The Republican journal., 1916-03-23
Washington Whisperings.
Correspondence Of The Journal. ]

Maine Republicans here are getting very
weary of Democratic Congress. 1t is
certainly dallying Congress, and prom
Uses to keep it's record unbroken well into
the summer or early autumn. Senator
Burleigh today pointed out that not a
single one of the big appropriation bills
has yet been considered in the Demo-
cratic Senate, although three months of
the session have passed. Within year,
however, there is reason to expect
change of administration at Washing
ton, in which event there will be a
change in the efficiency of the legislative
body. Republicans can be counted upon
to resume their old time vigor in tran
sacting the public business.
Although minority Congressman are sup
posed to have little to do at Washington.
Senator Burleigh finds many tasks at
hand. He has service on important COM
mittees and is diligent at gathering in
formation that bears upon bills before
those committees. One of the Senator'S
big undertakings at Washington for
MANY years has been to look after the
pension interests of Civil War veterans.
He has indeed set the pace and fashion
in that matter, and the Maine veterans
recognize him as the greatest friend
they have had in Congress from Maine
in a generation.
As has been his won't for many years,
Senator Burleigh makes frequent visits
to the Pension Bureau, where he calls up
the papers of individual veterans who
have written him about tneir pensions.
He looks the papers over personally,
rather than entrust the examination to
clerk or secretary. His long business
experience enables him to judge what
may be lacking in the record OF the case
and then he takes steps to supply what
ever deficiency there may be. Senator
Burleigh's files are crowded with letters
of appreciation from the Maine veterans
for the work he has done in this line for
them. He says the gratitude of the veter-
ans thus shown him is one of the most
gratifying features of his long service at
Washington. The necessity for expedi-
ton with the requests of the veterans
becomes greater every year because
most of the applicants are now advanced
in years.
Senator Burlelgh has presented the
petition of numerous employees in the I'M
migration service at Vanceboro, Eastport,
Calais, Van Buren, and Fort Kent, Maine.
They ask Congress to grant pensions to
civil service employees throughout the
country. The petition was referred by
Senator Burleigh's request to the Com
mittee on Civil Service and Retrench-
ment. The matter of civil pensions has
been agitated for many years in this
country and great number of petitions
variety of plans have also been proposed
for such pensions. One is for the gov.
eminent TO pay these pensions outright,
as it pensions its former soldiers anc
their officers. Other plans have EN-.
bodied the idea that the government
should withhold a portion of the pay Of
these civil service employees and put il
into fund from which the pensions coulc
be financed. This has not met altogether
with favor on the part of the government
employees. Senator Burleigh referred
the petition without comment regarding
it's contents and purpose.
Mr.. Everett A, Colson, native OF
Warren, Maine, and connected with the
appointment division of the Civil Service
Commission in this city, has just been ap
pointed to head the United States Civi
Service il the Philippines. Mr.. Colsor
was formerly connected with the Com
mission in the Philippines before coming
to Washington, and his work there YVES
of such a character that when vacancy
occurred he was highly recommended te
Governor General Harrison and the latter
recently rendered Mr.. Colson the posi-
ton he is now accepting. He will leave
for Manila in few days. The salary is
understood to be something like Sc, 900 g
year. The appointment came to Mr..
Colson unsolicited and unexpected. Mr..
Colson has relatives in Union and Thorn.
aston, Maine.
Senator Burleigh has designated Law.
renee William Emerson, of Gardiner,
Maine, for principal to the Naval Acad.
envy at Annapolis under the new law
giving each member of Congress an ad
ditional vacancy. If young Emerson is
successful in passing the government
examinations he may enter the Academy
in June. Congress recently authorized
an increase in the number of cadets al
Annapolis.
Maine Republicans in Congress are
well satisfied with their record through
the recent controversy over armed mer
chantmen in Senate and House. There
was complete unanimity on their part
with reference TO the proper policy tc
pursue. Senator Burleigh decided al
the start, when the matter was at issue
at his end of the Capitol, that he would
stand by the President. Indeed the