Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-06

cilufcH' l askeu hSf III III We're not true
that at present the saloon in it's worst
form in our State was not already
there and the only reply she maze
me was: There are no licensed sa
looms in those large towns" [ asked
Mrs. Stevens il she wanted the tenn
perance committee TO understand that
that was her answer to the question;
and she told me that She did.
Whether YOU look at this question
from the standpoint of the statistics.
whether you look at it from the stand
point of men who recognize a social
demand for liquor in the State of Maine
that you have got to deal with, or
whether YOU look at it from the mar
row standpoint. it is all the same: YOU
have the question before you and YOU
must settle it. The argument that your
constituency in your little town or you1
little village does not want YOU to vote
for reSubmisSion, is a fallacious argu-
ment You have Il constituency. but
it is not bounded by the confines of
your town the 800 or 800 or the 1000
inhabitants. your constituency is the
voting population of the State of
Maine. your constituency is the wife,
the mother, the child. all over this
State, vino demands protection from
the evils that have run riot in the city
of Portland. and this is also true of
other cities in the State I speak of
Portland because at the present time
suppose they have as nearly enforce
ment as in any city or town in the
State. In that city the liquor traffic
has been driven into holes and into
corners. and they tell us among the
lawless and not the law-lovine class
am told on high authority that little
children in the city of Portland have
acted as spies on the officers of the
law. | am told that they have even
carried and sold liquor. But we are
also told. when we present this view,
that the place for this traffic, if we
must have It. is in this class. Cen
temeh. | appeal to you, that class of
all others in the State is a class that
we should teach to be law-abding and
laW-loving citizens: and the time is
coming when. as | said, if we do not
do this the question will be taken up
by the people themselves and will be
settled. 1t is for us to say whether
The people of Maine shall have the
right to settle this question again for
themselves or to reState it or to take
it frcm the constitution and make Il
a statutory question that can be
handled by each city and town UNI
1t is for us to say whether
there is anything in these statistics,
whether there is anything in the ques-
ton worthy of our consideration. 1t |
is for us to say whether the policy
the nnliciaS thai y-a ha1 ioht
shall prevail, or whether the State OF
Maine rs Il whole and not as detached
cities and towns, shall have the right |
to settle this question. (Applause)
MIR. LIBBY of Mechanic Fails: Mr.. |
Speaker, In approaching the discussion
Of this question for a moment shall |
certainly not detain you at any length |
I desire to do so with the utmost |
fairness and candor. and to accord to |
every man, every citizen of this State |
The same right which l claim for my |
self, to decide this matter. and to vote |
upon it according to the dictates of |
his own conscience. That is what I |
propose to do; and I hope and trust
that no man unon the floor of this
House, or elsewhere will allow HIM
self to be swayed or swerved from the
same line of duty.
Now, in the first place, desire to
'emark that / never did, and l never
expect to appear against a rcferen-
ium to the people. | always stood by
hat: and | appreciate all that has been
said and all the harrangues that have
been made by the gentlemen upon the
other side of this question i'm regard
10 the referendum to the peOple--that
when the people call for a reference
If Il question to them it should be re-
'erred. My difference with them upon
hat matter is that the people have !
not called-there has been no call from
rom the people for u referendum in
'egard to this question. 1t has been
to a large degree-but it
g not very large, at that. If we are to |
consider even the petitions and re-
which have come into this |
'aSc. in the hearing before the commit
zee, and before this Legislature since
he hearing by the committee, they |
stand at least ten to one against this
position; and if that argues anything, it
loes not certainly argue that the
people rs Il body are here demanding |
n asking for this reference to them.
Does the gentleman who last spoke |
upon this question. an! who has har-
'angued so learnedly in the interests |
If the Republican party could hardly |
10 equal justice to it myself, if tried
lApplauSe.) Has he considered that |
he last note, and the last voice which
laS ever come from the people of this
state upon this matter, has been in
he very opposite direction? Does he
not know that the sheriff in Kennebec
county and other counties of the State,
were at the very last election, elect
id by the revolving Republican vote of
his State simply because those Demo-
ratio methods promised to enforce the
law and is not that the
asst voice from the people of this
State upon this question, which he
might very We'll consider and heed?
'ail to hear this clamor which others
say they can hear. | fail to see upon
he political horizon of this State any
loud which threatens. l do not know
out it may be there. My vision may
not be clear. my hearing may be
lulled; but | fail to hear it; but, as
have said before, the very last sign of
he times that saw written across the
heavens of the political atmosphere