Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-12

mens is 80 be made fo, 8 = rfl Of four years
from the firs. DAY OF May. 1891. 50 that tie
terms OF these IL rfen all expire On the
f.st day OF Nsy, Is;'j Nor. my gepzs-
| lieAn frieEds, suppose that II shouts seen
wise 10 an irsefr1b.z Providence ~ 80 af-
fiicf aud chssiea And punish the Sss.e os
Maize ihar o.. ihe fret day Of Nav, ic93,
there should happen 70 be Democrats
loysrHor and when the terms Of ata2a OF
thee IS zen expire there should be pa; N
| their places IL good ard loyal Dsmoer,s
givif them the control Of the boards at
Registration ia the n cities 81 this STA c.
sill you look back tnea AMI be entirely
satisfied with having voted Io4.s u
pat it in The hands CT the Cover
nors / have spoken OF IL ftom a
political stardpo NJ. en- parry
man. believe in tie patty in
paftieais, whose views 7 represent upon
the fiso- Of this House today. If We are
TO depart from The original idea OF local
self-govsrnment, pray you ihs.we depart
no further than is ne cessary 70 preserve The
safety of our people in thei. municipal
elections. Let US no: pa. il 10 the
hands Of q man who. while be is 4 Repue-
| licsn today may be something else SOM e
list betweer the Governor Of the State, the
boards and courts, who might be called
| apoa to exercise their power OF appointing
| have felt that it would be unwise TO drag
he court. either supreme or NUT ieipai, iato
politics. know OK no other boards 30 near
| to the various cities outide Of the cities
| the mseives, which either knows or can
know the wants of the people in these eitiS 5
. h 10. a., IS Ia
Mr. Stearns of Caribou regret that /
am obliged to diaagrse with my friend, the
gentleman from Auburn, about the prep.i-
ETY. Of adopting this amendment. New. q,
| understand IL, is is generally admitted
that registration bill for the cities of
Maine is not only desirable but necessary.
The sentiment in favor OF such bill has
been growing on the people for years. Ia
the early part of this session it was one OF
he most prominent objects of discussion.
There we're in the House and in the Senste
gentlemen who had given the subject
speei,l thought and consideration. These
ger tleme presented their yless to the
different members that they met, aud
doaiiv to the legal Affairs ccmmittee
a committee composed Of gentlemen
of high character, legal ability, kno ledge
and experience, and from that was f3rmu-
lated this bill as it VA. presented to
this House originally. Now this committee
gave the fullest opportunity ID all people
for a hearing. They consulted freely with
every body about it. Ii was their sole
desire to present TO thi, House good bill
fhe bill was presented u the Senate with
the unanimous approval of the committee
With the exception of 3 minority of one,
and the Senate, after delibera'ion, has
passed it, thus indicating that to that body.
who have given it very careful! confederation
il wss all that was desired. The bill was
presented to the House more than H week
ago. Talk was made about amendments
but no suggestions, 10 amendments were
offered to the House. None were printed,
none ordered printed. This amendment
comes into the House this morning, entirely
changing the pusport Of the bill Nov the
gentleman from Auburn Gays, and truly,
| too, that it has always been the policy Of
this state, or of New England, rs he
| puts 1t, that there should be local control
! Of cur atiairs, ami tia; is q reason, | sub
| nit. Why this smendmen. should be re-
| jecteo, becau.e the orjeirsl bill eUbodies
mos. fully this idea of local control. Il
| provides that the two members of the
+conimItsee shall be appointed by the mayor
o. the city, thus giving the fullest scope to
| Lhls idea, luasmlGh rs they are appointed
| by the power nearest 10 the municipality in
which lhis bSdy is to serve. We have
another element, as 1t seems TO me-, OF
| strength rather than weakness in the fact
that the third man is to be appointed By
! the Governor of the State. | suppose
have no more or no less respect for the
| Governor OF this State, a. such, than has
ths gentleman from Auburn. | suppose
| that every Governor is man, and that
every man may have weakness, that
every man may have private hlaa, that
every man, in other words, must heior :
to OF OF the greGt pirties into which our
I STATE no~ is and always may be divided,
but yet to the man attaches the dignity OF s.
high Office. More than that, be is conspic-
uouslv before the people. His acts are
reai aud commented upon in all the papers
They are discussed at al The corners, in
| all the places Of the State. Therefore, i;
Is no:, to my mind, An Argument tina: this
man, vested with this high office, this PROM
| inence. this dignity. would be more likely
10 make a partisan nomination than would
the board of county commissioners. Now
control we add the dignity, the RESPONSE
h,lity of the high office of the chief e1ecl,
tive Would this b. an honest partisan
board, az is suggested, if the appointment
were made by tie county commissioners
| Can auy gentleman on the 4 Dor tell roe OF
any county in the State today where the
whols or o maj 1rity cf the board of county
commissioner is not made up Of Republi-
I ,,,tra k,. &k,,sn
| three men who are Republicans be any less
| partisan than sn appointment by The GOV
ernor? hope the House will reject the
amendment, leaving the bill to pass as it
stands, which to my mind satisfies the
needs of the cities, preserves the rights CT
all the people, and is satisfactory ID the
good sense of the House.
Mr.. Callahan CT Leyistou-I wish to
! offer an amendment to the amendment.
| MIR. Cslshan then read his amendment
and it was sent to The Chair.
Tie Chsir-rhe amendment offered by
the gentleman from Auburn will be known
az House amendment 3D." House amend
ment "A having been acc pied yesterday
and now the gentlemen from Lewiston
offers an amendment to House amendment
s" AMI the question now comes upon the
adoption OF the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Lewiston, The chair will
read the amendment 10 the amendment
offered by the gentlemen from Lewiston.
Mr.. Pea Of Dover-f rise, Mr.. Speaker
to the point Of order tina; it wss not AZ
amendment 10 this amendment but that ii
was an attempt to substitute another ameni-
men..
Mr.. Callshsn-It doesn't make any diff.
fere ce to me how it shall be considered.
should offer it as an am; niment to House
amendment "B.
The Chair-It seems to the Chair that
this does not amend House amendment 'B'
bn. is al entirely. distinct amendment.
The gentleman can, in any way, give
notice that after this amendment is acted
upon-if the amendment. for instance,
should be rejected-that he proposes to
offer the amendment which he ha, sent TO
the chaic Il seems to me tina. it is the
only way the smendmen. can be considered.
Mr.. SGvage-Cen he not offer it as a
substitute to the amendment?
The Cha;r-I think not. He can give
notice that he will offer this amendment 10
case smendm mt "B" is not acted upon
favorably.
Mr.. Cote of Biideford-I. does seem TO
me that great stress has been laid upon this
bill! 70 try and convince the gentlemen Of
this House that this is not partisan meas
ure. Ever since this State has become
State, the aldermen Of each CITY have had
The controlling power of the check list, All
Of sudden, on account Of few voters in
. certain city who don't happen to be on
the right side of politics, 4 bill 10 forced
upon us taking the power gu. of the pep
Pies hands and putting 1t into the hands of