Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-07

tell the truth as each one knows it
and hold fast to the belief that the
people will decide the questions in
volved in the next election with due
regard for the material and mdral
welfare of Maine.
The Chief Executive Of an admins
tlation is naturally and properly sub
ject to criticism or praise, as in ac-
ccrdance with popular estimation that
administration has been failure or a
success.
The opinion is very general one
that all the Republican losses in the
spring elections; all the public and
private utteranceS of diSaffecued Re-
publicans; ali the prevailing doubts
as to Republican success in the fall
are to be attributed to the enactment
by a Republican Legislature of the So
called Sturgis Law.
Personally, while ] believe the Stlr-
gis Law to be the chief cause of the
evident unrest, | know il is not the
only one. | know there are many 9TH
er contributory causes, but this is not
the time or place to mention them.
The opinion is SO firmly fixed in the
public mind that the Sturgis Law is
solely responsible for Republican de-
feat. both past and Gas our opponents
Think Immediately prospective. that.
in my judgment, it is unwise to un-
dertake to divert the issue; and for
myself | am willing for arguments sake
to consider it to be the sole cause and
welcome its discussion on these lines.
The fact that the Sturgis Law is ap-
parently the most notable piece of
legislation enacted thus far during my
administration. and the fact that /
am now, and intend to be. Il candidate
TO- denomination in the next Rs publi-
can State convention, would seem to
give me Il certain and unquestiOnable
right to publicly discuss the law, to
state the reasons that prompted me to
approve it, and to express my views of
its relations to the history and fu-
ture of Legislation and politics III
Maine.
L have not obtruded my opinion upon
the people of the State either by signed
statement or interview. 1t has appeared
to me that my business was to see as
best | could that the laws were en-
forced, not to talk about them out of
season. This is the first time / have
law, and it is also the first time 1 have
ever expressed an opinion of the merits
or defects of the prohibtory law since
my inaugural address 10 the Legislature
in January, 1905. Last November had
the honor and pleasure of being guest
at the annual dinner of the state of
Maine Club Of New York city, and
spoke extemporaneOusly and briefly
upon attempted law enforcement in
Maine My remarks We're misrepOrted
and misquoted and the Democratic
press i'm the State in particular seemed
pleased to quote me as having said in
effect that the prohibitory law was a
failure in Maine.
L expressed no opinion Of the law
whatever, for obvious reasons. and dis
cussed only the evils Of notification. |
never publicly denied the reports over
my own signature. 1t did not seem to
me worth while then. and I refer to it
now simply to illustrate the carrying
power of a lie.
In the summer of 1904 the Republican
State convention met at Bangor and
after 4 spirited contest honored me
with the nomination for Governor. For
many years the Republican party had
profcssed to be the particular and sole
champion of temperance legislation in
this State. 1t assumed credit for hav-
ing enacted the stringent prohibitory
laws placed from time to time upon the
statute books. and asked for and con-
fidently expected to receive the moral
support and votes Of all believers in the
theory that the State and the individ-
uaI v ould be benefited by making the
sale o. liquor for tippling purposes il
legal
The Republican party was proud to be
called the temperance party, and it
grew in strength and numbers. For
years in every State convention, and
almost without exception i'm every
county convention. it passed resolu-
tions reaffrming and reiterating its al
legiance to the clause of both temper
ance and prohibition, and it prospered.
II vigorously repealed all idea of resub-
mission. and Overwhelmingly defeated
all attempts in the Legislature to allow
the people to register again at the polls
their faith or disbelief in the continu-
ance of the prohibitory laws.
I am sure do not exaggerate when
say that for % years in the minds of
most neople. prohibition has been the
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