Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-07
WATCHING.
Continued from Page one.)

men of legislative experience in the
Senate is, If anything, greater than
ever, these days. The nomination and
election of Gov. Burleigh as senator
from Maine is accordingly taken al
most for granted by most of his many
friends at the Capitol
The advantage of sending to the Sen
ate man of legislative experience is
all the greater now, because the Dem
ocratic landslide of 1910 has brought
SO many new and untried men to pub
lie life, especially to the House The
prestige of New England in that re-
gard has suffered not a little. Maine,
of course, must be included in that
category. 1t has two Democratic rep
resentatives in the House, who are in
dustriously trying to learn their way
around, and two Democratic senator's
to whom the Capitol is still a strange
place. None of this quartet is at all
familiar with the methods of getting
things done. All of them have to go
to their older colleagues to ascertain
where the springs of action are. That,
of course, is not necessarily because
they are Democrats. 1t is because they
are new men and have not the ac-
quaintances nor the experience that
come only after years of service at
the Capitol and around the depart
ments.
Several Of the strong New England
Republicans in the Senate, such as
Senators Lodge and Crane of Massa-
chusetJs, Dillingham; of Vermont and
Gallinger of New Hampshire, have ex-
pressed their interest in Gov. Burleigh's
announcement. They would regard his
nomination and election as a matter of
congratulation, not only to Maine but
also TO the Senate. 1t would strength
en- New England in that body materi-
ally and assure Republicans the SER
vices of capable legislator in place
of Senator Obadiah Gardner.
Some very big questions, that vital
~ interest Maine, are coming before
Congress during the first half of the
next administration. It is a foregone
conclusion that very important tariff
legislation will be enacted then For
whatever tariff bills may be passed
at this session, the final work on the
tariff will be done a year from now.
probably at the extra session which
will be called soon after the next Pres
ltitilllti dlIbil- ilc ltItil Iii Tue
Senate, fer which Gov. Burleigh is now
IA candidate begins with the next adj
minstration. Unless there is Re-
publican in the Senate from the Pine
Tree State, in place of Senator Gard
ner, no one there will work for the
protection of the industries or the
state which are being so severely
threatened by Democratic plans of tar
iff revision. Gov. Burleigh, of course,
has been through two hard tariff re-
vision fights in the House, knows the
ins and outs of such contests, and
would be a strong accession to the pro-
lection forces that must try to keep
New England from being wiped off the
map industrially.
Democratic senator's from Maine are
in 10 position to conduct such a bat
tie. First of all, they are new men,
with no more standing in the Senate
than new men can expect to have dur
ing the first two or three years of ser
vice there. Furthermore. they belong
to party that is committed to the tar
if for revenue policy. Even if they
We're willing to disregard that policy
(aHd they are noD they would be un-
able to exert much influence beyond
what their votes would carry.
If the next Presidential administra-
ton is 10 be Republican, as it is alto
gether likely to be, there viii come
great opportunities in the Senate for
getting things for Maine a senator
can do much more than a representa-
tive in that line, because a senator
can exert a much greater influence
upon legislation. Since the close of
the last Congress, Maine has gotten
practically nothing in the way of fed
eral appropriations. 1t looks now as
though the State would get practically
nothing during this present Congress.
The Republican members of the House
will do all they can but their hands
are tied as long as they are members
of the minority party there.
When the period of parsimony ends
there will be opportunity to strike for
considerable sums of internal i'm
proVemcnts in the Pine Tree State. 1t
is recognized here that a Republican
of Gov Burleigh's experience in look
ing after the interests of his State in
Congress would be in a position to
make up for lost time if he We're in
the Senate with a siX-years term
ahead Of him. The opportunities
would not have to be pointed out to
him. Neither would he have to be told
how to get an appropriation. He is not
only a practiced hand at doing those
things, but during his IA years of SER
vice in tho House he made friends and
helped other people, who would turn
around to give him n helping hand.
The command of such support is half
the battle for success in the Senate.
That is why Congressional experience
counts Tor so much. 1t counts doubly
nowadays. because the Western and
Southern states have been sending so
many green Democrat hands to the
Senate. Matters have come to such u
pass there now, that when it comes to
looking after the interests of a
state which may in the aggregate
mean tens of thousands, or hundreds
OF thousands of dollars in the way of
appropriations, it is as easy for the
more experienced Legislators as taking
candy from children.
c0IIGHEn FIVE WARS