Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-29
DEMOCRATIC SUCCESS
Will GREATLY INJURE
MAINE, SAYS GUERNSEY.


most thorough and comprehensive
amount of information of the most
important character, and would have
continued To do so, but the Demo-
cratic majority in the House of Rep
resentatives with it's economy program
in ~iew refused to appropriate money
necessary to continue tie work of the
board; in other words, starved out the
tariff board and then PROCEEDED 10
prepare tariff bills behind closed doors
in. the old fashioned OUT of cate way
without information and without facts.
Pension Service Inadequate.
During the last session of tie Con-
! gress. a general pension dill was pass
ed providing increases for the ola
soldiers who by rea son of advanced
age and falling health We're entitled to
additional assistance from the gov
efnment. Tie old soldiers appreciated
the legislation and filed their claims
under the new law by the hundreds of
thousands. Tile regular force in the
Pension Bureau was hardly more than
sufficient to handle the current BUSH
ness of the bureau, force sof addi-
tional clerks We're REQUIRED to handle
the claims on file under the new law,
! otherwise it might be at least Two
years before the claims filed could bt
passed upon The Democratic major
ify in the House refused to provide the
necessary money to employ the addi-
fional clerks; had this position pre-
yaiied more than So,odps old soldiers
would have died before tiieir claims
81. WI x+T,,ttl Iat
reached, but the Republican minority
came to the front and saved the day
for the old soldiers. The Republican
minority charged the Demoeratics par
tg with the responsibility of not pro-
viding sufficient service at the pension
department TO enable the old soldier
to obtain what was due him, and call
ed the attention of the country to the
sstus ton and as q result enough Dom
aeratie members deserted their party
and Joined the Republican minority,
and on vote the extra clerks We're
provided for and the old soldiers Will
receive within reasonable period
their increases under the law.
Democrats and Parcel Post.
For some years there has been n
vide spread and general demand for
the parcel post system. The farmers of
the country have written members and
petitiened Congress continually. / sat
in the 61st Congress and during the
cor sideration of the post office appro-
priation bill heard for days the then
Democratic minority charge the Re-
plblicans with not responding 20 the
pnblic demand for parcel post sgs
win "a 10 FlfG
wishes OF my constituents, and early
in the end Congress when our Demo-
cratic friends obtained control of the
House. |. introduced a parcel pest bill
based on the zones system, and urged
| its adoption before the committee on
| post office and posi- roads, and also
sought to have ii sdopted when the
| postoffice appropriation bal WAS before
| the House, but the Democratic major
| ity refused To provide any adequate
Parcel post legislation. but the Repuh-
| lican Senate amended the post Office
| appropriation bill SO as to provide an
adequate parcel post based or the
| zone system. and backed by public
| opinion forced the Democratic House
| to accept TIE amendment.
| Ever since the days OF Capt. Jere-
| miah O'Brien, who won the first naval
| victory in the cause of American in
| dependence, when he captured the
| British war vessel or zIachias more
| than 1877 years ago. Americans have
/ taken pride in our power on the sea,
| and have steadily urged the building
of our navy TO first position in the
| naVies of the world; that has been
| the policy of the Republican party.
| The Democratic party by caucus ac-
| ton last March took the first step to-
| ward declining navy by deciding
/ against the construction OF battle
ships. step that would depreciate the
4 military value of the fleet as an insur-
| ance against war and would reduce it
to q forth or eveaxa aifth rate posi-
| ton within two yeaia, most hunlih :
aiing spectacle for every American to
| contemplate
| In pursuance of the caucus action
| the Democratic House majority passed
| on the 2sth day of MAY tire Naval bill
containing no provision for the con-
struction of battle ships.
| Indignant protest from the country
against the no battle ship economy
! policy of the Democratic party was
| ilcaIu III w anu on JuiN AolH
another caucus of the Democratic ma
| jority was held and again they de-
clared against battleships and the
| American navy by vote reported to
| be 20 TO 81.
| On the Goth day of July a petition
was circulated among our Democratic
| friends for another causus on battle
| ships a split in the party was emf
| nent: the controlling raciion was de-
| termined to stand by the Democratic
| economy at any cost program; the oth-
| er faction was for responding to the
| call of the country and standing for
| the only sound plank in the platform
of the Baltimore convention. accord
| ing to that leading Democrat, VIM. r..
Hearst, the plank. in favor of an ade-
| quate navy.
| Battleship Caucus Fiasco.
On Aug. 9Th the fourth Democratic
battleship caucus met and proved to
! be fiaseo a quorum was not present, q