Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-23


sxpeRieree. shis n.tsoken chain Of evi-
dsnce in this dissesior. re sfe asked n
Dat contsadic3ien 10 believe re can - a
year a1eer yer, decAas sfsr decade, sen-
enrion sftef generation. yoa might ~,
holding slesfi1as fairly reskfnE win cor
rnptica md yet have - result only n
inccsrupe Ard iacossnpsaie govesnsnenf
When yca ak rs 10 bslieye that, yoa
SAX Us to b@litre ssBslhsng that IL
absurd on the vs,y face Of Il. /
hsrs. given a fev Of the reaeeas
Why DO net bsi;sve this measure 10 nec-
easary- viii ror. very briefly give yca .
few Of the reasors. Wis I. fer one. do not
want il; saa in tie ssss psses viii say I
have GOT to, much Sssss pride. too mach
regard for the good name OF t1a common
people Of my State 90 desire 70 zee any
such measure - tais pass Dafias the
summer months there sra tens OF thousands,
do not know bat I would be safe in say-
ing hundreds If Thousands OF the best edu-
Gated and cultivated people from al paxts
Of Gu. 1uatry who come mo the State OF
Maize 70 spend the season. They feel an
interest in the State Of Maine read the
papers in the winter TO learn What 10
going en- here. believe that these
people generally. these yiritcri eAvs very
good cpirion o. our ua'ise population win
whom they have been brought in contact,
AID desire that our people should sfiH
retain thai geed opinion; but when you
pass this bill, you practically make the
statement to the World ,has corruption,
bribery and ietimidatisn exist in the S'sss
of Maiae % saeh al ex;sas ina. il Is rsces-
ssry to enact such lev as tAis TO proesct
Us agsinst them New without question
ing the motives Of tie men who make it, l
say that believe any such statement -
that ia . slander snd misrepresentation OF
the COZ mon people Of ont State, misfep-
rssentation Of onr people as whole, particu-
lA,ly the Misrepresentation Of cur working
men far, when you cay this measure is neces-
sARy for workingmsn, you practically
charge them with being either corrup. or
towards, aud DO not believe you can sus-
tsin either charge. /. Is n very fLe thing
to call some other fellow s coward. but /
want to see the workin gmsn OF this State
that will cone mp here and ssy that TIL.
measure 10 necessi y TO protect hin.I do not
wait him to tell me Of some other fellow
who does not dare 10 vote - he wants 10.
We know that the law and public senti-
ment Of this State is In favor of every man
voting just rs he sees ct and with the
prote c.ion Of the law and the sentiment of
this State. il there are any considerable
number Of our working men who are such
cowards that they do not dare to vote as
they desire to vote in this Stste, am sorry
for them; but ! certainly do not want to
legislate in such may - to encourage and
put premium on such cowardice.
believe, as = general thing That phys
and moral courage 90 together. Our
workingmen have again and sgsin proved
that they have physical courage. In the
late war our armies were filled from the
ranks Of the workipgmen. Do you believe
the men who had the ply steal courage to
face the lannon's mouth in the support Of
q principle, have not the courage to go to
the polls in the State of Maine and vote A.
they see ft TO vote? Another reason why
I do not want this measure is this; that /
believe shas when you abolish our
open system of voting and sub
stituse the secret ballot in its place. you
deprive our common people of one of the
best opportunities Of openly showing their
love of country. There are few men
Who can hold offices who can make their
influence felt upon the government. By
virtue of civil or military positions they can
hold. That is not true Of the great masf
of the people. The great mass can make
their influence felt only by their vote; and
with our present system of voting every
man once in two years msy feel he is q
part Of the government and has an influence
on the government, and he may 60 to the
polls and right in the full face of his
fellow men, give expression to his con-
victions by an oper, manly and independ-
ent act. Now what can be more
humiliating to q manly man to be obliged
to sneak into hole for the performance Of
that set And i, is none the less humiliat-
ing to me because it lisa common humilia-
ton. think the people Of our State have
been proud of the virtuous lives of their
public men, I think there has been q
mutual pride existing between these public
men and their constituents, Our public
men have been proud that their constitu
ents were of such character tha. they
could appreciate pure life. Oar corsti-
tuents, on the other hand, have been prond
that their representative men lived lives
which correctly represented them. do
not know a, it is good taste for me to
mention any of these public men,
who are living, by name: bu. where
is there man in the State Of Maine, I do
not care what his politics may be. who lie
not proud of the virtuous lives thai breath G
names of Morrill, and Fes senasu? Whist
could he more humi!is;ing to these men,
if they could stand upon the earth today
than to see the Maine Legislature upon
whom their constituents bad conferred the
highest honor that they could confer,
actually enscting Law which practically
literally stepped in corrunti1p? Nov, i:
see fit to plead guilty to that charge. + csn
not prevent it; bur I am thankful to
say l Represent constituency the
bulk of which does not plead
guilty to the charge; ard which thanks
no Legislature for making any .nch
charge against them. am terfeely well
aware thst mary Of our city friends Of this
State and in the cities of other states Who
will regard tie sentmsnts to which I have
given utterancs IS simply evidence of so
much old fdryism and Of 3 moribund
conservatism. But, utterly regardless If
such criticism I can only say my word.
give utterance to my mos. earnest and hon.
est conviction. and l have no apology to
make for them and shall make no effort to
conceal them; but in this place, and every
place, at every suitable time, until l am
convinced that they are wrong, l shall
endeavor to make q manly defense Of
them.
Mr.. Poor of Cumberland did not
think TO say word upon the question at
issue and wish that what say in q bro
ken manner may be chssitablY considered.
When matter comes before this Legisls-
ture regarding any lncsl is.ue pertaining to
the town of Sebsgo sba'l work for the
interests of that town, or when matter of
local interest pertaining to the county Of
Cumberland comes up here l shall work
for the interests Of that county, or when a
matter Of local interest pertaining to any
psrt Of the State, so far as can learn The
merits Of the case; and shsl vote, if
vote at all, spd speak, il I speak at all.
conscientously upon that issue. When
come before the Senate and vote upon q
matter of State issue pertaining to the
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