The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-01-04

| eis auu memOrlallSGS, and presenting
them to the legislature. He selected the
member who represented tn petitioners of
his locality to present their petition.
This gave him an opportunity to inter-
| view the mem Der and learn his views
and to advocate the cause of thu petition
ers, and in case of indifference or oppo-
sltlon, to send the proper parties to labor
with him. Finding that President Hyde
81 T, brunswick u, S, was opposed to US, r: H.
late petition, and in one day he secured
the names of more than one hundred, in
Guiding most of the leading C itizens of
that town. Mr.. r. II. Turner went to
Gardiner, the home of the Hon. A. M.
Spear, President of he Senate, and in two
Gays procured one hundred and fifty
names. About the same number was OBJ
tanned IN Augusta. When we found a
| member opposed to the measure we got,
all the petitioners we could among his
constituents. Mr.. j F. Brackett of Linn
ngton was against us from the beginn-
ing, but we presented a petition from
his town SO large and.of such high char
acter that it is evident that he misrepre-
sDted the best sentiment of his town on
this measure.
1t is not difficult to get signers to pc
tltlon IN community wheresGhe citizens
are well Informed as to the subject of
the petition and are in. sympathy with it.
But tits exceedingly difficult to induce
influential citizens to take petition
and faithfully circulate it for the sigma
lures OF their fellow citizens. In Port
land that difficulty was by great effort
overcome, land Portland sent one petition
with 1875 names upon it and several 9TH
ers with 200 or 300 names In Lewiston
through the efforts of one of your man
ayers, Rev. G. M. Howe, a large petition
was obtained. But in the other cities of
the State the petitions were not SO ex-
tenslvely signed as in Portland. Nor
dldgany any other city in the State, not
W1thstanding the noble support many of
them gave the measure, exert the full
measure OF Its influence for lack of a
local committee such as our constitution
provides for.
We now have time before the next ses-
sion OF our legislature in January, 1895,
to organize local committees in all the
cities and large towns of the State. 1t
is necessary to do this Public meetings
should be held. The assistance of the
public press should be secured. Influen-
tial citizens should be interested in the
work, and through their local commit
tees public opinion should be aroused to
the vital Importance of the objects of
our Maine League. 1t is only in this
way tnat the proposed constitutional
amendment can get the requisite two
thirds vote in both the House and Senate
There seems to he no doubt but the pub
lie sentiment is overwhelmingly in favor
of protecting our State and municipal
treasures from the withdrawal of any
money raised by taxing the people, to
be used for the assistance of denomina-
tional institutions.
In the popular branch of the last Iayisla-
tire the vote in favor of the amendment
who voted against it. The following are
their names: Beedle, Beleau, Body,
Brackett, Garcelon, Cakes, Powers OF
Houlton. Powers of Norridgewock,
burlington, Scott, Spillane and Weeks of
Fairfield. Mr.. Powers of Houlton is
candidate for Speaker of the nextssHouse,
and with aspirations to be Governor of
The following are the eleven Senators
who denied the people the privilege of
amending our constitution at our State
election to be held next .Septem ber AL
b ert M. Spear of Gardiner President of
the Senate, John F.Hill of Augusta,
Omar Clark of Carratunk, Isaac o. Wins
low of ST. Adams, Emery p. Spofford of
Deer Isle, William R. Allen. Of Dennys-
vile, Owen P. Lyons of Vinalhaven,
Alonzo R. Nickerson of Booth bay, Henry
". Mayo of Hampden. Jesse M. Libby Of
Mechanics Falls, and Lorenzo r. Hersom
of Berwick
The Hon. Elmer P. spofford of Deer
Isle is candidate for President of the
next Senate.
1t may be confidently assumed that the |
next House will pass the resolution to
submit the amendment to the vote of |
the'people.
Two-thirds offs the Senate, consisting
OF thlrty-one members, must vote for
the amendment or it cannot go to the |
p eople Those who think alike should |
act together to secure Senate who will |
vote for the amendment
The measure stands submitted to the |
next legislature with a favorable report |
of the Judiciary Committee.
The friends of the measure have this |
advantage. But very vigorous agita- |
ton will be necessary. 1t cannot be
amount of money for lecture, for print |
ing, for postage, for travelling and hotel |
expenses, and for services which |
must be performed not by one. |
but many. The present winter |
is the time to commence this work, |
which must be persistently and energeti-
cally carried on until the proposed |
shall be Incorporated into
the fundamental and supreme law of |
the State.
Respectfully submitted.
LIB .DENNETT,
Secretary of the Maine League for the
Protection of American Institutions.
DR.. Blanchard then addressed the
league. He said he desired to first call |
attention to the fact that the last legis-
lature failed to represent the sentiments
IF the people of the state. He believed
that seventy out Of every one hundred
voters would have been glad to have |
voted On the proposed amendment to the
Constitution. He spoke of the action of |
The House, despite strong opposition
where it was least expected, and said that
n the Senate two or three able and in
1uential gentlemen succeeded in prevent
ng victory. 1t seemed to him that the |
Senate should have regarded the vote of |
,he House as an indication of public SEN
liment. He spoke of Westbrook Semi
larry, an said that the trustees voted |
not to ask for dollar from the state
Dr.. Blanchard closed by introducing Rev. |
Matt. S. Hughes.
Mr.. Hughes said in his address: 1t is |
said that portion of our fellow citizens
believe that the public schools are god |
ess, and vicious, and that they cannot |
support them and so, they ask to be |