Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-14
MAINE LEGISLATURE,
Continued from page %

than | intended, but | feel dceplv in
t"restcd III II. II you submit this mat
ter To the people and they vote tina,
thcy want the prohioitory liquor law
uron the statute books, will be one
|" sahd here to help to make the PEN
atty Of violation adequate to the crime
would make the penalty of the first
oi1cnse. one years imprisonment. and
for the second cJcnse | would double
II. Hcarkcn to the people, Mr.. Preyi
don't ard senator's
! thank you for your attention and
now move that the minority report be
substituted for the majority report
Mr.. STETSON of Penobscot: A week
a&", ] was opposed to the idea Of r. sub
mission, and Intended To vote for the ma
Iorty report; but. today. am in favor Of
IT," pi.Hciplcs uf referendum and believe
ih' pcoplc should have a chance 70 express
utlr opinion ON this important subject
feel IL my dutY, 1t should be of
every senator present. to indicate by his
vote the impracticability of the present
liW ana 70 express by an incrca.;cd vote
ia the Senate the trend of uopuiar Thought
towards a rational policy of license with
local option. as this IS IN line with the lib
erai movement now In progress through
out the New England states.
| firmly believe In the piirciplcs as
stated IL the Republican latfulnl, that
this law should be strictly enforced in cv-
cry county Of our State wAile it remains
as law.
do not believe in hypocrisy or deceit,
and | agree with every honest man WHO
docs not want To see the fair name Of our
stat" open to ridicule and contempt, as
II T. today. to sec to it that this sn-cnlled
prohibition law does prohibit. whether it
is in my native city of Eangor or in the
lack towns Of AroUstoo'i county.
Let u stop this farce. tcil our judges
county attorneys and shCrfts that the law
must hc ohcycd.
Educate the people To IL" true idea of
temperance and IN two years from now
IL" people Will rise in tn air might AMI as
cert their right to be heard
I"t us put aside false pride and rrCju-
'.r", stand up and be counted for what in
The end Will work for the best interests of
cur grand old State Of Maine
The feeling Is surely changing, for TO-
day any man who honestly expresses his
convictions in favor of license with local
option is not called scoundrel or knavo
~ taiI minded mon who believe In prohi-
btlGn. 80 | say let us come out into the
ilad light of truth assert your honest
convit tions, ana get into the front ranks
of what will soon prove to b. an army
iuErChing on I" victory, Championcd by
the priuciulos of honesty and justice.
Mr. WING of Androscoggin: M Pres
id"nt. d" rot propose to he forced iato II
false pOsltion in regard to the pending
question. | do not understand that the
question before the Senate is one of high
license or local option but whether or not
this whether they may bc per
mittcd To- speak directly to their repre-
scntatiVcs II Is our proudcst boast that
we gre government of the people and
by the people: and in that connecti IN it is
ott' n said that the voice of the people il
the voice of God The people have not
spoken for 20 years. Is it not fair that at
the end Of 20 years we should be at least
willing to listen to tho voice of God?
believe That the members of the Lcgis-
laturc are entitled to be directed by the
"a ~ no hl.
resent. and that 1t is n fair proposition
that this matter should he submitted to
them. but | reserve the right myself to
Not" for prohibition. and accord to every
other man the privilege to vote according
to the dictates OF his conscience. But |
submit that the pending question is
whether or not the people may be permit
ted to give an expression to their honest
views
Mr.. GOODWIN Of Somerset Mr. Pros.
idcnt | did not intend to say anything on
this suhi"ct. until the senator from An
drnscoCsin spoke lie has stated to this
Son1t" that the question invoked is sim
Ply a question Of submitting To the pcopl"
the right to express their opinion upon this
question If there ever was n referendum
submitted to the people in Gods world,
1t was submitted last September. This
very identical question was submitted to
tn" State of Maine. with the line drawn as
tightly as ii could be drawn. The Rcpub-
Vcution. stated We demand the enforce
mcut of the prohihitorY law. The Demo
cratic platform stated rs emphativally as
the Enaliah language can state: We are
in favor Of rcSuhmisGion. There was the
itsr". No other great national issues
hardly amy other local issucs-cntcrcd into
that campaign.
The Republicans demanded the enforce
ment. IN" Democrats demanded result
mission. l'ppn that issue We went to the
rolls and tn DcmocratIc iarty was never
50 iguumiuiouSly whipped as they were ut
the last election. So that, as far rs tho
referendum is concerned the people Of
tn" State q: Maine have had ii submitted
I" them Within the last six months; and
the verdict of thc people has been dccid-
cdly in favor of enforcement of the law.
| think great mistake is made by the
gentlemen who say that they listened to
IN" voice "i the people and they find That
thcr" * growing sentiment in favor OF
reSuhniSsinn. 1t is not a demand for re-
submission. fellow senators. 1t is a de-
mand for an enforcement of the law.
Wherever YOU hear this cry 80 up when \
IN Somerset. in Cumberland. AroostonK.
Waldo or anywhere else, the demand Is
not for rcsuhmission. 1t never has been
for rcSuhmiSsinn 1t Is n demand for Il
complete. absolute and drastic enforce
mcnt Of this law: and the Republican par
~ listened Ia that demand, put into their
platform II demand for the enforcement
of 1t. and went to the polls and won out
last fall
We had. only the other day. in the great
body that sits beneath this Capitol 4
great speech. delivered by great orator:
from the greatest city in the state OF
| read it at home. in the silence of my
chamber. with dictionary at my right
hand and gazetteer of the world upon my
left. | learned more things than ma
ever dreamed of. read of or heard OF. II
began with Il picture of Adam and Eve
in the garden, and came down throuSh an
cicnt medieval and modern times 70 tat
modern Adam and Eve. typihed III the
city Ct Portland by n longshoreman ahu
his wife down on Center street. drinkire
ale out of rusty tin pail. 1t dealt In eF-
crything-a astronomy. astrologv. Gterature
science. art, spiritualisn. chiropody, thS
isthmial canal the Millihocket bill and cv-
erything else l had ever heard Of but
Mr., President there were some Things, II
that speech delivered upon that auest"i
stand unrehuked. 1t villiied the churri
of God 1t traduced the bench. ~ sian
dered the bar It seofea At rt the ,h nte N,
Republican party, to which that distin
guished orator had recently become
convert, was a party of hypocrisy ana oe
ceit.
Where is the demand for this resubni II,
sion? Will the gentleman from Knox t,i
me? Does 1T come from the people OF Tn