Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-12
In Congress While Some
Are Growing Uneasy.
Democrats Hear Disquieting
News from Old Maine.
Gardner Disturbed and Gould Sees
A Shadow on the Wall.

washington, u. C., April 11.-tSpe-
ciaD.-As far as the Maine contingent
at Washington is concerned, the days
continue to pass quietly and uneyent-
fully. Nearly everybody is marking
time, waiting for something TO turn
up and standing around, loafing in
the cloakrooms. chatting with anyone
who comes along-in short killing the
hours for want of something better
to do. After the Republican stat
Convention this week at Bangor
there will be little in the way o.
Maine politics To interest either Wash
ington in general or the Maine people
here in particular, for quite while.
Senator Gardner is getting NOR
and more uneasy, as il begins I
dawn upon him what a big job he ha :,
on his hands in that campaign, JUS
ahead which will not bring him re
election. The reports which com
here from different parts of the Stat
are disquieting To the Democrat
generally. Representative Gould. e
the Third district, who thought II
Republican would want to run against
him this year, finds he mas anothcr
guess coming BY the way that can
didates are getting into the field for
the nomination against Mr. Gould. he
has reason to expect there will be 10
easy work getting back to Congress
again.
Former delegate from Arizona,
Ralph Cameron, a native of South
port. Maine. has gone back to tn :
new state rather disconsolate. He was
in bad luck the other day when the
new senators drew for their terms.
He had hoped that one of the two sen
ators from Arizona would go into the
class, whose terms end March next.
Then that senator would have to tura
right around and make a campaign
for reelection. That was where Ralph
hoped to get another chance for 4
senatorial toga. But one OF the neS'
senators from Arizona, Mr.. Ashurst.
drew a six years term, and the other.
Mark Smith, whom Ralph defeated
for the House, drew d term that ends
March 4. 1915. Consequently there will
be no further senatorial campaign il
Arizona for about three. years
Legislatively time at the Capitol is
getting more and more worth while.
TO be sure day after day only a group
of 80 or 40 members attend in the
cussion is undressing and generally
unimportant, bearing, often, upon
some of the general appropriation
bills which are just now much to the
fore there. But the grist of the law
makers at the South end of the Capt.
tol is alike voluminous and important
just now and more of the same char
acter is coming.
L..
tant debating, however in the House
OF Representatives this session. Pro-
badly if one searched through the s.
900 broad printed pages of the Con-
gressional Record, covering the period
from early December to date, he
would hardly find a speech that will
be referred to five years from now.
In the course of a session, there are
now and then scintillations, which
make it interesting to listen from the
galleries. There have been no seintil-
Iating speeches in the House this ses-
sion just dead level of mediocrity
day after day. week after week, and
month after month.
But the House none the less has en- :
acted deal OF more or less momen-
tous legislation. which will be remem-
bered, whether it finally gets upon the
statute books or not. This will go on
for two or three months yet. 1t IS
about 10 weeks to the assembling of the
Republican National convention at
Chicago and that is the date when
Congress hopes to be able to stand adj
journed But the House has yet to
enact the postoffice appropriation bill,
which probably will be debated and
considered the best part of two weeks:
the navy appropriation bill. which may
occupy as much as three weeks time
of the House; and the sundry civil ap-
propriation bill. which will also take
,lp the hest part of three weeks.
Now what will the Senate do? One
who can answer that question can tel
whether Congress will get away before
the meeting of the national cenven-
lions While the House is grinding
out these appropriation bills, the Sen
ate will be grinding away on tariff
bills. 1t has already been agreed that
the Senate shall take up tariff debate
next week starting off with the steel
revision bill The Senate does not take
as long as the House in disposing Of
,appropriation bills. Those will hardly
stand in the way of q June adjourn
fnent of Congress. If the session is ex-
tended into the summer and autumn 1t
will he because of the tariff discussion.