Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-02-03

gentleman from Camden MT Eaton hau
read three or four times during the ses-
sion. The question had been raised whether
our allegiance requires us to vote to make an
mendment to the constitution which we think
ought not to be made. The republican party
year after year has been adding to the prohib-
itory law TO make it effectual. Every syllable
which has been added by that party has been
added against the constant and determined
opposition of every other party in the State.
In 1850 Daniel +. Davis was the republican
candidate for governor, and it was a matter
of some uncertainty then whether plurality
would elect. So those who desired to defeat
the republican candidate found it for their
interest to multiply candidates, drawing of
the forces of him who was expected to have
plurality. The prohibitionists set up two
rival candidates against Mr.. Davis-Joshus
Nye and Wm- 2. Joy-and that no effort to
defeat the republican party might be wanting,
they made Neal Dow of Portland. presiden-
tial candidate. What motive could they have
in this: Simply to bring about, as they did, the
drawing off of the republican forces for the
benefit of the democratic party. They de-
feateJ the only party that ever enacted one
syllable of prohlbitory law in this State and
gave the power into the hands of that party
which hal been more consistent as an enemy
Of prohibition than il had been in any other
particular from the beginning. They did
this deliberately, intentionally, with malice
aforethought. The last State convention OF
republicans said, this will occur again unless
we crafty these men. We must give them
an amendment TO the constitution or lose the
offices. This was the alternative which the
party of Nye and Dow offered to the republi-
can party. And the republican party came
down on its knees. 1t purchased the votes of
Nye and Dow and of their followers. This
was the contract which We are asked to carry
into execution to-day. | repudate the con-
tract. | repudiate II as republican. | re
pudiate it as 4 prohibitionist. | spit upon it
was the supporter of prohibition in the day
when Mr.. Nye and Mr.. Dow and Mr.. Jov
were doing their utmost to destroy it.
The contract was without consideration
The offices gained by it were not worth one
thousandth part of what they would cost un
der that contract. 1t was a contract for the
sake of the offices for two wears, to take the
ancient constitution of this State down and
make it the sport and the servant of few
restless and ambitious hypocrites. The makers
of the republican platform have put me and
those who stood with me in the last House,
to hard alternative. They have made ii
necessary that should eat my words or pub
lish their shame. They have made this a
dav for their humiliation or for mine. | pro
pose to make il theirs. My constituents have
not returned me here, knowing what | said
on this floor in the Goth legislature, with any
intention that | should surrender. | trust
it bas become evident that do not surrender
| serve notice upon the republican party not
to be too sure of our allegiance. Our ale
glance is not to be triied with or traded away
What was the following of Messrs. Nye and
JOY in 1880? Joy had l24 votes,
Nye, 800 1873: number about
equal to the number of those inside
the Insane Asylum And they now propose
to put into the Constitution a new thing to be
sworn to by every man who enters the legs
lature. Now there is class OF men number
ing, think, more than 1873, men of intelli-
gence, and conscientious men with whom
disagree. Those men are not in favor of pro-
hibitOn. They believe in license or local
option, or in some other method of restrain
ing or exterminating the evil of intemperance.
Under the constitution As now proposed to be
amended, the man who does not believe in
prohibition is met at the door of this House,
to which the people have sent him, and re
quired to make oath to enact prohlbitory laws
or he cannot enter. \ man to be a member
of future legislatures of Maine must have
pass from Joshua Nve. 1t would he an infa-
nous thing for the majority of the voters to
exclude from the legislature those who dsa-
greed with them upon matters of police reg
ulations think it is material for us at this time
to consider the character and origin ofthat
upon which this assault is made
| take occasion to summon to its defence the
loyal. and the patriotic. of the people of
Maine, and especially those among them who
have suffered for it. 1t has come to US from
out the strife of ages, and time and labor and
wounds and tears and death have hallOwed it.
Mr.. Spear Of IIallowell replied to the last
speaker. Did this request for this amend
ment come from the voice of the people or
from the rabble?" Was it not only from the
rabble, as had been remarked, but from the
people selected and sent to the greatest con
vention ever held in this State? Il had been
his pleasure to be a delegate to that cOnven-
ton, composed of 1922 men, men selected from
every city, town and plantation in the com
monwealth. Every republican in the House
had been represented there. When the gen
tleman Mr.. Thompson asserted that the
proposed amendment originated with 433 men
he asserted something which could not be
maintained. That convention was composed
of the best men in the State. Messrs Hall
and Wilson of the House were members.
l pom the PldtiOtH anu moor were
Senators Hale and Frye. the Hons.
Nelson Dingley and S. ID. Lindsay
More than twenty of the abest lawyers in the
State were there. Were these men, selected
from every part of the State. the rabbe? !?
Were these men the 333 who had stood up
and fought the republican party? He re-
pudiated the imputation as directly contrary
to his views and as direct insult to the 1927
men who composed the convention and voted
without protest in favor of this resolution
This was the source of this proposed amend
ment. The speaker next took up and dis
cu-sed briefly the necessity of the proposed
amendrnon'. 1t was no N re trifing to en-
graft a rrohioitory law upon the constitution
than to engrlft the que ton of taxation or
municipal in lecte lness upon it. Was it not
As important to the people that prohibition
should still exist as that the people shall
not be taxed unless by vote of the
legislature, or that towns shall not
incur an Indebtedness beyond a certain
amount: Were those questions of more i'm
port tnce than the cause of temperance, which
reaches clear dow n to the bottom of society !?
He desired the amendment so that il might
be taken out of politics and prevent its being
ma ie the plsything of political parties on the
pne band or the other.
@~Nr. Eaton of Camden, in answer to the
Argument that the prohibitory law could be
taken care of by police regulations.
said that police regulations had failed it
almost every case to carry out the design of