The Somerset reporter., 1906-04-12


understand that the kebubhesn party vas
still the firm champion of prohibition and en-
forcement. This n brief was tie con. itiym
Of affairs IN the summer Of igo4.
At the Bangor Convention plank was
adopted, most explicit and comprehensive in
! It's language, declaring without any evasion
whatever that the Republican parry believed
IN and stood for the maintanance + the pro-
hlbitory laws and their rigid, hone, and i'm.
partial enforcement
1t was upon that platform thai ! vas nomi-
mated and accepted its statements squarelY
and without reserve. AS soon as tie cam
/ pagn opened | took the stump. H. every
county where spoke | was urged by The Ke.
! publican leaders 10 state that If elected
would do everything in my p @er to enforce
the prohbitory laws Many Of those leaders
| told me that unless the voters could be
made TO believe that the Republican party
was honest and sincere Ia It's profession
upon that subject. there was grave danger Of
losing their respective counties. In every
| place | spoke ! not only said that II elected
would use every legal night and m raj IN.
iiuenee that belonged 10 the Office Of Cover.
nor TO er force those laws, but stated further
that asked for no man S vote unless he be-
lieyed | would honestly try to do what had
said.
1t IS true that presidential election was
pending and presume national issues had
much TO do with The result, but 50 far as
was concerned, | confined myself wholly to
State issues and made the fight more upon
the prohibltory question than anything else
The result in the state was Republican VIC
tory by a plurality Of about 1900, and it
was generally conceded that the principal
factor of success was the re-established belief
in the minds Of the people that the Republi.
can party meant what it said upon this partic.
ular question. Surely BETRAYED no conf
dences, nor did | secure the Office by any
false pretences. If the people believed what
| said they knew what to expect | meant
what said, and believed that the party in
tended to take its platform seriously.
When the Legislature assembled took II
for granted that there would be some legisla-
ton giving for the first time to an Executive,
authority to enforce this particular law, and
supposed that authority would come as a re
suit Of the evils OF notification that every one
could see and that every good citizen must
deplore. | believe it was outrage Gus to see a
law of such importance violated in so many
towns and cities of the State and fit that
such course was doing incalcuabe injury to
the welfare of Maine.
BY what rigft should certain class Of
men be protected and allowed to prosper in
an illegal business Every individual at
tempting to do any other kind Of business
was forced to do II, and in most cases want
ed to do 1t, within the law, but here was a
business where certain men seemed superior
to the law and this in itself appeared 10 me
to be grave injustice.
All law was being brought into disrepute
and disregard, and there was neither sense
nor logic in notification. As a citizen |
never have stood, and as citizen or Execu
tive ] never will stand for notification Of law.
| had supposed that my election if it meant
anything meant protest against nullihca-
tion, and 1t was for this reason | confidently
expected legislation to remedy it. | believed
that the Republican party would keep faith
with the people; and that it would stand on
its platform because it was right to do so.
Prior to the passage of the Sturgis Law
there was no provision whereby the Execu-
tive could attempt to enforce the prohibitory
laws, and this question was presented to me
by the Legislature and by public sentiment
in a way that it had never been presented to
any of my predecessors. | never heard Of
the Sturgis Bill until one day shortly after
the opening of the Legislature Senator
Sturgis came to the Executive Chamber and
explained lis provisions to me, and ! never
knew until that day that anyone had been at
work, was at work or intended to work in
behalf Of a measure Of similar intent or I'M
port. If any one else is the author Of that
law do not know il.
told Senator Sturgis that in many re-
spects the law was not an ideal one. 1t
seemed to me that the people of Maine might
not altogether approve of the idea OF giving
10 the Executive authority over county Off
cials, but | was absolutely in favor Of some
law strong enough to prevent or minimize
notification, and stated to every one who
talked with me about the Sturgis Bill that if
no better measure could be found it was en-.
trely acceptable to me and | believed would
answer the purpose. did everything |
properly could do to insure the passage Of the
Sturgis Bill, and in so doing believed then
and believe now that the Republican party
was keeping faith with the people, and that
was doing the same.
1t IS only fair to say that some Of the
oldest and most sagacious leaders of the Re.
publican party while believing in prohibition
and enforcement questioned the wisdom OF
passing the Sturgis Bill They predicted
may have been right but ! could not agree
with them then and do not agree with them
now.
1t may, or may not, have been the wisest
measure which could have been drafted; each
one, of course has a right TO his own indiyd-
nal opinion on that question. II was how
ever, the only measure which was offered and
one directly in line with the promises Of the
party.
It has become recently somewhat the
fashion to criticize certain people because Of
their belief in the Stureis Law and their sup.
port of the measure. SO far as ! am con-
cerned | have no apologies or excuses to
make, for | welcomed it, believed in it and
worked for it.
Under the provisions Of the Sturgis Law a
commission was appointed consisting Of two
Republicans and one Democrat and it gyes
me very great pleasure to publicly express
now and in this place my absolute and i'm
plicit belief in their integrity, their good
| judgment and their efficiency. II was No
easy task to which they applied themselves
and it was one which demanded the exercise
Of the utmost tact. discretion and impartiality
! They had keen sense ot their own respon-
slbllity and realized at the outset, and re-
alize now, that the enforcement Of the laW
can be made far mHre effective and satisfae.
/ tory by the local officials than hy anyone else,
provided such local officials really desire To-
+ live up to the sririt of their oath Of Office
J The Enforcement Commission has never vet
. begun operations in any county until after
] exhausting 10y argument and advice every
! resource at It's command 10 prevail upon the