Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-29
Hughes Wants
Broad View.

| Hughe; came up from Albany to oper
| the Washington county fair. This cOun-
| " was the Governors childhood home
and he made the visit an occasion fol
renewing old acquaintance. Upon his
arrival at Fort Edward he was met by
committee of the citizens of the towr
| and driven to the home in Sandy Hill
! OF Marcus G. Allen, an old friend OF
| the family.
The Governor was accompanied Ey
| his son. Charles f. Hughes, Jr, and
| COL Treadweil, hi, military secretary
After luncheon the Governor attended
a reception at the Hotel Cunningham
He went to the fair grounds at 8
o'clock and received a warm welcome
from the big crowd. He was introduced
as he next President Of the United
states" and at this the crowd rose and
shouted itself almost hoarse The Gov
ernnr emphasized the statement that
we are all one people," and said that
the real responsibility of al! govern
ment begins at home Then he urged
the people to discontinue looking for
special legislation, because the prn-
ciI'le WAS entirely wrong. He said:
II have been sitting there in Albany
II Fii7 " !i'l4-ittli'l d lew pI ipiN'' Va
our democratic government and l have
been appalled, at the enormous mass OF
local special legislation which l had TO
sign simply because Of other special
LEGISLATION which had preceded it. When
one attempts to draw Il line between
these bills il is found to be almost i'm
possible 10 distinguish between merl-
tor ious and other measures. 1t gets SO
= 1.r .f
the session have been willing to sign
almost anything in this line. We want
rules that apply to all the people. not
to any particular person or class"
Speaking of the recent legislative Ses-
sion the Governor said:
We had legislation of great import
ance during the session touching the
vital interests of the people of the
State. l believe it would be hard 20
find session of the Legislature in
which 50 much general legislation of
great Importance was enacted. We
had. for example, the great question
of the control Of the operation Of our
public service corporations. 1t is q
question of great Importance to the
people and one of the great questions
of the day. Now there are some who
would have passed these bills upon
the general theory that you don't I'M
derstand such questions and the quick
cr you do something the better
Now l believe that the way to deal
with these matters is to understand
them. The way to make the govern
ment and its administration supreme
is to show the people of the State that
there is no corporate power that mas
any strength to defy the will of the
people that they are going to have a
fair understanding of the facts and
compel just exercise of public fran
chises. That is what we stand for
We want to see a great extension of
our transportation facilities and We
want to see our goods moved We are
bound to get this
we are not going to be fooled by
any Of these people who tell us that
they can't do these things and live I'M
der fair regulation. On the other hand
we are not going to prevent their do
ing these things by making absurd
and impossible rules. The people Of
TINS country are perfectly fair and
square in this matter. The great diff
fculty is that the problem is so intri-
cate in many OF its phases that some
say: What is the use? You can
never understand it,
Now | say that the government
should be perfectly contented to find
out the facts and to enforce the regu-
lations under which franchises should
be managed and to see that every citi-
zen of the state interested in our
transportation problem gets good SER
vice at reasonable rates. That is what
we have been trying to provide gov
ernmental machinery for in this state.
Il believe hat we have ACCOMPLISHED
a great deal in that direction. We have
men devotihg themselves exclusively
to the understanding Of these problems
We are going to have things done right
and in thoroughly fair way and as
the people want them done. In recog-
milton Of the obliga tions of these cor
poratons to the state. as | have said.
the great thing is to provide machin-
cry 50 that the people will feel that
they are represented. and that they are
not held down: that they can get at
things; that Il complaint can be
heard.
with the approval Of the people Of
the state from one end to the other we
have. got that machinery and we are
going TO see that it works we'll and
that everything is done to protect the
people that can be done. But on the
other hand the state. being all the in
uividualS together. must see that no
one individual gets opportunity at the
unjust expense Of his neighbor and that
these matters that can be taken care
OF only by concerted action shall be
taken care of in 4 way which will de-
fond the interests of all.
IN connection with all matters re-
lating to the public health and COM
nitrCe the state must interfere and by
a strong hand protect the people. l
shall not attempt to go over the vari-
Gus steps taken at the last session in
this direction. lie me say this in con-
cluSion: You can't do anything by
multiplying these efforts of the admin
istration unless you get the men to
run the machinery who can be depend
ed upon to take the state view against
that of the ir own interests.
I'VE can't do anything in regulating
corporate business: we can't do any
thing in attempting to protect public
health, to encourage agriculture. to