Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-21
CAPITAL CHAT.
Continued from Page one.)

(CoOtlNue0 from rage OACI
many petitions for bill that has been
before several Congresses 10 grant
pensions to ex-prisoners Of war; also
for Civil War officers volunteer list,
and so On through quite list.
The prohibitionists, who have been
gaining wonderfully in strength
throughout the country in the last
year or two, send great many petl-
tons to the final legislative authority
of the land. They exercised their right
of petition year in and year out when
it did not seem ITO make any impress
sion on the law making powers, but
gradually the cause has been gaining
ground and senators and members are
beginning to pay more attention when
the food OF prohibition petitions begin
to pour in. The walls Of the Capitol
could be plastered over with any one
Of dozen different sets Of prohibition
petitions. This winter they are chief-
ly for the enactment into law of the
Littlefield original bill. a federal en-
actment is required to make all IL
quors shipped into any state subject
to the operation of the laws in that
state. Representative Littlefield OF
Maine has been an ardent champion of
that legislation and it may not be a
far day when Congress will pass SUCH
q law, because SO many states now
h,lre prohibitory laws that their SEN
atcrs ard representatives at WASH
inSton will be voting for it. Hereto
fore there have been very few prohi-
btion states and the prohibition con-
gress.nen We're not a large company
under the Capitol dome.
A furious battle Of petitions Is on
with reference OF postal legislation. 1t
Is; perhaps more strictly a battle be-
tween the Hardware Associations and
tic banks on the one hand. and the
Oranges on the other hand. The Grang-
erS every where arc taking up the cud-
gels for a parcels post law and geHeT-
ally also for r postal savings bank law
In Florida and some other Southern
states they have Farmers Cooperative
and Educational Unions. which have a
mission much like the Oranges. They
are Ihooping it up, however. for the
same postal reforms AS an example the
Farmers Cooperative and Educational
Cnion3 of Bristol and Warren counties.
Fla. have just sent Il request to Rep
reseGtativc Clark Of that state, which
is represented in the petition columns
of the Daily Record with a petition
from the Omaha Central Labor Union,
offered by Representative Hinsllaw,
petition from Pennsylvania Changers.
offered by Representative Wilson. and
q petition of Il Fruit Growers conven-
ton in California, offered by Repre-
sentative Hayes. all for the extension
OF the parcels post system.
Ard scattered through the columns
Of the SEINE issue one finds the Penn
sylvania division Of tho Travellers Pro-
tcctive Association. the Grand Island
Council OF the United Commercial
Travellers Of Nebraska the Retail
Hardware Dealers Of Springfield. VT,
and the Business Mems Association Of
Wellsvile, n. Y. represented by pc
titions against the parcels post.
There is another battle of petitions
OH with regard to Chinese labor. The
Asiatic Exclusive League and other in
terests are sending TO Congress lot of
petitions for the exclusion of all Asiat-
ic laborers except students and tray
elers, which would include japanese
coolies. But the fruit growers and 9TH
ers in California are asking Congress
to modify the Chinese exclusion law.
Some Texas farmers Of Erath coun-
ty the other day petitioned Congress
'for national bank to benefit the
masses and non-intereSt bearing
government currency to be loaned to
the states that the states may lend it
to individuals" A lot Of people just
now are bombarding the House with
petitions for the establishment Of a
national forest in the White mountains
and another in the Appalachians. Many
are joining In the movement.
One hardly ever hears petition
mentioned in the proceedings Of the
House. They are dropped into big bas-
kets and fall as silently as the leaves
In Fallambrosa. In the Senate the voice
OF tho people In the presentation Of pc
titions is heard for a half hour or
SO every day. Senators rise in their
seats. hand up the requests. which are
snatched away by nimble footed pages
and given to the reading clerks. These
clerks sound forth the names OF the
petitioners and the subject Of their Pc
titiOns in sonorous tones.
But the Senate also has its petition
column III the daily Congressional Rec
ord and it Is filled with quite as wide
r. variety OF items as the petition col
u,nn run by the House Of Representa-