Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-14

want no Republican assistance. One
Senate Committee, that on interstate
and foreign commerce, has already let
it be known that, while Republican
senators of the committee may attend
the hearings, these senators are not
wanted in the executive sessions for
perfecting the trade commission bill.
1t is expected that the same policy
will be followed with the other -four
brothers"-bills dealing with anti
trust subjects.
Democratic caucuses of the Senate
and of the House may be looked for
along in the spring when these bills
have been completed and are ready
for floor consideration. This method
of procedure means that many Re-
publicans will fight the legislation as
a protest against the rule of the eau
Gus. The radical Democrats by this
caucus method will have added influ-
ence in making the measures drastic
to the CONSERVATION of business.
Spanish war veterans in Maine are
taking note of opportunities for OBJ
tanning donations of brass cannon
from the War Department. These
requests have been coming in to the
Maine Congressman recently, indicat-
ing that most camps of Spanish war
veterans in the State are aware that
these condemned cannon make desir-
able relics. Representative Peters
of the Third district has just intro
duced a bill also in behalf of the
Grand Army Post at Clinton, Maine,
which shows that the veterans of '61,
down in Maine" think it would be
convenient to have piece of govern
ment ordnance around on Fourth of
July and other occasions when the
Post wishes to fire a salute. A few
days before that Representative
Guernsey had introduced a bill pro-
viding for a donation of a brass can
non to the Spanish war veterans at
Houlton, Maine.
Both these bills and many other
similar ones now pending and in pros
pect will probably become law. pro-
vided the secretary of war has a suf-
ficient store of condemned cannon on
hand. Probably the Maine veterans
will prize the donations more highly
than did veterans out in California
last year. Representative John L.
Raker, an enterprising Democrat
from one OIL The
was overwhelmed with requests for
condemned brass cannon from army
posts and other military organizations
in his constituency. He put all these
requests in an omnibus bill, and after
some difficulty, got it passed in the
Senate and signed by President Taft.
This looked we'll for Grand Army
posts in the Raker Congressional dis
trict. AS the congressman journeyed
down through his district on election
tours, Democratic workers here and
there could borrow the old cannon, of
course, plant it on an eminence ad-
joining the town, and signal his ad-
vent by a round of blank shots.
Everything went on merrily. The
secretary of war provided the cannon.
Representative Raker and the Grand
Army posts We're properly notified
that the cannon were ready. Some of
the posts responded promptly but
some of them did not, with the result
that several condemned brass cannon
consigned 10 California are still in the
government storehouses here and
Representative Raker does not quite
know what to do with them.
Gen. Joseph S. Smith of Bangor,
Me-, who is passing the winter in this
city, entertained at dinner Sunday
night at the New. Richmond Hotel in
honor of the Maine delegation in Con-
gress-Senators Johnson and Burleigh,
Representatives Kinds, Guernsey, Nc
Gillicuddy and Peters; also Messrs.
+. II. Appleton of Bangor and Joseph
Williamson of Augusta, and Col. M.
NJ. Parker Of this city.
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph Williamson of
Augusta have been in town for some
days Mrs Williamson attended the
Presidents reception Tuesday evening
with her father, Senator Burleigh.