Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-24

Continued From Page One)
islation lat the short session Much
was said in reiteration of the old OBJ
SerVation that the short session was
altogether too short for even the APP
preparation bills. But this is not
| holding altogether true and men are
trying, at least, to dispose of numer-
Gus bills of general interest and of no
minor Importance. 1t may eventuate
that few or none of these bills can get
through and have the Presidents
signature but the lawmakers, especial
~ the Republicans, are not looking at
the matter that way and are hopeful
of getting some things done. which
were supposed to be almost impossible.
For example there is the new immi-
grafton bill, with the educational test
/ for immigrants. as its prominent tea
ture. That bill passed the Senate last
year but was prevented from coming
! up in the House and was thought to
be quite dead. But its friends in the
House got consideration for it and the
bill, with very little of the Senate
provisions outside of the educational
test, has actually passed the House by
an overwhelming vote. 1t has now to
be rewritten in conference and a con-
terence was not organized before Con-
gress went into recess.
But it is SO we'll understood who the
eonferees Will be that these men are
bending to the task during the holt
days. Of framing a compromise and
hope that in thus hastenng they will
he able to bring the Senate and the
House to complete the legislation long
before March If tnoy should sue
ceed. however there is not entire as
surance that the President would sign
the law. Secretary Nagel of the De-
paftment of Commerce and Labor, is
opposed to the educational test and it
remains to be seen whether his opposi-
| ton may not have weight with the
President. The politicians of the par
" will not be slow in urging upon the
President that there is a splendid OPP
portunity for him to give the party
some popularity in the large and pop
ulOts centers by Issuing a veto. The
foreign residents in the chief cities are
very much against the legislation and
the votes that passed ii in the House
came frcm the country districts.
Similarly big set IS being made in
Congress to. enact the Kenyon bill
that prohibits the Shipment of liquors
into dry states" Some legislation Of
that kind has been waiting before
! Congress for years and years. 1t got
no further than a report from the Ju-
/ dietary Committee Of the Senate or of
the House but now the bill is actually
/ before the Senate md Senators are
asking themselves whether the day is
not near at hand when they must go
on record for or against its passage.
The best opinion. however, is that the
bill can not he brought to vote dur
ing the brief remaining days of this
Congress. Nonetheless the advocates
of it are urging as never before and
are buoyed up by the belief that the
bill probably could command a ma
iorty in the House of Representatives
The prohibition idea is so strongly
entrenched now in the South that
many Southern Democrats. formerly
| The stoutest opponents of such legis
| lation, are now for it,
One of the holiday subjects, that
does not wane in interest for the po-
litical contingent, pertains to confir-
nations by the Senate. There was
/ close III USntlnS between Democrats
and Republicans in the very last days
| before the recess as to whether some
thing over 1000 nominations made by
the President in a little over two
weeks should ne confirmed. 1t is the
! Democratic claim that an undue pro-
| portion of these nomina tionS have
been made for the purpose of getting
Republicans comfortably settled into
office against the coming of a Demo-
! cratic administration. One lone Re
! publican postmaster was finally con-
frmed but hundreds of others are left
up in the air y committee of Demo-
cratic senators is celebrating during
the holidays. trying to formulate some
policy, for the guidance of their par
tisans rs to combinations. 1t is prob
able some Republican poStmasters will
pull though hut not "A great many.
The MANY friends OF Governor Bur-
leigh. in the Senate ara watching the
trend Of the Senatorial canvass in
Maine with great interest and the gen
eral feeling is that the matter is now
practically settled, and that he will
win by a decisive vote.
Quite number of the members of
the Senate served with Governor
Burleigh in the House.