Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-31
Editorial Comment.
Senatorial Influence.
CPortland Express Advert

The Republicans OF Maine are ho'
so unwise as to be miSled ty any
fractional differences into substituting
for Eugene Hale any other man, VIC
he ever SO bright and able IN me
United states Senate. When they stop
ia think the matter out as MaiEe Re-
nuhlicans are accustomed to do, they
will realize that it is worth something,
worth a great deal, to the people Oh
this State to have a man OF the IN
f,uence and standing Of Senator Hale
in the National Senate.
An illustration of the exceptional
value of the service of Mr.. Hale as
com pared with those of any new man,
no matter who he is, who could he
sent to the Senate, may be shown IN
comparison of committee assign
ments in that body. For instance:
Senator Hale is chairman of the APP
rropriations Committee; he is acting
chairman of the Committee on Public
E,XpeditureS; there are eleven men,
hers of the Census Committee anu
Senator Hale is the second in the
list; there are IA members Of the Fl
nance Committee and Senator Hales
name is fourth. There are eleven Sen
fairs, and Senator Hale's name is sec
ond: these are the most important
committees in the entire list and the
Senator's position in every one OF
them is one of leading and special m
fucncc
Now see what happens to new
Senator. Let us take. tor tAanplc
the strongest new Senator in the en-
tire list i1lllu Root Of New York
Senator Root has been Secretary of
War and Secretary of state; he is ii
international fame and is everywhere
regarded as one of the strongest OF
American statesmen, but he is new
to the Senate and he must take his
place accordingly. In the list of conf
mitteCs we find Mr.. Root chairman
of the Committee on EXpcditurcs in
the State Department. The Commit
tee on Canadian Relations has ninc
members and Mr. Root is the fourth;
the Committee on Coast DcfenceS mas
eleven members and Mr.. Root is the
ff.h; the Committee on Foreign Re
lationS has IA members and Mr.. Root
is the ninth; the Committee on L.
brarics has eight members and Mr.
Root is the fourth: tho Committee OH
Public Expenditures has !? members
and Mr. Root is the 18th: the Commit
tee on Revolutionary Claims has tire"
and Mr. Root is the third
Now another illustration in the same
line. take a man Of average expert
cncc in public affairs. Senator Shivc-
lv of Indiana, who has had public eH-
periences fully equal to that Of any
t4fr
Maine. He has no craftsmanship: is
the member of the Committee On Cen
suS, 18th in order On Corporations
Organized in the District of Columbla,
Il Committee of five, he is second; on
Education and Labor, committee Oh
nine. he is ninth: on Foreign Rela-
items he is the 14th; on Libraries he
is the eighth; on Pacific railroads, d
committee of nine. he is the ninth; on
Patents a committee of seven. he IS
the sixth: on Pensions, committee
of Is, he is the 18th
1t NAV be said that Senator ShlNe-
ly's poor committee appointments are
due to the. fact that he is Demo
crat. Then let us select another OF
the new senators, this time Senator
Lorimer of Illinois. republican.
Senator Lorimer, be it known, was a
member of the .54th. 55th. 56th. oSth,
seth. 6Oth and 61st Congresses ana
resigned his seat in the House to ac-
cent the election to the United States
Senate. so that his experience N Ma
tional legislation was very large wheh
he came into the Senate. !.oriner is
chairman of the Committee upon EN-
penditures in the Navy department..
is the third member of a committee pl
seven on Manufactures; the seFtli'h
member of committee Of II on "a
cifIc Islands and Porto Rico: and the
seventh member of committee OF
seven on Private Land Claims; snow
inq that the new Senator. be he Re-
publican or Democrat, need not nope
for strong committee assignments.