Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-14

The funniest part of a mock session
of the Legislature is the spectacle OF
! nen worn out by many weeks of worry,
contention and wrangle: long days OF
tension. suspense and hope: weary
hours broke n by irregular meals. inter
mittent sleep and heated eonfabs-all
these and more-attempting to be hu-
morous. Some men are always funny"
spontaneously SO. in spite of the ragged
edges of life, and few of these were
there to the end of the 18th Leeisla-
ture, SO late on Saturday night. thar
time turned back in its flight that
Sunday might not be invaded
To be sure they were there. Horace
Mitchell of kittery. Speaker of the
mock session. as for many years: Ed
ward II. Cook of Nassalboro, clerk;
Harry Austin of Phillips and Otis n.
Richardson of Canton. active pages;
John r. Dunton OF Belfast, long dis
lance orator; Elmer e, Newbert of Au-
gusta, bad boy of the 18th: Roy Mars
ton OF Skowhegan tangle-foot parlia-
mentarian: ]. Fred O'Connell of Mil
tord. rough and ready debater.-cer-
tainiy there We're others that were still
fun of fun and witty word play, but
most of the others were too tired, and
TOO disappointed at not getting away
for home, Saturday afternoon or eve
ning, to sparkle. But they were not so
far gone as To fail to respond in pune
tuation with waste askets, wads of
paper, deskpads and other missiles.
Governor IIaines, in his happy pro-
piieties-be-da rned way, came in and
joined the "boys"-and everyone stood
/ IN 10 f,nir ry,I,
Governor addressed them in joyial
vein. eomplimented them upon their
work and commanded them to go to
and enjoy themselves.
Ex-Governor and Mrs. Plaisted were
given seats of vantage in the lower
right hand corner of the House. They
were sighted by Rep. Thombs of Lin
coin. who requested a speech. He was
appointed a committee of one to cs-
cort the Ex-Governor to the Speakers
desk. Ex-Governor Plaisted refused to
be cajoled into addressing the men,
bers. Mr.. Thombs so reported and
Speaker Mitchell announced:
The Ex-Governor refuses to mingle
with this bunch and l don't blame him!
If my Wife were here I'd have to do as
she said, tool
No one was too fast" for the Speak
er.
Senator Cole declared the sole rea-
son the senators had condescended to
come into the session was ito hold
our chairs down so the representatives
wouldn't pack them into wasteba skets
and take them homei"
That's the first good use / ever saw
a senator put TOT declared Speaker
Mitchell.
Il guess that'll hold me down." was
Sen. Coles rueful admission.
A mock session is fool thing any
way aud an impossible event TO de-
scribe. for there's no real beginning
and no ending. however serious they
try to be at adjournment. And who
could picture in true color the veteran
Mock Session Speaker Mitchell in his
role of mental gymnast? Or droll Har-
~ Austin, ponderous in frame and jo-
vial of mein, arising to ocea sion mid
showers of all sorts of missiles. con-
fetti and verbal brick BATS Of course
it is impossible because the best points
are always forgotten, missed altogeth-
err or-ahem, well too-too something to
read well in cold type, stripped of at
mosphere and somewhat reckless and
undignified frolc.