The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-01-24

thirds vote in the Senate. According to
the figures of the caucus committee the
resubmisSiOn resolve will have Is Re-
publican votes in the House for and
y Republican votes against it. Six of
the affirmative are from Penobscot
county and the remaining seven are
widely scattered, with but one from
Cumberland county. In the Senate II
Republicans are for resubmission and
IS against it. As to the repeal of the
Sturgis law, the canvass shows that
there are enough Republicans to carry
the repeal bill if the Democrats vote
solidly for it, and which is accepted as
a foregone conclusion. About half a
dozen Republicans will not vote for re-
| peal unless some other like measure
takes its place. AS only majority
vote is needed to carry repeal the bill
may have a passage and 60 to the Gov
ernor, and then a veto message may be
expected. The idea that the resubmis
sion and Sturgis law repeal bills will be
pigeonholed in committee is absurd.
There are two Democrats on the tenn
perance committee and they may be
| depended upon for minority reports on
both measures. The Democratic plan
| is said to be to report the resubmission
resolve to the House and the bill to re-
peal the Sturgis law to the Senate.
Hon. Oramandel Smith, who is soon
to retire from the office of State Treas
urer, having served the allotted term, is
one of the best known and most re-
spected public servants the State has
ever had. Before taking his present
Office he had been Secretary of State,
serving before that in other capacities,
and in all of them performing the
duties with ability and zeal. More,
much more, might be said in this con-
nection; but Mr.. Smith is modest
man and might exclaim:
81 have done the State sonie service, and
they know it;
No more of that, pray you in your letters"
Upon the walls of the Secretary's Of
flee are framed photographs of all his
predecessors, and the writer was spec
tally interested in the one of Benja-
min D. Peck, as his was a familiar
figure in Washington, D. c., in the
'7O'S. He wore then the long white
beard shown in the photograph, and
was, for a time at least, editor of the
National Republican, a daily news
paper. His general appearance then
did not indicate prosperity. He was
the only defaulting State Treasurer
Maine has ever had and no one seems
to remember whether he was punished
or simply left the State and remained
in exile In discussing the matter one
gentleman expressed the opinion that
Peck was not benefited personally by
his misuse of the State funds, but was
the victim of misplaced confidence.
" lille it is understood that Mr..
Smiths retirement from his present
office to his home in Litchtield means
retirement from public life, people gen.
orally do not regard Hon. Byron
Boyd's leaving the office of Secretary
of State as marking his exit from the
public stage. His successor, Hon.
Arthur |. Brown of Belfast, is still re-
ceiving congratulations on his promo
ton to a position he is so eminently
qualified to fill. 1t is position of no
little responsibility and allows few idle
moments to an office force numbering
ten. Joseph E. Alexander of Rich
mond, for many years chief clerk, was
promoted by Secretary Brown to AS
sistant Secretary, but still retains his
old desk, near the door. Another Of
fetal soon to retire is Samuel W. Mat
theWs, Commissioner of Industrial and
Labor Statistics. He has held the Of
fee since it was created, his first annual
report bearing the date of 1887. The
report was made to Governor Bodwell,
who died few days before its pubica-
ton. Mr.. Matthews has been an able,
popular and painstaking official I'M
paired health and failing eyesight
caused his voluntary retirement and
his successor is yet to be appointed.
The legislature is getting down to
business. Only morning sessions are
held as yet and the adjournment last
Friday was until Tuesday at II a. NJ,
but this is to give the committees OPP
portunity to consider the business be-
fore them. In Congress the morning is
given to committee meetings, the two
houses meeting at noon, and in special
cases committees are authorized to hold
meetings during the sessions. The
State house while rather quiet is busy
place, the officials all having their
hands full; and the lobby of the Angus
ia House is not thronged as it will be
later in the session. Gov. Cobb has
rooms at the Augusta House, which, as
usual, is Republican headquarters,
while the Democrats hold forth in the