Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-06

make cash payments, 9,057 81
Sill PIT "a
The committee on military affairs
voted ought to pass on the resolve for
extra pay for Spanish war soldiers; for
the preservation of regimental muster
rolls. and for the Bath Military and
Naval Orphan Asylum.
Representatives hall was crowded
all the forenoon, yesterday, by those
interested in the Lewiston election
cases, but the throng of people that
gathered there in the afternoon to hear
the arguments for and against reSub-
mission was simply immense. Ladies
and gentlemen filled the galleries, the
floors. and the passage ways leading
to the hall and hundreds were unable
to gain admission or secure vantage
ground where the speakers could be
heard.
Representative Davis of Waterville,
who introduced the resolve, was the
principal speaker for the resubmission-
lists. and Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens, presi-
dent of the National w. c. T. u, rep
resented the opponents of the measure.
Other speakers addressed the commit
tee on temperance on either side, but
Mrs. Stevens and Mr.. Davis may be
said to have made the strong argu-
ments for their respective sides.
Mr.. Davis spoke early in the pro-
ceedings, and his address was in part
as follows:
This resolution has behind it the
emphasis of hundreds of sound bust
ness men and millions of property in
nearly all the large cities and towns
of the State. as a careful perusal of
the petitions now in your possession
will show. 1t has behind it also. to
emphasize it, 20 years of constitutional
prohibitory law, so years of statutory
law and SO years of ever-varying form
of option and license laws across every
one of which must be written in char
acters large and plain, failure"
This resolution has behind it the
material and moral good of the State.
1t has behind it the principle of refer
endum. before which no cause founded
upon justice and right need fear to line
UP. The petitioners for resubmission
who came before the temperance COM
mittee two years ago, stated that, in
their opinion, no greater question
could come before the Legislature of
Maine: and the petitioners who APP
pear before you, today, also recognize
fully the magnitude of this question.
ut is not my purpose to attempt any
academic discussion of the relative
merits or moral or legal suasion, pro-
hibition or license; nor shall I enter
tain you with any pyrotechnic display
IL 10
to sentiment or prejudice; but will, as
briefly and clearly as may be, bring to
your attention some of the conditions
that this entire question has forced
upon us, with the hope that they may
be of service to you in preparing your
report to the House.
1T is safe to lay down as a propo-
sition which will stand, the assertion
that the sentiment for reSubmissiOn in
Maine comes from no lawless class, but
from citizens who are opponents of
temperance, whether applied to speech,
conduct, meat or drink, and as such
demand your careful consideration.
II ask you to consider this resolution
In the white light of facts as you find
them in both State and nation. 1 ask
you to consider the continuously chang
ing attitude of the various states on
the drink problem that of the 16 vari-
Gus states in which prohibition has
been adopted at various times, it has
been declared unconstitutional in one
New York;, and abandoned in II, YER
mont being the last to abandon the
policy; to consider that traffic in alco-
holic beverages is recognized as an in
tesral part of the business of the coun-
try by the constitution and laws of the |
United States. / ask you to consider |
in the light of facts, which will be sub
mitted, the notification of law, the |
perjury and the new decalogue of |
crimes together with the multiplication |
of criminals directly traceable to the |
prohibitory laws of the State.
In such q consideration there can |
be no place for narrow or partisan |
views, for you will find the friends and |
foes of prohibition have come alike |
from the ranks of both the dominant |
parties in the State and nation. The |
dominance or the Republican party for |
the past 20 years in this State is due |
in large part to their alliance with the |
saloon element in our larger cities and |
towns, and to the enormous fines which |
have been imposed and collected |
that party's machinery, and |
which the candid observer must con- |