
each political party.
l.. F. Mckinney of Bridgton, the old
Democratic war horse, introduced three
bills relating to elections. One provides
for longer door for the voting booths
than is now required. Another provides
for substantially what is known as the
Massac husetts ballot, where the candi-
dates are arranged in alphabetical order,
and the voter must mark each one, in
stead of being in party columns as in the
present Maine ballot. The third was
what is commonly known as a corrupt
practices" act, requiring candidates to
file statement of their election ex-
penses, and forbidding them to promise
offices in consideration of political sup
port, etc.
Senator Sewall of Sagadahoc caused a
mild sensation Thursday by introducing
an order that the mileage to which the
members of the legislature are entitled
should be paid to the railroads of the
state, in consideration of transportation
furnished the members. This
means of course an attempt to, overcome
so far as as possible the effect of the
members having already accepted passes
from the railroads. Senator Sewall was
urgent to have the senate give his order
an Immediate passage, but it was finally
referred to q committee. When the
order reached the house, however, that
BODY jumped on it with both feet and
promptly killed it by indefinite post
ponement.
The woman suffrage resolve made its
appearance on Thursday.
Mr.. Emerson of Stow presented an act
giving the Fryeburg Horse Railroad
Company right to extend its line to any
points or places in the towns of Sow
and Lowell. The act further provides
that after July %, 1907, the company
shall have all the rights and powers as
to the present location in the town of
that belong to the street rail
roads under the general law. The COM
pany is authorized to change its name
to Fryeburg, Stow and Lowell Street
Railway Co.
Resolves appropriating sums for pub
lie and semi-public institutions already
and for some new ones, have
made their appearance promptly and in
numbers. The most important one re-
lating to a new institution is that pre-
sented by Senator Staples, appropriating
s6O, 900 for a state home for the feeble
minded. The most startling, however,
is resolve in favor of the University of
Maine, introduced Thursday by Davies
of Yarmouth. This adds two-fifths of
mill to the state tax permanently for the
benefit of the university. At the present
valuation of the state this would amount
to an annual sum of $4,000, and it
would increase with the growth of the
state.
Resolves already introduced regarding
institutions for the insane make total
Df appropriations amounting to over
s4OO, 900 for the two coming years, in
Guiding new buildings at the Augusta
and Bangor hospitals, and buildings for
the criminal insane on the arsenal
grounds at Augusta.
- ...,x A. Mia n1.>s,.Ap