Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-06

Richmond of Colorado. Judge Rich
mond sends Il second letter which is
also of much value as showing the
opinion Of a Maine man now in Il dis
tant state, and especially the opinion
of man Of long experience i'll 4
judicial capacity His strong defence
of Governor Cobb from the Portland
attacks is particularly pleasing. Judge
Richmond writes as follows:
| have read the late Issues Of Maine pt.
pcrs regarding the capitol removal bill
and am rcioiced to learn Of it's defeat. |
note that the Portland papers appear 70
entertain the notion that Governor Conb
was guilty OF pernCious activity IN ms
sa.ffortS to defeat the bill. they holclng 70
the idea that as Governor he should h aye
kept silent ard allowed the Portland lob
by to utilize every effort in behalf OF
their set scheme. 1t would seem That
they believe that when a man becomes Il
chief state executive hc then cby Dec ones
that rights and privilege accorded him
bv the constitution and laws out of Office
are denied him in office; That as Gov
crnOr his lips are Cioscd--that free speech,
free thoughts and free actor. which tI-
cry citizen enjoys and s~bv the courts
protected in are surrendered Wnen ne
takes the oath of GovernT This idea Is
contrary to the accepted notions Of
verse of the proposition is true. As Gov
ernor a man Surrcnd"rs none ot ms polit-
ical or personal rights; rather the right
to exercise them is onhanced and it be-
comes q duty to exercise them Gov
crror who. believing that = Legislative
measure pending j. harmful to the mass
cs or inimical to the best interests of
majority Of the Taxpayers or lnvades the
qua rantced rights of any citizen or com
n' VOLTA nF not dh bis ee tc
field against its passage would not only
T." dcrcliot as a man but as an official.
As Governor, his duty is two-fcld. lie
must determine for himself what is right
and act accordingly. BY his oath of Office
The must uphold the constitution and law s
of the state. BY the constitution he is
obligated from time to lime to lvise tho
legislative assembly for and against
pending measures. lie must determine
for himself what is bal and what is good,
what is needed or unnecessary. what OPP
FORTUNE or inoppurtunc. what protects or
infringeS guaranteed rights of the clti-
Zcns. and so long as he does not violate
his official obligation by utilizing THE Of
flee rs a means to promote his personal
ends he is in a winning race TO. the es-
TEEN and appreciation of the people and
an approving conscience a governor OF
state is but one degree rem1ved from
. President Of the United States. their
official are similar. their duties much the
same 50 far as legislation is concerned
and duties to the people are involved. The
one. takes AN obligation like the other
and in words almost tie same. Are the
masses of this country finding ard scri-
oIs fault with our President for his nc:
tivity in national leGiSla tlon-fCr and
against? DO they protest that he is VIC
lating any official oath. duty or custom
when he interviews Il member Of Con-
gress for or against pending measures?
According to the chronicles for the past
| four months President Roosevelt has al
most daily called t. the White House
members for tn" purpos" Of giving utter
ancn to his views lpon pending and con
| tcmplatCd acts Of that BODY. lie keeps
| his weather eye open-fccls the pubic
| pulse initiates measures Of reller. advo-
action. The Chief Executive of the ma
| ton or 4 state represents no scots. sex,
| class or community. lie is the one man.
| the one public servant VINO stands for
| the whole people ana Is nearer to tn"
| people. He represents no senatorial dis
| trict nor any one country. hut one ma
| ton or one state IT is idle to deny to a
governor the right to actiCn-of persona.
| influence in opposition to measures which
| Pc may conclude are calculated to inn
| pose unnecessary or additional burdens
unou the people.
| According to the Portland Press. III"
| contest is still on. only put off. Reading
between the lines of their editorials one
is constrained to charge that they hav''
| no objections to any one for Governor
| who will favor their scht|n" AMI THAT ut
| is the purpose to Sc" to it that such an
one shall receive the nomination for m"
office pledged to work in harmony along
this line IT is certain. Judging from tn"
tone Of their articles that had Governor
| Cobh stood for tn" hill his course would
| have met the approval of the Portland
| papers, and an argument that he had
| tresI:aSS"d o. forbidden ground in 50 do
| ing would have been laughed at. 1t has
been said that tn" rrsss is an instru-
| mont well adaTtci to disturbing the f1nc-
| tionS of the government and committing
! injuries against rerGtat tons" Whether
| true or not. it has mcSt certainly o%Stah-
| liHhcd itself as an instrument of incon-
sistcncics. It seems IN me that the pco-
| pic If the State ought to consider tho
c0ntToI ersy from tn" standpoint OF JUS
| ticc. The people Of Augusta. the proper
| tv owners. tax payers and residents Of
| that locality. are all directly interested in
tho question of tn" removal Of the CAPT
| toll Their property rights. their vested
| right. their homes. arc all involved and
| unless it can he demonstrated that tn"
| removal will result in greater good to the
/ greater number Of the people Of the en-
tire State it should be defeated whenever
| the question comes before them AMI the
property interests of the citizens of Port
| land are of no greater moment to tneC1
| t1an those Of Augusta Acquired rights
ard vested interests arc worthy Of NOR
| serious consideration than prospective
/ advantages. This is not altogether q