Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-02-15
Blu BLING.
'CContinued from Page one.)

return OF the Republicans into the
control of affairs after next January.
The special session of the Legislature
is a cause of Worriment to the Maine
Congressional contingent. Some of
them think it was mistake any way
to call a special session. although now
they are bearing up under the ordeal
and hoping and praying that the Dem
ocratic solonS at Augusta will do as
little s possible that the speakers and
leaders will have to defend in the cam
paign.
Prospects Of long drawn out session
At Washington are not pleasing to the
Democratic senators and representa-
tives. They can not afford to run
away from their jobs by the Potomac
when The weather gets uncomfortable
here and yet they will want to be back
in the State campaign. 1t is conceded
that if Congress does not adjourn be-
forc the Republican convention at Chi
Cago il viii be into July or August be-
fore the final tdy comes. Such an out
come would be very hard for the Maine
Democrats in Congress. The Maine
campaign. of course, will bc in full
swing by August, to say nothing Of
the preliminary work which must be
done in June and July.
Senator johnson is listening to the
arguments against the Underwood
steel bill in the finance committee, OF
which he is member. He is also at
tending sessions of the pension com
mittee, where there have been long de-
liberations over the framing of a gen
eral pension bill. The senator has had
lot of committee hearings ever since
he entered public life here and will
have lot more. for the tariff strug
gle is only We'll begun and several re-
vision bills will be threshed out there.
in the course of the next few months.
The committee is dominated by regu-
lar Republicans and the only opportu
nifty for the Democratic members Of
the committee is to ask questions Of
the witnesses and then join in a min
ority report favorable TO the Under
wood bill
Senator Gardner has NOT had "A turn
yet at any committee stunts. The
committee on agriculture, of which he
is a member is only considering mat
tiers of minor Importance thus far,
Bve and bye they will have an agrieul-
tural appropriation bill but it will not
take very long to get that out of the
way. The junior Maine senator will
not be overburdened with committee
tasks at this session of Congress.
Representative Kinds is making him.
I self very useful on the sugar investi-
| eating committee of the House by his
| efforts to bring about a harmonious re-
| port, on which both Democrats and
| Republicans can agree. \ report OF
| such non-partisan character would be
very beneficial, especially at season
| when 50 many matters of legislative
! Importance are being made the foot
bah of politics.
Representative Guernsey is Il mem
| Der of the banking and currency com
mttee that proposes to beard the mon
| ey trust in its den. That is the COM
| mittee dominated by Democrats, of
| courseD that is having a quarrel with
| William Jennings Bryan 1t proposes
| to call William Jennings before the
membership and ascertain. II possible,
what he means by rejecting upon the
| honesty and singleness of purpose OF
| the Democrats assigned to duty there.
| OF course all this is none of Repre-
| sentative Guernsey's funeral. He and
his Republican colleagues on the COM
| mittee will let the Democrats fight out
| this battle for themselves. But ii is
| rather entertaining to be able to sir at
| thta same table and see the fun go on.
Whenever Congress gets Republican
again Mr. Guernsey VIII have good
| position on the banking and currency
| committee and will have some say, for
| instance, about the program for get
| ting some reform of banking and eur
| rpncV laws enacted.
| The Fourth District congressman is
| getting some committee action now
adays as member of the House ter
| ritories committee. 1t is handling
quite lot of business. As one of the
| older members there, Mr.. Guernsey is
getting some duty on subcommittee
and has Il number of meetings and
| hearings to attend.
Gen Joseph S. Smith, of Bangor, has
| been in conversation with several
members OF the House appropriations
| committee this winter about approPrl-
ations for the Soldiers Home at Togus.
| The sundrv civil bill which carries ap-
propriations for that home, has not
| been framed yet, but the subcomlnlt-
tee will take it up in Il preliminary
| way within a few weeks.
| Representative Kinds is one Of seN-
eraI Republican congressman who
went away II participate in Lincoln
memorial exercises. He is now back
| from his trip to Portland for the cele-
| bratlon there having improved the
| opportunity for little look along the
| political fences i'll his district. He is
much in demand for public addresses
! but declines most of the invitations
| that come to him in that connection
| holding that he does not care to ab-
sent himself from Washington. except
| on occasions where he speaks IN ms
| own district or goes away to pay a
debt to some congressman VINO mas
| been to Maine to speak for him
After the election in Maine next
September. Mr.. Kinds will probably go
| into The general campaign. He has had
some invitations already to do 50. AS
| il is plainly TO be a hard fought cam
paign. Congressman in many states
| are making arrangements TO get at
traetive speakers to help them out