Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-31

The 18th Maine Legislature will con-
vene at the enlarged State House
Wednesday, Jan. !. 1t will be the first
Legislature to meet in the new state
House and it will also be the first Maine
Legislature to be Democratic IN DOM
branches since the Legislature of .lSi''
which chose Hon. James W. Bradbury OF
Augusta as United States Senator
1t will be the first Legislature OF oppo-
sition complexion to the Republican,
party since 1879 when coalition of DEM
ocrats and Greenbacks controlled the
House and while the Republicans con-
trolled the Senate was able to muster q
majority of Il on Joint ballot
| Governor-elect Frederick w. PlalSted
| of Augusta who will take the oath of
office at 10 A. NJ. Thursday. Jan D, VIII
be the first Democratic Governor since
the Legislature of 1879 chose Alonzo
Garcelon of Lewiston to that office ana
the first Governor opposed to the Repub-
ican party since 1880 when the father of
the present Governor-elect, Gen. Harris
NJ. Plaisted, a former Republican, was
chosen as a result of Fusion or the
Democratic and Grecnback voters of the
State.
The elder Plaisted had neither House,
Senate nor Council in accord with him
politically. The Republicans had a ma
jority of Is in the Senate and II in the
House and the leader of the Council
chosen by the Legislature was Hon.
Frederick Robe of; Gorham, who two
years later succeeded Gen. Plaisted as
Governor.
In the Legislature of 1911, should the
Democrats as they are likely to do seat
Harvard G. Jordan in the place of John
A. Peters as representative from the city
of Ellsworth, although the latter holds a
certificate of election from the Governor
and Council Sc of the 151 members of
the House and % of the 81 members of
the Senate will be in accord in political
faith with the Governor-elect. The new
majority will have more than the ncces-
sary two-thirds to repeal constitutional
amendment in the Senate, but will lack
Is votes in the House The Democrats
in joint convention will have u majority
of "a.
1t seems a peculiar irony of fate that
the state House. remodeled and enlarged
at a cost of S350,000 by act of the
last Republican Legislature, will
have as it's first occupants the
new Democratic administration. The
dedicatory exercises in connection
with the new State House will be
arranged for by the incoming Legis-
lature and will, it is understood, take
place sometime in February. The un-
.,,l,i of
tract q Dig crowd and it is generally be-
lieved that the attendance upon the open
ing sessions will be the largest that ever
witnessed the converting of Maine
Legislature. Tho bookings at the local
hotels are said to he the largest ever for
the opening days of the session,
Election of u. S. Senator
The election of u United States
Senator to succeed Hon. Eugene
Hale of Ellsworth will be one of the inn
portant matters to claim the attention
of the 10Th Legislature. The position is
sought actively by four candidates W.T..
a fifth one mentioned as a possible dark
horse npon which to unite opposition tc
the candidate now generally believed tc
be in the lead The candidates activeIy
seeking the nomination are Charles f
Johnson of Watervile, a leading Ken
nebec county attorney and former Demo
cratic candidate for Governor, Hon
| Obadiah Gardner of Rockland, the can
! didatc endorsed by the Maine State
| Grange. William NJ. Pencil Of Bruins
/ wick. six years sheriff of Cumberland
county and George /. Haley of Saco
York county's fnvorite son. The caudi
date who is being carefully groomed as
dark horse and may possibly be Ice
from the political stables to the TRACK
at tho psychological moment is Hon. Les
lie Boynton of jefferson. a farmer ant
produce dealer, and present member OF
the Maine Senate.
| This senatorial contest is the first one
| Tor that Office in this State. which ha,
| taken place within the party in contro
of the Legislature for AZ years. Pine las
| contest previous to this was the mem
orable one between such giants of sthc
olden time as Hon. Hannibal Hamlin OF
Bangor and Hon. Lot NJ. Morrill, of Au
gusta. Hannibal Hamlin had resigned
his position in the United States Senat,
in 1861 to become vice-president and wa;
succeeded by Lot NJ. Morrill,
Senator Morrill,, an eX-Governor of tn,
State. had filled out the uneXpired tern
for which he was appointed and full
term besides when the contest came be
tween him and the former Vice Pres
dent, who desired to return again to tht
United States Senate In the Republican
senatorial caucus Hamlin received Z
votes.> Morrill,, "a, and Oh. blank ballo
was cast. Friends of Senator Morrill, de
clined to recognize the action of the eau
Gus as nomination and the contes
caused a great deal of excitement a
the time.
\ harmonious conclusion was finally
reached, however, when on Tuesday, Jan
~. 1859, Senator Morrill, having at the OPP
perfume moment issued letter of with
drawal, Hon. Hannibal Hamlin wa:
elected United states senator from
! Maine, receiving every Republican vot'
| in the Senate and all but two in thu
House. The Republicans were over
| whelmingly in the majority in boil
! houses at the time.
But Mr. Morrill, was not obliged tt
wait long for his return to the Senate
U. S. Senator William Pitt Fessendel
| died Sept. Is, 1869, and Mr.. Morrill, was
appointed to fill the vacancy caused b!