Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-06
Tuesday, April 6, 1915.
Politics and Law Making.

Politics and Law Making.
We asked a member of the legisla-
ture how he sized up the session and
he remarked: 1T was better than Z
dared hope-and I hoped it would
be-
Perhaps 1t may appeal to the general
public in the same way. Constituted
as it was, with an executive inclined
to play politics from the drop Of the
hat, disposed to have his own way
at any cost. and caring, seemingly,
not a rap how embarrassing his posi-
ton might be to his political friends
in the legislative branch, we believe
the session just ended was fairly sue
cessful organization. The presiding
officers, Republican in the Senate and
Democrat in the House, held the
respect and confidence Of both bodies
and the public. Both were able, eff
cient and honest.
To be sure, some Of the very big
gest things in sight for the people, and
to which the Republican party is
pledged, failed because of politics. 1t
was too much to expect that Demo-
cratic House and a Democratic Gov
ernor would allow the Republican
party to gain credit for passing the
equal suffrage referendum provision,
the mothers pensions act, or the Mass
achusetts ballot act. Their defeat was
VIGOROUSLY political. The Democratic
party must answer to the people.
But the workmen's compensation act,
to which all three parties were pledged,
got through and has been signed by
the governor. 1t goes into effect in
80 days. A 54-hour law for women
and children also became a law. A
resolve appropriating $4,000 for a
reformatory for women was passed
and signed. An appropriation Of $780,
600 for a reformatory for women was
passed and signed. An appropriation
Of $4,000 was made for alteration and
repair Of the State prison at Thomas
ton, Maine. The passing Of a law
for the reorganization Of the Boston
G. Maine railroad will depend for ef-
fectiveness upon similar action by the
legislature of Massachusetts, and Ver-
mont.
Politics played it's part at all stages
of the legislative game. At the be-
ginning, the committees were so ar
report Ought to pass" on any bill in
any committee. There were 35 Joint
special committees in the LEGISLATURE,
composed of three members from the
Senate and seven members from the
House. When President Hersey of
the Senate named the members to be
on the comittees, he gave the Demo-
Gratis 16 chairmanships. On fourteen
Of these committees, he named two
Democrats and one Republican. On
three other committees. he named
three Democrats. When the Democrat
ic Speaker of the House completed
the membership Of his committees, he
gave the Republicans only two House
chairmanships. On not one of these
committees did the Republicans have
a majority. and therefore, as we said
above, there were no Ought to pass
reports Of Republican origin in any
committee Of the 18th Legislature.
The resolve appropriating a sum of
money for an additional building at
the Industrial Home for Girls was
vetoed by the Governor. and failed to
pass over his veto. It was one more
instance of the Furnishing OF the big
stick over the pork barrel" by the
Hon. Oakley c. 1t was not so much
a matter Of whether or not the pur-
pose was worthy and in demand by
the people, but whether the Governor
thought his administration could stand
the expenditure. The now you see it
and now you don't see it, veto demon
stration Of the Legislature is illustra-
tive. One day the Governor appeared
and read an elaborate veto message on
two bridge resolves announcing that he
proposed to veto all similar roads and
bridges resolves because he feared the
Legislature was going beyond the
sum which he had fixed as reasonable
for the sessions expenditures. On the
following day, at the personal request
Of the Governor, these resolves were
passed over his veto; and the same day.
he vetoed three similar measures
which he asked the Legislature NOT
to pass over his veto-and it didn't.
On the third day he signed similar
resolves in spite Of his declarations