Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-02-03

Presidents friends will urge the Maine
voters to stand by him for another
term, which it has been the practice
to grant to Republican Presidents.
Representatives Kinds and Guernsey
voted against the bill for the revision
of the steel schedules. thus standing
with the Republican minority of the
House. Maine Republicans in the
House have voted consistently against
the Democratic reductions. on the
ground that all these measures were
not in accord with the Republican
policy of protection. While some of
the proposed reductions would not di-
rectly affect the Pine Tree State, there
is much in the general revision pro-
gram that would affect the State un-
favorably. The Maine Republicans, un-
like some of their New England breth-
rem in Congress, have held that it
would be unduly selfish to vote for
reductions where Maine was not af-
feeted and stand up solely for duties
that would protect local industries.
In this, the Maine Republicans in
Congress have. retained the good will
of Republicans generally and thus
strengthened themselves for any bat
tie that may come in which Maine peo-
pie are much concerned. The New
Hampshire Republicans have preserv-
Ell the same attitude; likewise the
Vermont Republicans.
A great volume of petitions continues
to come to the House of Representa-
tives these days in behalf of the Ken
y9n-Sheppard bill to withdraw from
interstate commerce protection liquor
imported into dry territory for il
legal use. The House judiciary COM
mittee has given extended hearings te
people who want the legislation, in
Guiding some people from hiaine. Ger
tain OF the Southern Democrats, like
Representative Sheppard of Texas, fa-
vor such legislation but most Demo-
Gratis of the House are decidedly op
posed.
While the report of the judiciary
committee has not yet been formulated
it is taken for granted that no such
legislation will get through the Dem
ocratic House, for the good and slltf-
cient reason that a large number Of
the House Democrats have little or no
sympathy with it. Controverted MAJ
ters of that character are to be push.
ed aside at this session and the bulk
of the activity Will be upon appropri-
alton bills, which must be passed, and
upon the tariff.
These February days are not very
busy ones for the senators and repre-
sentatives from Maine. Representative
Kinds is still giving some attention to
the work OF the sugar special inves-
tigating committee. Ever since he
came into the House he has had a
very large correspondence with his
constituents and he devotes much time
to that Representative Guernsey is
pegging away at several bills he ta-
vors and has introduced but largely
with view to building up sentiment
for them in the hope that when the
House becomes Republican again ne
will have a better chance of getting
them enacted into law
AS the Senate is not much in ses-
sion the Maine Senators have little to
do there. Senator Johnson is meeting
with the pensions committee quite
frequently and will soon have some
thing to do with the finance committee,
where the House bill revising the steel
schedule will be considered. Senator
Gardner has had no committee meet
ings yet. worth speaking of. He has
been following the hearings before the
House judiciary committee affecting
the United Shoe Machinery Co. Rep
resentatives McGillicuddy and Gould
have been attending meeting of the
Judiciary and interstate commerce
committees respectively.