Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-03-17
On motion of Mr.. Peaks Of pi.ea,aqai.

thS SENATE then adl oufneu.
Afternsoa Session.
On motion of .dr. Winslow of Somerset
House docunienl No. 2lS, the listing bill
: was laid on the table until tomorrow at ,hs
morning hour, by vote of IL to 10.
Special assignment, Senate document
Ne. ios, an act relating to boards OF < -
srstion. was taken from the table.
Mr.. Seiders of Cumberland made sher,
explanation of the measure and the amend.
nlents thereof.
On motion of Mr. Thatcher of Penobsco,
the Senate took up the hill section by sec,
ton, and the bill was then laid upon the
table 10 be printed.
Sees. / and . were adopted.
Secs. ) and were struck cut by amend.
ment a.
Sec. 5 was adopted as amended by
amendment b.
Sees. 6, I. $, 3. 10 and II were adopted
Sec. ~ as amended by amendment c was
adopted.
Secs. Is, II, Is. Is. IL, Is, 10 and &c
We're sderted.
Sec. 2l as amended by amendment ID
was adopted.
See. - as amended by amendments +
and + was adopted
Secs. %. ~ and % were adopted.
See. 26 as amended by amendment G
was adopted.
Secs % to 81, inclusive, were adopted
See. IS was stricken out by amend
ment H.
Mr, Thatcher offered amendment cor.
recting the numbering of the sections and
the bill was read second time and laid on
the table to be printed as amended.
Special assignment, Senate document No.
81, the druggists bill, was taken from the
table and read second time.
Mr.. Peaks of fiscatsqnis regard this
measure as one of the important which has
ever been before the Legislature of Maine.
II has bten before the Legislature several
times. and has been defeated think no
one will say that | am not Il temperance
man. Two years ago was chosen TO en-
gineer the passage of the temperance law '
and succeeded in getting it through only
say this because | ttink il is due 10 myself
to do SO.
We are met today with statute which
practically prohibits the sale of intoxicating
liquors for medicinal puposes. think it
| is safe to say that in no county of the State
is there more than one place where intoxi-
eating liquors can be bought. and in the
county of Piseataquis there is not one Six
teen states in this Union have constitutional
| prohibition, and in no one of these states do
they have the condition of things that we
have in Maine, for in every one they have
a law which allows druggists to sell liquor
/ for medicinal purposes.
1 Mr.. Peaks then gave an account of how
this matter was first brought to his attention
and how he came to draft the bill.
| Continuing, he said:
| The committee on Judiciary had hear
| ing on the matter, and with the exception
of two fanatics who appeared there it was
agree on all hands that some sort of bill
was necessary. Then the petitions and
remonstrances began to come in in about
equal numbers. Among the remonstrants
| from my own town | noticed the name of
man whose illegal rum selling ! stopped.
The larger number of the remonstrants are
good citizens. men who believe that this
bill would weaken the prohibitory law of
the State. If any man believes that.
| ! have nothing to say about his
voting against the bill. Eight ministers
of Portland signed remonstrance
against the BILL wrote to them saying
that if they had any suggestions to make
we should be glad to hear them. Not one
of these gentlemen had even the courtesy to
acknowledge my letters. also wrote to
another remonstrant, a friend of mine who
| is minister, and inquired what his objec-
| tions were. and he replied that he had not
read the bill.
| In the committee six voted for the bill
and three against, one member not voting.
The committee made very considerable
changes in the original bill which ! intro
duced. One serious objection to the origi
nal bill was that when we put this power in
the hands of the druggists we put it in the
hands of everyone whether he was an
| honest man or villain. couldn't see ex-
actly how it could be arranged in any other
way. Iwant to make this bill apply strictly
to legitimate selling of liquor for medicinal
purposes, and for no other purpose. This
objection was met by the amendment which
provided that when druggist applied for
a permit to the clerk of the courts his appli-
cation must be endorsed BY the municipal
officers of the town. As thought this over
! concluded that this provision was good
one. because the municipal officers would
endorse the application of any druggist who
was good citizen, and practically all good
permit would expire on the first of
I WAY Vi Sdth ftbr 81 tbdi IL
a man doesn't conduct himself decently the
selectmen or officers of the town can pre-
vent his getting another permit
Another objection was that the druggists
book of sales of liquor were not to be open
| for the examination by the public An
amendment to the original bill provides that
this book shall be open to inspection at all
| hours.
/ ApN hot hat,
gong to have bill of this kind we should
put in clause requiring physicians pre-
cription. So we put that in.
| Then we put in the bill that the man
who got permit should be registered
apothecary himself and a permit cannot
be taken by a man not
a registered apothecary for an assistant
who is, and no apotbeeary can have more
than one permit.
A person going to store for liquor has
to present physicians prescription, and
has to sigh a statement that the liquor is for
medicinal purposes and is for the use of
| himself or one of his family.
| do not propose TO go over all the proyi-
sions of the bill, because | suppose you
have all read it. See. 10 is strong provi-
sion. II provides that any 10 citizens of 81
years or over can petition justice of the
supreme eonrt to revoke the permit of any
druggist, and his selling can be Immediately :
stopped by judge upon such petition.
In my judgment there Ia no
druggists law in the United States
that has the safeguards around it that this
one has. The people of this State demand
that they shall have the opportunity of buy
| ing liquor for medicinal purposes. The
reason that the prohibtory law is violated
is because the public sentiment is not up to
| the standard OF the law as it is on the statute
books. Now think it is time that we put
/ little common sense into this matter and
| go back to first principles and provide some
way whereby decent men can get what they
need for medicinal purposes without break
/ ing the law. and then let us enforce the
prohibitory law.
propose to say nothing more about this
matter now.
! Mr.. Shaw Of Aroostook: ! reare, that
| this matter has come up for discussion to-
day. Yesterday | was in good shape, but
today am suffering from fit of iniiges-
| ton. and may not be so well able to express
myself vigorously.
| | do not desire 10 question the motives
of the senator who has presented this bill
or of those who are anxious for it's passage,
but mnst take exceptions to some of the
views presented by the senator and some
of the reasons advanced for the passage Of
| this bill.
| do not believe that il il wise policy to
furnish more rum in order % raise the pub
| lie sentiment against rum. The position
that ! take here today might almost
place me in the list of fanatics mentioned
! by the senator from Piscataqais. l am
conscious that am in minority in this
Senate, but deem it my duty nevertheless