The Somerset reporter., 1905-03-23
Debate of the sturgis Bill.

The principal speakers Ia favor of the
Sturgis bill on Thursday were Littlefield
Of Rockland and Merrill Of Skowhegap.
Following is an epitome Of Mr.. Mer-
ril's remarks, appearing in II Maine dali, :
Rep. Merrill If Skowhegan followed Nj
l.itlleheld and spoke at considerable length,
saving in substance, that IT, subject vas an
important one to the state To the republi. an
party and to the people He wanted to ku3a
# they, as members Of tie republican pafty,
were 10 sit by as a party and be called "a
party Of hypocrites.' lle did not believe
that they were.
The gentleman from Lewiston hal told
them that for fifty years the party bad no,
been enforcing the law. If such werc true.
he wanted the party to put itself on a higher
plane There might be such men in the re
publican party as the gentleman from Lewis
ton had described, but they were not those
who kept the faith of the people They were
the ones who for years have been acting with
the minority party for the past hfty years to
kill the prohibitory law and to secure free
rum and the open saloon.
If there were such, he wanted them to get
upon the democratic platform and let the re-
publican party be the minority party and
build itself up on higher and better plane
He referred to the Bangor convention and
the platform there adopted in which the te-r-
perance plank was inserted, and said at that
time our now chief executive appeared before
the people and gave them his views on the
prohibitory law He did not make the plat
form. He stepped upon it. If any member
Of the party thought in putting that plank
into the platform they were going To nullify
it after election, they did not know Gov
Cobb Gov. Cobb, said he, | know from a
personal interview within twenty-four hours
iayors this bill and wants to see it passed.
The speaker went on to say that Gov. CobL
stood stronger with the people twenty -four
hours after his inaugural address than ever
before He said that there were not ten men
in the House who could have been elected
| had they declared that they we're not for en-
! foreement. lie cited the case OF Somerset
county to show that the people would stand
! by the enforcement OF the law, calling atten-
! tion to the fact that a republican county had
elected a democratic sheriff two years ago be-
cause that democratic candidate declared for
enforcement, while the republican candidate
did not He said that he was talking from
his heart and realized that it might not be
good politics to say what he did. He could
remember the time, as could other members
of the House, when every rum seller and bar
keeper was in the democratic party, and
where are they today
1t is sad thing fer the republican party
when it answers this question. say that
the republican party must stand by its plat
form, must keep faith with the people ano
not make themselves, as they have been
called, party Of fhypocrites."
In closing. he said II, when the last care
has been played, we find that the law cannot
be enforced, let us come to our conve ntion
two years hence and, like men, say to tn,
people, "this law cannot be enforced" anC
then if resubmission IS proper, let US have it,
or if the license law is the proper thing, lei
us have it. But let us, like men, face tn,
issue today and keep faith with the people o
| Maine