Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-01-26

Business 20 be ATTENDED 70.
1t is time this farce at Union Hall was
ended. If the men who meet there like
the play for their own amusement. nobody
will object to their aching ii, for m indeh-
mite period. if they viii do it at their own
expense and at the Inconvenience Of %
one else But, however innocent they
may have regarded it thus far, it promises
to be at the sacrifice of interests Of more
importance than their personal interests
ever were or are likely ever to be.
The men who were elected TO this 5Sth
Legislature were sent here for other than
partizan purposes, and to be the willing
servants Of political partisans. and led
wild and reckless tilt by reckless men.
against party opponents. and for their own
! personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
This legislature has met tn transact the
most important business Of our State, in
yolying its general prosperity and the
prosperity of every department Of private
industry. Before these all questions,
other than those involving most sacred
rights, sink into contemplate insignih-
canoe. The people Of the State have a
right to demand. and they will demand,
that their chosen representatives. shall
now give their attention TO these legiti-
mate affairs OF State We have entered
upon the last week in January. and the
public servants at the Capitol have but
just begun the proper work Of the session.
Thus far the people have looked upon the
contest raging at the Capitol as one forced
upon u, and that could not be avoided.
Nor they will demand that the strife shall
end, and the public servants address them
selves TO the work given them to do.
There ran be no possible excuse tina,
public opinion will accept from any legal
~ elected representative or senator. for
prolonging this disgraceful war. The fn-
@ionists chose their own ground and
have been fairly beaten on
that very ground. They claimed
that those who were backed by the consti-
tution and the laws should constitute
the Legislature The only tribunal on
earth that could properly and authorize.
lively determine whom the law did recog
nizc. has pronounced, and has declared
, that the body at the State Capitol is the
lawful Legislature. Every citizen of Maine
knows this to-day. 1t is folly and non
sense to talk of the opinion Of the Su
preine Court as being partisan. and moi
binding. The people Of Maine believe
' that the constitution and laws Of Maine
are binding, and when the Supreme Cour,
tells us what the law is, there is no soph
istry and no logic Of any man that car
e persuade them that tie iaD so determined
is not authoritative. These men At Union
4, Hall held that they and we should be gov
erned by the law. We assented. W.
have learned what this is Now we are
ready to obey it. and we hold that they
shall obey it. or give place to men who
will The real questions at issue have
been settled. Let them. like honest ant
= fair minded men. accept that settlement
and not seek to prolong a useless conflict
by raising new and false issues which car
never affect the real issue. from which
there can he no escape.
: With men who are here with claim.
which the court has denied we have moth
ing to do. But the lawful Legislature Al
the Capitol the body that must, and the
only body that can. transact the business
p OF the state. this year. ought to demand
that the legally elected representatives o.
: the people shall take their seats and per
} form their duties. or that other men should
T. be called to their vacant seats. We have
no doubt that the legislature will g
straight on to do its work. This it could
do. although their seats should remain
= vacant to the end Of the session.
But these men who refuse to fill their
. places cannot be allowed to determine
whether so large portion of the State
and So large an amount Of its property
r. and of its enterprise. shall be unreprcsen
ted in the legislature which is to fix the
valuation of their property, and the basis
7 of their taxes for ten years to come. The
people of these districts must be allowed
to say for themselves whether they shall
be without representatives. At such time
if their chosen representatives. refuse to
act,