Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-31
CAPITAL CHAT.
The New Governors Of
Interest to Congress.
Double Interest in Democratic
Senator from Maine.
The Committee Places for Names
Democratic Representatives.

la).--JuSt 20 new governors will be
walking, or riding, up TO the Capitols
OF as many states in early January
and taking the oath of office. Most
of them will do so next Monday, al
though in some of the states the in
auguTal day is fixed for a little after
New Years. Most Of them enter
upon tWo-ycar terms. for that is the
subernatorial tenure in 20 of the 4G
states Of the union.
The governors. who will take the oath
of office next month, will be for the
| states of Alabama, Arkansas, Calf
| fcrnia, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho,
Iowa, Kansas. Marie, Massachusetts
Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ne
vada, New Hampshire. New Jersey,
New York, North Dakota, Ohio. Ok
iahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wy
ominS. OF these governors seven have
been elected for i-year terms-n Ala
bama, California, Nevada, Oklahom,,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.
| New Jersey is The only state that
| elects 3 governor for three years.
| Massachusetts and Rhode island are
| lilc Only Sldl IS lIdl nave Il I-S6di
| term. Of the % new governors IS
will be Democrats, counting the IN
dependent Insurgent Cary of Wyoming
in that class.
All these new men will be doing
things" as soon as they get into Of
flee. AS SO many Of them come In
with a change of administration there
will be vast amount of official pa
tronage to bestow in the next few
weeks and high political jinks gen
orally. During the year of 1911 two
other new governors will enter upon
| their duties. Georgia has already
elected new governor but lie will
! not be inaugurated till next June.
Kentucky starts her new governor go
| ing IN December of 1911, but he has
not vet beer elected. 1t is not i'm
| probable that New Mexico and Ari-
| iona will become full fledged states
before the New Year has passed and
| that may mean two more new gov
| ernors. IF so the state executives en-
tering upon office during 1911 Will be
| 3d. That does rot include the gov
| ernor Of Vermont. who was elected
in September and inaugurated last
| October.
The salaries of these men vary great
X in the different states. New Jersey,
| New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and
| California all pay $4,000 q year; Mas
sachusetts pays $S00O Nebraska and
wyoming S250O the lowest Of AID;
| Maine. New Hampshire. North Dakota
| and quite an array of other states
| $4,000. Eight states pay their governors
| q ann lot n,
| nor OF Illinois receives the highest sal
| airy OF any state eXecutiNe-$l2,0oo q
year. The states that did not elect
| governor last autumn are almost all
| states where there are four-year terms.
| in Washington there is no little IN
| terest over the incoming Democratic
| Governors of New England. Washing
ton. has come to look upon New Eng
| land as a conservative Republican sec
| tinn Of thc country but the elections Of
last autumn dispelled that idea some
| what and now the political world at
the Capital by the Potomac is watch
| ing to see what the Democrats will DO
| with it.
OF course -NaSSa chusetts oNcrshad-
| oWs interest in :iainc. becauS" Ma$Sa-
| chust It's is a more popuious state and
| is regarded - more important polti
cally. T.ut the Democrats are n con-
troll only Of the executive Office in
| Massachusetts and in Maine they have
control of all the departments of state
government. Then Washington is con
cernad to know what kind of a man
will be sent to the Senate in place OF
| senator Hale as the first Democratic
| senator franz New England for about
| 80 wears.
| Democratic representatives from
New England have ceased t. be a nov
city in Washington. although il was
not so many years ago that John f.
Fitzgerald now mayor Of Boston, was
the only Democrat in the National
House from east of the Hudson river
and gloried in the possession Of that
distinction The number has multi
piled and will be larger. in the next
Congress than ever before in many
years. The New England Democrats
in the next House will be eight-two
from Maine. four from Massachusetts
and one each from Rhode Island and
Connecticut. But the new senator
from Maine will have the distinction
in the upper branch" of Congress
W HIGH MI, fltLStldih Il'i'l ioi a lev
years in the House"
Just how much the Senate Demo-
Gratis will do for the Maine man in the
way of choice committee places will be
question. Senator Hale will vacate
at least three very desirable committee
consignments-one as chairman of APP
preparations. one as a member of the
finance committee. and one as a mem
Der of naval affairs. Republican SEN
ators of long service will move up to
take the chairs which Mr.. Hale has
occupied. But in making up the COM
mittee assignments for the minority,
the Democratic caucus of the Senate.
it is understood. will be disposed to
treat the new Maine senator quite gem
erously. if he be a man of command
ing ability. They will hardly put him
upon appropriations or the finance