Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-17
Rev. Mr.. Owen on Resubmission.

of special interest in the manner III which
il presents tie argument against fe-sub-
mission. Mr. Owen says:
tullor WatcrVlilc 3cntlnoi.-
Sometime ago you We're kind enough
10 invite the opponents ~ Wei as ll.'
i,iruas Of rcsupiI.iss iuIt 70 use your col
t.urs freely III Gia,a!as'inS TINS lhhot-
titnt tissue.
In stating your own position you say
..I;.sIllmi s3iOn means allowing the Ito-
pie to vote on tie question OF retaining
the prolIibitury clause i'll the coEitlih-
ton that is all il means; II can mean
, nothing else. -
tins. il is remarkable that Tie l;'sti"
should assume 50 great Importance III th'
minds of intelligent citizens
. I;y their own confession, the /cal ~
the most persistent and the moSl corr
sis,ent rcsubnisaiOnistS was kiidlcd ana
is kent hot by tn" desire and purpose 81
srcurin, some other method Of dealing
/ witlt the liquor problem. without tiit
ultimate purpose ana hope behind re-
submission. the issue would DC ~ "e'''
as Caesars ghost.
The real siSniiicanc" If any Issue -
| determined by the motive behind IL; II
a man applies dynamite to the rock III u
safe we conclude. not that ne IS m"Eed
| in :, desire to test the strength OF me
! lock, though hc might llAk" thal Pre-
F., tcnre, but that lrr has designs On VIZ
contents of the safe. To be rld or STU
| rnOhil,ition is The purpose by which Inc
most ardent and consistent rcSuhihiSsi"i-
ists are insured They ;IvoW IL openly
ma ere not ASHAMED Of it. To them the
| net of rpsubI.iSSion means. not Allowing
the people to try the strength or III" pro
libition lock, hut it means a determined
J purpose to rifle and destroy lhc CON
tents Of the prohibition safe.
! Eut those who believe that u Is I'M
portant to have Il test Of tie VIII Of Inc
| people upon the real question AZ lS"h''
Iiz. whether We shall have state pro-
| Lihtion or something else. must adiit
| that if that test is to be made 1t should
| he made by Il method ana in a ,ninh-f
| which would he Just ana fair to AL con-
! crrned The method popularity known as
/ rcsubmissnn is not Just ana ialf ih'''ic
cd of making such 4 test. Let rs s"e II
| it is. ,,o .,,.,,,o,
| devised by our fathers, generations ago.
| for the purpose of amending the r"hSll-
! tuition. 1t was made hefor" I'll" ld"h 81
| T.ircct Government by thu pcopl" was
! horn At that time the pcopl" stood. in
! This country for Representative" Govern
ment They believed tina, the mon whom
| they elected as Lawmakers must be men
Of character to be trusted vita RESPONSE
| biliry for their acts III making laws ana
| in proposing amendments to tn" ronstl-
tuition. They trusted tn integrity ana
| banked heavily upon their ludSment.
| When their fundamental law mad been
! established they provided that amend
| mcntS to it should be proposed to the
| people only when twn-thirds Of both
| branches Of their laWmaltinG assembly
| honestly believed a chang" to be n-c"s-
! Sary for the welfare of the citizens 81
| the state. They provided that when tWo-
| thirds 50 believed they should fran"
| resolution cmbodving The proposed
| change and submit that resolution 10
| the people for their ratification OF re-
! lection. This method. as an act Of Rep
| rcScntativc Government. prc$ulpoSnS mat
| before any change in til" constitution is
proposed to the people fog r;ttihcatl"n or
| rejection two-thirds of the elected law
makers as responsible representatives. OF
| their constituents have actually approved
the propose q change
| We are not to forget that. though
| the idea of Direct Government las
| come, we are still living under and using
the me-, mods and forms Of Rcnrc sentative
| Government The principles and me thnds
Of Direct Government have been under
| discussion in Maine fO: several years
Both branches of the last legislature by
| nearly unanimous vote approved ines"
| principles and methods and embodied
| thcr in a resolution to be submitted
to tie people for ratification at the next
general election. That the resolution VIII
be ratified and become part Of our con-
stitution at the next session OF the iegis-
latilrc there is little doubt; but until this
is done VIC must not forget that we are
still living under Representative Govern
ment and are using its appropi late forms
| and methods.
In the.rarticular case of amending the
. plOhihitOry clause of the constitution, the
present method requires that rcsolu-
ton to ahroGate and annul" the pro.
hi,itorv clause shall be proposed in good
faith by n two-thrds vote Of both
branches Of the legislature. The honest
conviction Of at least two-thhds Of the
! elected lawmakers that tie change is
necessary to the welfare of the state Is
of fundamental Significance: the vote of
| ratification CT rejection 10y the people Is
secondary both in time and importance
in the scheme of Representative Govern
ment under Which we arc living. Tho
catchy cry Give the people chance TO
| atp 1ttpmn
| methods of Representative Government.
!, to secure tho ends Of Direct Government
Ii is an exceedingly awkward ana unjust
subtcrfuec TIL" legislature does not give
: the pooI.le chance to vot" except in
directly. but the constitution provides
that the people shall vote u7on any
amendment which thirds Of ;he law
making assembly deem necessary to pro-
pose and it grossly violates the genius
Of Representative Cov"rhment for repre-
sentativns Of the poonle to propose
amendments to the constitution the rati-
, fcation of which they do not really de-
sire AS an act Of Representative Gov
| ornment. tie proposing of any change
| in the constitution by the Legislature must
: natInallv and inevitably he understood
ns carr, ing with it the approval! of at
[ least twn-thirds of the law-makng as
! scnhly OF the state: and in the cas-" Of
tho resolution to 'abrognte ana annul'
, the prohibtory amendment the argument
f that such n resolution was proposed by
two-tlirds Of tie representatives Of the
people would be used With tremendous
effect in the present campaign in Maine
| and throughout the country Ia check the
, rapid growth of sentiment in favor Of
state Wild" prohibition.
1t is Il fatal objection 10 restihnission
, that il thus puts tho Defenders Of the
, constitution at such DISADVANTAGE. II is
:. asliins: them to 81 down into the ditch
with guns spiked to face the enemy :
artillery on tn" hill-tCrs. 1t is giving tho
, Trohihtory principle 4 stab in the bacl;
bv a tWo-thrds vote of the legislature
and then asking the people to restore if
they can, the bleeding victim. 1t l.
, against such rnwarrantod ana unjust
treatment Of the prohbitorv principle
that tho opponents Of rcsubmisSion
; stand.
We arc not Directing to direct gov
| ernment by tho people. nor to tie lrci-
innate fruits Of direct government. We
arc not obiectnc 10 4 fair and unprc i'll
: diced expression Of the viii of tho p"o-
pie upon any issue. We are ohicctine
I to the attempt to secure such an express
sion nv 4 Suhtorfugc which can not pos
sihv give fair and unprriudiced cX-
preston When the initiative ana refer
, cndIn has been incorporated in our con
, stitntion rs il doubtless will he within
eighteen months. q method of securing
| n direct expression Of the will of tho
I people without previous legislative CON
3, d"mnation will he at hand Inon tho