Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-04-11


enforcement. This, in brief, was the con-
dition OF affairs in the summer Of 1904.
Az the Bangor convention plank was
adopted, most explicit and comprehensive
In its language, declaring without any
evasion whatever that the republican party
neiieved IN and stood for the maintenance
Of the prohibitory laws and their rigid.
honest and impartial enforcement.
IL was UPON that platform that / was
nominated, and | accepted its statements
squarcly and without reserve. As soon as
the campaign opened 1 took the stump
La every county where spoke was urged
by the republican leaders to state that, IL
elected, would do everything in my power
TO enforce the prohibitory laws. Many Of
those leaders told me that unless the
voters could be made TO believe that the
republican party was honest and sincere
in Its professions upon that subject, there
was grave danger Of losing their respect
i've counties. In every place / spoke not
only said that IL elected | would use every
legal right and moral influence that be-
longed TO the Office Of governor to enforce
those laws, but stated further that asked
Tor no mans vote unless he believed
would honestly t-y to do what had said
IL Is true that presidential election was
pending, and i presume national issues
bad much to do with the result, but
so lar as was concerned, / confined my
self wholly to State issues and made the
fight more upon the prohibitory question
than anything else. The result in the
State was republican victory by plural
ity OF about "a 900, and 1t was generally
conceded that the principal factor OF sue
cess was the reestablished belief in the
minds OF the people that the republican
party meant what it said upon this partic-
ular question. Surely betrayed no con-
hdepces, nor did secure the Office by any
false pretences. III the people believed
what | sand, they knew what to expect.
meant what said, and believed that the
party intended to take its platform seri-
ousiy.
When the legislature assemble | took
IT for granted that there would be some
legislation giving for the first time to an
executive, authority to enforce this par
ticular law, and supposed that authority
would come as a result of the evils Of
nuliification that every one could see and
that every good citizen must deplore.
believed IL was outrageous to see q law of
towns aud cities Of the State, and felt that
snch a course was doing incalculable in
jury to the welfare OF Maine.
BY what right should a certain class OF
men be protected and allowed to prosper
In an illegal businessf Every individual
attempting TO do any other kind OF bust
ness was forced 20 do IL, and in most cases
wanted to do IL, within the law, bat here
sEs business where certain men seemed
superior to the law, and this, In itself,
Al ?eared TO me to be grave injustice.
All Law was being brought into disro-
pute and disregard, and there was neither
sense nor logic in notification. As a
citizen never have stood, and as a citizen
or executive never will stand for multi
fication OF law. had supposed that my
election, IL IL meant anything, meant
protest against notification, and 1t was
Tor this reason l confidently expected
legislation to remedy it. / believed that
the republican party would keep faith
with the people, and that 1t 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 exec
utiye could attempt to enforce the pro-
hibitory laws, and this question was pre-
scented to me by the legislature and by
public sentiment In q way that II had
never been presented to any OF my prede-
cessors. never heard OF the Sturgis bill
until one day shortly after the opening OF
the legislature. Senator Strrgis came to
the executive chamber and explained its
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 q measure of similar intent or import
IL any one else IL 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 to the executive authority over
county officials, but 1 was absolutely in
favor OF some law strong enough to pre-
vent or minimize nullliieation, and /
stated to every one who talked with me
about the Sturgis bill that IL no better
measure could be found it was entirely ac-
eeptable to me and believed would an
swer the purpose. l did everything
properly could do to insure the passage OF
the Sturgis bill, and in so doing believed
then and believe nov that the republican
party was keeping faith with the people,
and that was doing the same.
Ii is only fair to say that some OF the
oldest and most sagacious leaders OF the
repn blican party, while believing IN pro-
hibition and enforcement, questioned the
wisdom of passing the sturgis biu. Ihey
predicted Just such difficulties as have
followed. They may have been right, but
l could not agree with them then ana DO
not agree with them now.
II may, or may not, have been the wisest
measure which could have been drafted;
each one, of course has right to his own
individual opinion ON that question; IL
was, however, the only measure which
was offered and one directly in line with
the promises OF the party.
Ii has become recently somewhat the
fashion TO criticise certain people because
OF their belief in the Sturgis law ana
their support OF the measure. so TAR as
am concerned have no apologies or ex-
cuses TO make, for | welcomed II, De-
lieved in it and worked for 1t.
Under the provisions of the Sturgis law
a commission was appointed consisting OF
two republicans and one democrat, and It
gives me very great pleasure to publicly
express now and in this place my absolute
and implicit belief in their integrity,
their good judgment and their efficiency;
IT was no easy task to which they appiied
themselves, and II was one which de-
manded the exercise of the utmost tact,
discretion and impartiality. They had
keen sense OF their own responsibility and
realized at the outset, and realize now,
that the enforcement Of the law can De
made far more effective and satisfactory
by the local officials than by anyone else,
provided such local officials really desire
to live up to the spirit OF their oath OF
office.
The enforcement commission has never
yet begun operations in any county until
l. =, t,r,sx hxyo rUrr rytept and advice