Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-03-16

/
| MI. CLARK of Hancock: MIR. Pres
idcnt: l would like Il little time To loo,
| these reports over, and move that th,
reports he tabled.
| The PRESIDENT: This is a spdcia
assignment for today.
| The question being put on the mo-
ton of the senator from Hancock the
| motion was lost.
The pending question being upon the
| motion Of the senator from York, that
| Report ~" he accepted
| Mr.. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi
| dent: hold in my hands the three re-
ports. 1t is unusual. think. that three
reports come from Il committee on the
same matter. / have never known it in
| my expert ancc at least us Il member of
this Senate. This matter was before
our committee, and ! wish to say in
the beginning that do not believe that
either Report "A" or Report "B' shoul,.
be accepted.
This matter that came up before the
icSt! affairs; committee for Il commits
sion for the investigation of Il better
enforcement of the liquor law of the
NtutItt oi I NuiitbcTltlld WAS tnfcSlt8tl
out there hy the committee. and il did
seem to me that there was only ono
of two things to do. either report the
bill or give the petitioners leave to
withdraw.
do not believe that this committee
! do not believe that this Senate has
any right to single out one man in
a IN ~ .1.,,, IL
report cenSurc of that man. There
Vas no evidence whatever before this
committee. MI. President. that the Ii
qunr law in Cumberland county was
being violated by the sheriff of that
county. There WAS no evidence what
ever: there were only two persons who
testified before the committee-Hiram
hnoWlton and ZcnHs THOMPSON OF
Cumberland county: and when the
question was put TO them what they
knew about it. they had no evidence
10 offer before the committee; they
had heard ii rumored. but they could
not point an instance or place
where they knew liquor was being sold
III Cumberland county. or that Sheriff
Pennell had not done his duty in every
instance in enforcing the law.
Therefore | say it is wrong to in
corporate in the committees report
a. this ciauSe-"'That from the evil
dcnce presented the committee finds
that the sheriff of Cumberland county
permits various persons to sci; intoxi-
eating liquors in manner not author
lied by law; that this condition of
things iS Al or
knowledge" say it is wrong and
that the only thing for that committee
TO do was. if they had sufficient evf-
dence before them. to say the matter
ought to be investigated But il is
wrong. | submit. Mr. President. to put
thai clause in the report, to smirch the
man. without more evidence than was
brought forth in the hearing.
Now if the members of this COM
nittee who signed Report "A" that the
liquor law was not being enforced bv
Sheriff Pennell of Cumberland county
then they should have stood up like
men and made the report that it ought
to be investigated: but without any
evidence say it is wrong to undertake
to throw odium upon the distinguished
gentleman in this State that Sheriff
Pennell is. and to say that he is nulli-
fying the law. without the least parti-
Gle of evidence to substantiate it.
do not do this for any other reason
than what is right and just I would
not DO il az a report from the commit
tee. and for that reason ask that that
report be not accepted. Then we turn
over To the next sheet, and we find al