Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-25

company should have a right to live,
grow and prosper. 1t was very nicely
brought out to my mind the other day
in a remark here, that this old COM
pany, like many of these large corpo-
rations, had made an effort, at least,
to strangle, in some degree, this new
company, which it seems to me has a
right to live and to have a being. 1t
looked to me like powerful organiza-
ton undertaking to drive out of exist
ence a new company that has right
to use it's rights. We bave got to draw
line between these large interests
and the small interests-and | suggest
that is a proper thing for us to dove
are here for that purpose-to draw the
| line between the two parties Far be
il from me to want to interfere with
the vested rights of the old company.
They ought to be protected and be-
| lieve it as much as any man upon the
floor of this Senate; but believe this,
| too, that we have young, enterprising
people who are looking for a place to
extend and grow, and that this great
public spirit which pervades the Amer
lean people should have a chance to
| expand and build up--and we are glad
| to see them do it. l dislike very much
| those influences that reach out to him
| der young man who has the ability
| to come to the front. l believe in
equal rights to all men. In 1852 1t
CHANGED to be my fortune to be in Ha-
| vana. Cuba. If you will recollect, gen.
tlemen, some of you, who are old
| enough, there was a very unpleasant
matter thrust upon the people at that
| time--and there, in that beautiful har-
| Dor, l discovered the first rebel flag that
saw flying, the small vessels that
came in there loaded with cotton, run
ming the blockade. 1t was there that
felt the first indignity that had been
| thrust upon the American people as a
| free people. | came from there and
| Immediately went into the service,
where | remained until 1862. and a
portion of 1863, and went in prompted by
| that spirit of freedom and equality, not
| only for the colored man but for all men.
! was not alone. | did what l could Sew
enty-two thousand noble men from the
State of Maine did the same thing-that
reach out you will find it. Seventy-two
thousand of those noble men went forth
| for liberty, for union for freedom, and
with others who responded from other
states they accomplished it; and, gentle
ment, stand here today as a representa-
| tive Of those people. and believing in the
rights. Oyer eight thousand Of that sew
enty-tWo thousand that went forth to es-
| tablish this right of freedom for all men,
never returned to this beautiful State of
| Maine. Can we forget. their memory? Can
we forget the cause for which they laid
down their lives? Gentlemen, | suggest
| to you that this same spirit of freedom
ought to prevail everywhere in this coun-
| try today. and that this great crisis that
seems to be facing the American people
today between labor and capital is among
us. Haven't we seen the effect OF 1t the
look upon these things, and will they not
constantly be thrust upon us? tell you,
gentlemen, we stand here to draw this
line of equality, justice and right between
these gigantic capitalists, and the common
people. l hope, gentlemen, that you will
see to it that no injustice is allowed to
come upon these young men who have
that American spirit of their fathers, to
give to these people not only what they
are getting now, but give them something
to work with, that they may grow, and
not stultify the interests of that beautiful
city of Waterville represented here by
men of brains and culture, education and
everything that goes TO make up q noble
manhood; and they are here pleading at
our door and asking for help. Let US hell
them.
Mr. GOODWIN of Somerset: Mr. Presi~
dent and members of the Senate, l do
not want to take your time and to re
hearse the arguments of the other side.
1t has been stated to me that we were
mistaken IN our DOSlLlOn III TeSdTu 10 Ills
charter being asked for by the citizens of
Waterville; and the argument has been
made to the senators in this chamber that
this is not popular measure In the city
of Waterville; and that there are many
people in that city who are opposed to the
granting of this new charter Now, be-
lieve that every senator IN TINS BODY Il
they were in community that knew all
about the rights of the two existing com
panies who came to the doors of this Leg
iSlature and asked for certain thing,
.a,fi hLr
fore, Mr.. President, l have prepared an
amendment to this charter, which at the
proper time | propose to offer; and make
the preliminary inquiry-if we recede and
concur Mr.. President, will the bill then be
before the House for its flrst readlng, or
amendment?
The PREsIDENT;, The present status status
the report of the majority was accepted;
the bill took its three several readings ana
was passed to be engrossed. In the Sen
ate the minority report was ADOPTED
fought not to pass" If the Senate should
recede and concur, the bill would then
take it's first reading and the amendment
would then be in order after the first
MI GooDWIN: Mr.. President, I So
understood it. If the senator's see tit TO
amendment-that this charter shall not
take effect, until approved by two-thirds
vote of the legal voters of Waterville, Vot,
ing at an election to be called and held
on the first Monday of May, 19O5-the bal
ance of the amendment provides the usua
method of registration, etc, upon the
question: Shall the Act to incorporate the
| Messalonskee Electric Company be ac
cepted-the voters to indicate by placing
a cross against the word Yes or NO,
their opinion of the same-so that the Ell
feet of this amendment Is to refer back 10
the citizens of Waterville 1tself-and we
do not ask you to allow a majority OF
those citizens to decide this important
ouestion-aS you ask in all of your water
charters all all other charters that you
grant in this session of the Legislature
but we say to you senators that unless
tWo-thirds of the people of the city of Wa
terville ask for this charter, the charter
shall be of no avail-and where is the
senator in this body who says that Is NOT
a fair and honorable proposition? 1t seems
TO me so honorable and fair that there can
be but one question in regard to 1t-and
when YOU vote to recede and concur, gen
tlemen. YOU vote practically upon this
proposition, to allow the people of Water
Vile by a two-thirdS vote, to say whether
this charter shall go into operation or not
They know the situation. They know now
this company came into that city 10 90
business and they know whether the
rights of the old company arctic be tram
pied upon ny the granting OF TINS cfiirtef'
And now let me say right here in reply tC
that the strongest reason or argument
that strikes every fair-minded man is that
if the old company attempted at one time
to do wrong, and these young men, at the
solicitation of their citizens and of the city
Tod