Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-01-15
WHAT GOV POWERS SAID.
4 Fuller Report Of His Remarks 10 Aroos.
took Branch Of Civic League.

itoultoh. thursday, under the auspices
| of the ArooStook branch of the Maine
| civic League. was contained in il special
report to the Bangor News According
to that report the governor said:
| "A long time ago when | began life |
| took II stand upon three things which
| have never changed. | believe in the
abolition of capital punishment and
fought for it until saw II was abolished
in this state. although | was opposed by
very illustrious men. ! had the honor of
Introducing the first bin from an evenly
divided committee which abolished il in
Maine. | always believed in the right of
an intelligent woman to vote and have
always voted for what is termed female
suffrage. | came to this county way back
in 1851. when nobody ever had any
thought of the enforcement of the pro-
hbitory law. | was elected county attor-
ney in 1861 and held the office Tor six
years. did succeed and do not think
| it had been don" before. IN euforc-
inc the prohibitory law and getting a
number Of convictions, and | have al
ways said that believed that prohbi-
ton Was the settled policy Of Maine and
that we Were TIL" pioneer State in that
direction and that / should oppose any
attempt to change thar policy.
81 believe that when the people are in
earnest and are determined to enforce
the prohihitorN law here in Maine. il will
be enforced. ! said many years ago
and have never rctraCtpd my state
meni. that believed shat the use of in
toXiCating liquors was the cause of great
suffering, misery and crime ana that ii
was the great scourgr of our land. Il
hold the Sam me view now and | will say
that anything that can add tn the honor
of our State while | occupy the position
al governor will crafty mc as well as
You.
Il want you to look at this matter from
my standpoint as We'll as from your own.
The constitution If the State Of Maine
says that all power is inherent in the peo-
st..,.
ncnt is created Now that constitution
creates sort "f trinity government:
there is the executive. The legislative
ANA the Judiciary. ana each is supreme
III its own department. Each can only
act legally 50 far as the constitution and
the laws give them authority. We do not
so on the principal that authority comes
from above and drsCendS down through
some of Gods anoiuted 10 tn" people, but
"" assert that it Is inherent III the pain
people and that these who are in office
are the servants ~ the people.
II can do nothing officially as governor
I'll the State unless have some warrant
either expressed or implied within ,hc
tempt to do an act for which ther" was
no law knowingly. II 1t was matter
Of grave Importance, | should b,- Habit
ia Impeachment.
II have certain powers and have no
hesitation IN saying thar after So maNy
l.ersonS have pctitiuned and Know that
all of them hay, III, Welfare of the COM
'Aunity at heart that IL is my "pinion
that, after consulting With my council.
as I deem it proper that | should do,
shall determine as lar as ! can 10 grant
the request.
"Eut now let us soe what I can DO Let
ms nave no misunderstanding about tn"
matter. This petition asks me TO issue
special orders to all officers Who are
charged with the execution Of tn. law
against the sale OF intoxicating liquors
that they shall proceed to do SO. These
petitions. being addressed to mc as GOV
rnor, | assume imply that | should issue
these orders AS governor. There was a
time in the history of this State previous
10 1N5' when perhaps q governor should
have issued orders with som" potency To
large number "f The officers of our
state. Today there is a statute allowing
m" To issue them to shcriffs. but have
no way of compelling officers in casc Of
they should refuse. Now some one VIII
say that one of the constitutional pro-
visions defining the duties Of the tXccu-
tive declares that h. Shall take care that
the laws are duly executed. Al tn" time
that Maine was admitted into the gal
ANY of states ana for g. years afterwards
the governor Of the State appointed all
tn" ShcriffS They were his executive of
tlCerS, they were ms Subordtndt"S. and
they were responsible to him. In lNl5 the
took AWAY from the executive all the au-
thoritN he had Ia appoint til" sheriff, oN-
cept in ease of vacancy. THIS amend
m"nt permitted and directed their rlrC-
ti"n by the pr"pl" Of the several c"un-
ties. som" years afterwards. in 1876 or
1871. To- crafty somebody. thtr" was a
law passed SAYING that ehrriffs shall obey
all orders as to tho rnforc" mcut Of the
laws issued to them by the governor.
But suppose | should iS~ur that re-
quest or order aud ~h"riu should de-
( line I" pay any attention 70 il, which |
believe to he The experience Of one of my
f. -l,.,t 4 ,l,,p