Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-18
TURN TO KINDS.
Democratic House Depends
On Maine Representative.
Frequent Parliamentary 1angIeS
Call for blinds PrecedentS. "
Bangor Bill Making No Progress
No Pension Legislation.

Washington, ID. e, Aug. 1L-lSpe-
ciaD The Democratic House is fire.
auently getting into parliamentary
tangles these extra session August
DAYS Minority Leader Mann has a
faculty for tying them up into hard
knots and the Democrats find it diff
cult to eXtricate themselves. All this
is probably forerunner of more
troubles of a like character when they
get into the thick OF numerous meas
ures of legislation But whenever they
get into parliamentary troubles. these
Democrats rush TO "Hinds' preeedents'
and the member from the lst Maine
District hears his name frequently
mentioned on the Democratic side as
an authority in the settlement OF such
disputes They quote from his large
volumes OF presidents. worked out by
years Of careful study and research.
Thus it was the other day when the
Democrats found themselves enbar-
raised because Cf Il point raised by
the consideration of a conference re-
port on the wooden revision bill in ad-
vance Of its consideration by the Sem
ate. 1t was a technically, of course,
but the House occupied an hour or
two in discussing it. The Democrats
Immediately quoted the .'precedents"
Of Representative Kinds and the Re-
oubicans Immediately retorted that
the ''precedents' upheld their conten-
ton.
Representative Kinds was away in
Maine at the tire attending the fu-
neral af Senator Frye Perhaps he
might have had a word to say him
self, haG he been present. Recently
Mr.. Kinds has shown a disposition to
participate somewhat in the parlia-
meHtarF discussions Of the House, and
when he has anything 10 say on that
score-as is the case when he has any
thing to say on any topic of legisla
tion--the House gives him close at
tentfon.
Tho truth IS that the Democrats are
quite inexperienced in the fine points
that attend the conduct of House af-
fairs. With such complicated rules
for procedure as have necessarily
grown up, only experts can be de
pended upon 10 proceed correctly. The
Democrats. now in charge of iegisia-
tive matters. have been in the minor
ity for Is years. during which time
the members of the Republican ma
iority have looked after all such at
fairs. The Democrats, of course. have
not been taken in ON such business
and their members have paid little at
tention 10 if. This was apparent the
other day in connection with that
wooden revision hiH conference. The
House Democrats apparently did not
know that it was the duty OF their
conferees to leave the papers cover
ing that legislation with the Senate
conferees and neither did Senator La
Toilette as the leading conferee on
the part Of the Senate, by reason OF
the fact that he and his insurgent col
leagues had enabled the Democrats to
enact a wooden bill in the Senate,
know that If was his duty to accept
the papers and present the conference
first in the Senate.
To man up a tree it may look like
comparatively insignificant matter.
in which the people at large may not
be particularly interested. But it re-
mains that small matters of procedure
like that often become of very great
importance in the fierce struggling
which attends the enactment of leg
islation at Washington. An advantage
in tactics sometimes makes for the de-
feat or modification of a measure, es-
pecially when il is borne in mind that
the House is a large and cumbersome
body, the Senate also in Il lesser eX-
tent, and that the only assurance of
careful legislation is in the strict OBJ
servance of rules and precedents.
Representative Guernsey has been
| holding like a dog to a bone for that
Bangor public building bill which the
| House has beer so slow in getting
around to. It's ultimate enactment be-
| fore the close of the session seemed
assured several days ago but just
when il was almost reached, one mat
| ter after another came up TO defer it's
| consideration and the delay could moi
! be avoided. The controversy over the
wool conference was one of the
causes for delay and. probably. but
for the fact that the Democratic con-
ferees had blundered over accepting
possession of the papers, the Bangor
| bill might have been reached and
passed last week. But conference re-
ports have the right of way in the
House and just when the call OF COM
mittees had come 70 the public build
ing committee and one or two other
public building bills. somewhat like
the Bangor bill in their emergency
character. he'd been disposed Of, the
wrangling ensued end then there came
more delay till the call OF committees
could be resumed. Because of the emil
hence of the consideration of the Ban
gor bill. Representative Guernsey
thought it inadvisable for him to
leave Washington to attend the funer-
nj of Senator Frye 1t happened that
| the House did not reach the bill in his
absence, but Chairman Sheppard, of
the public building committee, thought
it would come up during that time and
asked Mr.. Guernsey to remain in
Washington. He did not care to be
left without any one from Maine to
back him up. as there is never any
telling how measure of that kind
Imay be attacked
/ Continued on Page Two)