The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-16
THE POLICE BILL.
Passes the House by a Majority
Of Six.
BUT 1T APPLIES ONLY TO THE
CITY OF BIDDEF0RD.
An Animated Debate Proceeds the Adop
tion of the Majority Report-The Final
Step. Will Be Taken in the House
Today

step VIII Be Taken in the House
Today.
Especial to the Press.1
AUGUSTA, March 15.-By majority Of
six the House today passed the bill to es-
tablish police commission in the city of
Biddeford. The majority for the bill
would have been larger had not the de-
bate lasted SO long that many members
went home to dinner before vote was
reached. The vote stood 80 to 81. The
debate was spicy, but the spice has been
tasted before. 1t was the old story of
the Biddeford ring and its agents, the
Biddeford police. A number of Bidde-
ford men are here and were interested
spectators of the proceedings.
Mr.. Scott of Patten began the speech
making, and of course referred to the
measure as an assault upon the rights of
the people of Biddeford. Mr.. Scott
built up on this proposition remarka-
BILE argument It was this: If the leg
islature could take control of the Bidde-
ford police. why could it not take entire
control of the city? If that was so, why
couldn't the state become guardian of all
the cities and the United States guardian
of all the states? Then, asked Mr..
Scott, who was to be the guardian of the
Unit States? AS to the allegations
concerning the conduct of the Biddeford
police, Mr. Scott had no doubt that if
the members of the House were to de-
eide whether they or the people of Bid
deford were the most moral, what that
decision would be. Neither had he any
doubt what the decision of the people of
Biddeford would be If they were asked
to settle the same question. Mr.. Scott
also alluded to the storm of protests
against the bill.
Mr.. Higgins of Limerick had something
to say about those protests. He said they
came like the snow fakes on the roof of
the State House in a winters storm. He
remembered one day when the speakers
table was buried under these remon
stances which had been secured in ac-
cordance with action taken by the
Democratic state committee. Why they
came from such places as the plantation
of Allegash where they had never known
a policeman except by name. If some
of the places which had sent in remon-
strances continued to progress in the
next thousand years as they had in the
past hundred, they could not then find
even one man for night watch.
Mr.. Higgins referred to the CO ndition
of affairs in Biddeford, enforcing well
known facts in connection with it.
Mr.. Sprague of Monson said that as a
Republican, he opposed the BILL The
Republicans did not need it. He did not
believe the Democratic party competent
to run the state or nation for any con-
siderable time. He believed the state
should never attempt to control muni-
cipal authorities.
Mr.. Boothby of Saco was the next man
to speak for the bill He said:
If this was new measure we might
enter upon it's consideration with feel
ings of doubt, but it has been tried and
proved successful in other states. If
there is city in the country that needs
reform in its police department it is
the city of Blddeford. All who know
the city of Biddeford know how the po-
lice department has been wrenched from
its legitimate use to partisan ends. 1t is
openly and truly charged that the police
close their eyes when on their beats, and
close their eyes for valuable consider
alton. Clever and competent men, moral
ly or physically, are not selected but for
their ability to handle voters on election
DAY. There is no doubt that these police
officers are paid by rumsellers to see that
liquors get to them safely. The half
never was told and never can be told of
the iniquity carried on in that city under
the guise of law.
Mr.. Brackett of Linn ington, briefly
supported the bill and Mr.. Brown of
Waterville, said few words in opposi-
ton.
Mr.. Morrill, of Portland, made vigor-
Gus plea for the bill. He spoke of the
corruption in Biddeford and answered
the often repeated argument that the
legislature should not interfere, by ask
ing where the honest people should come
for relief if not to the great and general
court.
Mr.. Pare of Biddeford, put in word
in opposition and then Mr.. Scott again
took up the cudgels against it. He had
heard stories Of corruption before. He
had hear the police of Portland charged
with various offences but he did not
undertake to pass upon the charges. He
argued that this should not be made
partisan question.
Mr.. Higgins of Limerick, in reply said
that of course this was partisan ques-
ton. The Democratic party was striving
to retain its supremacy in Biddeford,
but he could tell the gentleman that
good people of Biddeford had risen above
partisanship in their demand for this
measure. He could give him, but not
here: the names of leading Democrats
who realized that something like this
must be done.
The vote came upen motion to sub
stitute the minority report, adverse to