Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-20

| Contirnsd from lys rsgs.l
House and through sone Of tbe ssvspsp<fs
and referred 10 upon tar O ,os Of ths
Senate IL "Whs, this IL Democratic
meaxuse and Wy the Repaid cAa party -
. parry 10 opposed % tbs measure. ~ il il
claimed oy the a7pon. mrs Of this bli. il
hist . solid D<moe-stie vote il TIE House
Of Representatives xax csst n favor OF this
measure. Il seems ~ me that 10 fA.hsR q
ri:isb.e condition Of ihinss upon viii
10 found IN sssunsn:- Here, today, il
The sres: Rs,ssifesn Parry Of the SAFE OF
Msire, 8 majority parry IA bath branches 81
This Leaislasars. /. hss the power ~
orig;us,r SD carry thsassh lsgsiA;ioa IN
the State. Upsa IL mast res. he rrspon-
sibii.ty for snsieser l-gisiasa,n il enacted
here; and IL seems ~ ne tnst. for grsas
majority psrty IKE that. occupying the
pss.rlsn which the Republican party
does to1ay Ia this STATE. upon great pabiie
mezsafs ike this, before i. takes its staad
and De nees its pssi 100 tha, IL saou.d wsi,,
| ard hesitate TO see vhst the minority party
i. soing to do, Ard then ssy: sc will d.
the opposisc-to take that position ~ sound
Rspaoiicsn doctrine sad gpsd p 'lisical JUG
raenr, IL. 10 cay mind. sxrs usIy ersoseous
I believe we csnne. snrink from The re-
| spor billy which rests u5ol us % the
| party in pover ia this State in both branch
- Of this legislature in regard TO Whist
| legislation 10 enAcsed here; and i, seems to
NE that The only course Of the Republican
party should be .o~. as il hss been in the
| pAss to see what 10 rizht, What ia best for
the interests Of the people Of this State .ani
shat 10 beet for the good narae of the State.
and then DO il without r, gard to Who oppose
or Who favor it, Why, any other course
would read ike . page tskea from demo-
cratic history and not from Repnbiicaa
| traditions or presidents. II has been the
gres: trouble with the Democratic part;
during the past quarter Of =
! century that il never had policy
| Of iss own until it found out wha.
| the Republican party Was going to do; and
| Tor one, sish 10 enter my protest aaAinss
the Republican party Of Maine sd. ping
any such policy ~ that upon important
public MEASURES which come before is
| representatives here. | speak some what
IarDiy about this. although am free to
| .sy have no feeling above it l hAvr
| never lobbied 10 regard to thi. measure.
| nave never tried to inf 1eDce men to vote
for It or against it, regarding it - matter
t. be LEFT, to the individual Judgment and
conscience Of each man. Upon this qass-
| don OF the cour.e OF the r. Publican
party feel ths, cannot help speaking my
sentiments. was born Il Republican
ard drew in my inspiration of
Republican ideas while, in the tleg ant
| language of the gentleman in the lower
House, was "me Wing and puking in my
curses arms" From tina. day to this have
loved the Republican party for what il has
done for the cause Of human progress aud
freedom in this country. love Ii for what
it is doing. and what, under God, il has stll
To do for these same causes of progress
and freedom; and feel ~ have said ;
before The Republican party embsrks upon
= caGse-vhieh has been marked OUT for il
in this Leg stature, want to enter my pro
est against 1t. 1t is said that the Repub!i-
can party as party /. opposed 70 this meas
ure. deny IT, | do not think the gen,le man
IAN shOx Credentials which will back that
statement up. They refer to the last Stat
canvsntion, where q resolution in favor Of
;, cfrt official ballot was Introduced upon
the e or Of has convention by Mr. f ner-
,on Of Poril4Gd and referred to The com
n.ittee on resolutions, which reported back
hat the Republican party believes in al
elective system free from fraud and cor
'uption and that il favofs the adoption OF
any legislation n-cessary to effect that pUr-
pose That in substance. Does any
gentleman Of the Senate undertake to say
hat tat was An iii iAl declaration that the
Republican party as party WAS opposed
20 the stcfes official ballot? Saeh
All assertion, il seems to me, is
'Ihout shadow Of foundation Of fact.
Does any man elaim that the pro-
posed measure will tend to promote
fraud al d corruption? / think not, that it
fav1rs the adoption Of any Legislation
Necessary 20 fec: that purpose. Who is
there among the senators or ia the House
n elsewhere in the Republican pst;y Who
went upon the stump last fall d pus that
construction, As r republican, upop that
plank in the Republican platform? Dies
= yoDe know Of q Gaze? I, il time enough
for gentlemen TO claim that the Republican
party, ~ parry, is opposed TO this measure
when 1t Ia able to formulate and have
adopted in the platform Of the party plans
shieh says that 1t is opposed to secret
fl 'isl bsllot. The Republican party,
through its committee on revolutions,
and through the convention, assembled
N this State last June. IS be
iieve. wisely resolved not to make
party question Of this issue, but to leave it
u every member Of The party to settle
according to his own judzmen. and con
science; aud believe hat the claim that
is made here that the Republican party i-
opposed to this, cannot be subs antiated in
fact. What light is shed upon this ques-
ion by ;he history of this matter two years
ago? The matter came up and received
81 me- 80 votes or Whereabouts in the House
Of Representatives. aud the motion TO apply
i; ~ cities received only some ii votss.
think, in the Senate. This year it comes
Up in different form, its strength more
reviewing its history draw from it 81
argument asairs its sdcption than his ,nind
il constituted differently from mine. Nov
the question, IS it seems 10 mo is this; and
wish to say this 10 Oh, Republican friends,
for all these gentlemen are my friei ds q
fellow Republicans, that this is queslioa
for each man to act upon as in his judg
ment Is just and right | do not know as
any more forts have been mids 10 bulldozs
men iato supporting this measure than have
been the other way. I think there has
been quite IS much pressure brought +,
bear around these legislative halls. to whip
men into opposing the measure which they
be lisye was iast and right az there ba. been
TO bring them to support it. / re-
member of reading come t~o or three
day ago in one of tae leading Republican
papers Of hi. State little kindly nd to
Whist they term the minority Of the Repub
licsn party in this legislature, that they bad
be ter get into lire. If 3 man believes thu,
he is already formed in the iine there i. L o
other plare for him TO get and while aro
speaking see before me the postssi. Of 3
man who, qua ter of Century ago, bad
that same sdvice ter dered to him in an i'm
portsnt national measure. that he vss ect.
ing with the Democratic psrty and had bet.
ter get into line l believe today that the
judgnent of poste,ity and the Judgment Of
the level he sd.d men OF The X, publican
party today is that hat msnaby Ihis course
10 that eventful matter did move than any
thing ihst could be done at that
lime for the best interests of the nation,
AID the beet interests of the party. So far
as this measure tending to disrupt or dis
me- mber he Il publican party, want to
"a