Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-11


ton, rot corrupt and eaFslsss, yea voait
sxpecs thAt ~ coooonseelfh ~ 1.aeea,
chusetts would sasct Jas such dfaskSc b'l
q that. say b you that the uassechuaeai
bill vas enacted aecaass ~ pcaics force o.
Bossen vas inefficient and corrupt and ths
the bill net the sxigsncy. Teddy III
Besepa police fofce il . nest admirable
department. This bill, it sseDs % ne
viii i've ~ honest men. II Jos want you
stream Of water pure you uuss have yonl
fountain uacorrupsed. lfyoa want homes
cfsicers ron must have An hO,ess connie
mon. We believe that the Governor. re
moved from all intact With cur municipa
alairs, can and will and, under The Law
must provide fos clean, honest, intellisen
cemmi.sion. My brother from Lswistcr
said that Il took tie control OF the polics
department out Of the hands o. the mum
cipsl government ard of the citizens.
say to you that al the powers the Governor
hes under this bill is 70 appoint commis
sion Of three men, which has the sppciet
ment and the full control of the polics
force. II that any Capitalization of power
Il that any sbstracting Of the police forcs
from the hande of the citizens OF Lewiston
Nos, then, what else. Instead OF ~
uncertain tenure Of Office men arc
appointed up to 60 years OF age, and the
only test applicable to them il ''Bs We hon
est. be ye clean, be ye vigilant and be "
ever faithful to your duty? As long ~ ys
obey these rules ye shall stay upon the pc.
lice force Bangor has the police bill
and the only essential difference is in the
appointment Of the commission. This
places man under competitive. severe
civil service examination, and il he ID
found . ct man he il appointed, and il he
10 found wanting, no matter who he -, he
is rejected. Nov, geoilemen, wish you
to address yourselves to the Enforcement
Of this bill. They speak more elcquenfly
than words of mine. have, first. the pc
tition coming from our college. You
know something sbou. the institution and
it's management, about the personnel Of
The professors and Of the board of trustees
You know whether petition signed By
that college has any weight or not Le
me read it to you Mr.. Noble
then read the petition TO thu
House. also petition from 3S ciiizen
and taxpayers Of lewiston and one from
the mill men and business men on the street
Among the names in the latter position va
thu. Of the agent Of the Ambrose oggin mills
Then, l have petition here signed b!
gu. French citizens-Lezotte and some on,
hundred others-prsying for the saul
thing. have nothing to say xgsiust thes'
circumstances presented here, but l vii
take these petitions and compare them, maj
for man. with the remonstrances. On,
man lie just IS good as another il only b
be upright, houes: and \ jealous lover o.
honest government. That's sill cart
about. "a mao's man for a that.
That isn't ali. have personal letters herr
AMI l wish to read, il you will pardon me
Mr.. Noble then read part Of persons
letter from Col. +. 81. Drew Of Lewiston
ard referred TO letters received from til,
following parties residing in Lewiston
William d. Pennell, j. L. II. Cobb, c. s
Cfowell, G, A. Callahan, George A
Emerson, George A. Drew. J. @. Hatch
ii. A. Torsey, C. d, Lemont, s. A. Cum
mings, Col. A. b. Neslley, A. E. Frost
C. 0 Morrell, A. L. Templeton, A X. P
Knowlton. J. Y. Scruten, and f. C
Douglass.
l know that have exhausted you
patience, bu. simply ask you TO hear m
for the cause which l am behind.
Mr.. Drew Of Fort Fairfeld--It seems t
me that this bill is most important on
because under our form Of government
we all believe in leaving the power wit
the people. and especially in municipa
affairs. This bill seeks to take from III
people Of Lew ston part Of their mun!ci
psi goyernme Mt and annex it to the execu
tive government Of the State. Ii SCENE t
NE that the advocate of this bill must sho,
conclusively that it is for the best interest
of the people Of Lewiston and of the Stat
at large. He has told you the miserable
.tsts of affairs that exists there, and af,e
listening to his tale Of woe am surprise
to find in this bill that ,hes
commissioners shall be residents o
lie vision. l sm surprised that h
does not advocate that they shall be nor
residents. The whole burden Of his son
is that the heelers and the strikers are CAL
didates for the appointment Of policemen
he says that this exists in sil cities, an
in almost the next breath he says tha
Portland has similar bill. Then do nc
see why it does not work IS we'll in Port
land and Bangor. l am opposed to thi
bill because it takes from the hands of ths
municipality part Of their affairs,
branch of government which the people i
Lewiston must support, and it seems to m
that ii is nothing but fair and honest tbs
they should control that. am acqnsin e
with the mayor who has just been elected
He is the peer Of any man in thi
State for honesty and integrity and it seem
to me that i. is perfectly safe to leave thi
in his hands. The gentle mau says ths
Drunkenness exists to such an extent tbs
20 arrests were made in single day.
seems to me that if as many arrests as hi
were made in single day it shows tbs
the police force are doirg their duty fairl
welt. There is a law on the Statute book
which allows the Governor to appoint speci'
constsbles, giving two to Lewiston, for tn
better enforcement of the Law. Is that
success in lie ~iston? In all fairness {
the people OF Lewiston 1 think this bi
shouid not pass. l have more faith in III
people Of Lewiston than the gentiema
from Lewiston. behave they can go,
eIn their city and will.
Mr.. White Of Bar gor-The gcn.lema
from Lewiston represented that we had 81,
a police department in Bangor under tn
same sort Of bill that IS proposed hare. I
some respects that is true. The citizens @
Bangor petitiooed the Legislature two yeai
ago for police bill taking ont Of tn
hands Of Al, local authorizes ard putin
into the hands Of commission the appoin
Hien! Of the police, but it is left en,irel
With the local authorities. The city goI
errment CT Bangor elects The commissio
ard in that respsc. it is entirely different.
signed the petition 10 have it taken ont Q
the hauds Of the Mayor for The very res
son that it wss sort of annoy
amer to newly elected mayor I
have 81 many spp.icsnts, and believe tn,
a commission 10 better, but believe tbs
sheIe is honesty enough in the LEGAL COY
einnent OF every large city in the State
attend to their affairs for themselves. Tn
gentleman from Lewiston has tried to Civ
US an impression tina, Lewiston Is yer
wicked city, bur DO no. think tina. is true
My friend from Lewiston vii, compsr
favorably with any of the gentlemen of TIL
House for honesty and int gritty, yet | do,
think it is necessary for him to Try to co,
tinue to prove that there are very few h IL
est men IN Lewiston. l am certain that
the four men who represent Lewiston O
the floor of this House are fair rep.s
sen,s'ion. it is safe to leave the m,nag;
msnt of their affairs to themselves.
Mr.. Peaks of Dover-I wan, to vo,
right on this matter and presume ever
gentleman of the House wants to vote ris
! do not like the idea of the genilems
from Lewiston bringing in their dirty lire
and askiog US to wash it. Both the gentl,
men from Lewiston have said it was a yer
wicked city. DO not believe it is N,
tba. think that they have stated falls. l.
but they have stated without stopping /
- think of the sns ct Of their words.
have always been proud that we had such
city IS lie xis.on. | think their aues,io