The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-07-31
Original Package Bill.
REMARKS oY Hon. SETH l.. MJLLIKgs
IN THE House. july 18th.

|
the bill IS 1857 to limit the effect Of the
regulations of commerce between the
several States and with foreign countries
In certain cases-Mr. Milliken said Mr.
Speaker: The only question before this
House now Is whether we wish TO cure
the evil which has occurred on account
OF the recent decision Of the Supreme
Court. did not suppose when the bill
was called up for consideration, that ",
should have so many arguments and Sc
long discussion of constitutional ques
tons involved and the right Of Congress
to correct this evil. But that is nothing
new. Since we have had q history
when anything was to be done somebody
has always found something In the or
ganic law Of the country standing in the
way Of doing SO.
More than two thousand years ago
when great question was discussed be.
tween Demosthenes and Eschnes, the
latter being undoubtedly At heart a trai.
tor to his country. Demosthenes said
TO him. HE quotes the written law 10
prevent the prosperity of his own coun.
try" And 80 now to-day, In this adv an
ced age we find our friends on the other
side of the house, not all Of them, will
ing to shut down the gates and stop the
flow Of rum which the decision of the
court has caused but there is this trou-
BILE and that trouble and the other trouble
to be found in the Constitution Of the
United States to prevent its being done.
l can remember time when that same
Constitution OF the United States had q
much greater strain upon 1t than can be
caused by any legislation that will be
framed by this Congress In order TO pre-
vent free rum everywhere In this coun-
try, and remember at that time that the
same course WAS pursued, and that q
distinguished President Of the U. s,
said that certain States of this country
had no right TO secede from the Union.
but he could find no warrant In the Con
stitution to prevent them from doing 80
And so our friends on the other side of
the House deplore In eloquent terms the
fact that the court has opened the grog-
shops, but they find In the Constitution
no opportunity for q remedy. That is
the lion they see in the pathway to every
reform proposed In this House. The
Constitution was framed for no purpose
of being stumbling block to reform
and healthy progress, and l have faith
that when great wrong is perpetrated
the good sense of the people will find a
constitutional way to remedy it.
If this House can find any such way
they will sen Congress here which will
And it. Whether the recent decision was
well founded or not l will not discuss,
for 1t has already been discussed quite
enough; but the decision of the court
has given an impetus to the sale of in
toxicating liquors In the United States.
1t has given encouragement to the rum
Sellers 1t has given encouragement to
the brewers; 1t has started up many q
low groggery. The rum-sellers have all
received from "high authority" encour-
agement to embark with new confidence
and zeal in their harmful traffic again !;
and hence to meet this exigency | be-
lleve 1t is the duty of the Congress of
the United States to pass the Senate bill
now before US and thus set shining ex-
ample the other way. We have an op-
portunity to do 1t now, and | have little
! dstee..ht Ii at j. will he done.
l have no serious objection TO the
House substitute except that 1t takes in
so many subjects that fear 1t may not
come out Of conference with an agree
ment between the conferees of the two
Houses, and that therefore nothing will
be accomplished. In the mean time the
| rumseller will be left free to force his
| Injurious traffic without hinderance OF
any kind into States and communities
where the people do not want it. If
| Maine, or Minnesota, or any other State
does not want the free sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors within their borders, how do
our States right friends on the other side
find warrant In the Constitution to force
1t upon themi Or II, like the court, they
find such warrant, what clause of the
Constitution prevents Congress from ap-
plying q remedy9 Now, the gentleman
from Arkansas Mr.. ROGERS and am
sorry he is not present in discussing this
question-asked why prohibition WAS not
enforced In the State of Maine. Prohi-
billion is enforced In Maine especially in
all the rural parts of the State. Indeed,
1t is everywhere there enforced better
than election laws are enforced in the
gentleman's State of Arkansas, where 1t
is worth mans life to stand up and be-
come Republican candidate for Con-
gress.
have no doubt that there may be spots
| In that State where there are good peo-
Pile, where popular sentiment Is In favor
go to the polls and vote freely and have
that vote fairly and honestly counted.
But there are places, certainly, In his
State where the public sentiment does
not sustain the election laws and where
they are disobeyed. Now, everywhere
In the good State of Maine, where we
have had prohibitory laws for forty
years or more, the law Is enforced ex-
cept In few spots in the cities where
vice gathers, where people from foreign
countries come. and where the public
sentiments Is not up to the standard which
we find In the fresh and healthy country
towns of the State; and II the gentleman
would abolish that law because somebody
evades it, or because some people violate
1t, then on the same principle he would
abolish all law, becauss all laws are
more or less violated. He certainly would
abolish the law against murder and all the
crime in the catalogue OF crimes in his
own State and everywhere.
1t Is not to be said that we should not
pass q law providing q wholesome re-
striction; to do away with the evils that
dow from rum selling, and stop crime,
because some criminal slips through the
net of The law. The prohbitory law of
Maine has stood the test for q generation
and more and 1t will continue to stand
among our statutes, because the sober
minded men of the State, they who
earnestly wish for the prosperity and
happiness Of the people, having seen the
good results Of the law, believe in 1t and
mean to retain 1t as the best shield yet
invented against a great vice.
The Supreme Court has, by its decision,
unfettered and let loose a great evil
While q majority seem to have felt con-
strained to do this, they have at the same
time more than intimated to Congress
that 1t might arrest the harm which its
decision has already caused, a harm which
will continue to grow until 1t shall be ar
rested.
| The bill which comes from the Senate
touches that question, and that alone.
That Is the only question agitsting the
country, think, in this particular. do
not believe 1t would be good thing to
harness anything else up with 1t. want to
see that question considered In the House
bare OF anything that can possibly EN-.
harrass or compromise 1t. l believe the
House is ready to apply the remedy to
heal the trouble, and to stop the great
consequences which are to grow out OF
this decision; and l do not think that
anybody who has his eyes open At al
questions these evil consequences. They
are too patent to the world to be ques'
Toned.
My German friend argues for beer, and
1t may DO true that his people can drinl
beer and not become drunkards; but b,
should remember that the decision of tn,
court lets loose all the hard liquors .!
we'll ~ the milder ones, and II Congress
does not come to the rescue by giving thu
States police regulation over the liquo
traffic every community will be helpless
- against any person who shall attemp
TO establish . nuisance In its midst ant
. Mace temptation TO ruin before boil