Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-27
Z MAlNELEcrsrATuRE.
CONTINUED from Page Seven.)

n suggested itself to my mind at that
time. and 1t has been commented on
very often since that time by myself
and by my friends, that something
must be done for the purpose of keep
ing the delinquent sheriffs into line, ir-
respective Of what their political affil-
tations may be. The question that we
are concerned with is good government
and whenever a sheriff takes the law
into his own hands and says 81 do not
believe in the law have substituted
law Of my own" then republican
government has ended, and will my
friend from Waterville deny that? Now
when 1t comes to the question Of nulli-
ication in Cumberland county, 1. say
that no man has openly declared on
the stump within my recollection that
he was 4 nullifier. If he was, he was
satisfied to keep it to himself, as
should suppose he would prefer to.
am not prepared to say what any mans
sentiments were on the question OF
notification until he made them mani
fest to me, or to some one who might
have told me. But when man says
he is nullifier and repeatedly says so
when am perfectly willing to take his
word for it. And I should like TO IL
quire from the distinguished gentleman
from Waterville if he ever knew Of but
one sheriff from Cumberland county
who openly declared that he was
nullifier.
Mr.. JOHNSON: I understand the
gentleman from Yarmouth asks me .
question, whether / have ever known
of but one instance where sheriff pro-
claimed himself TO be in favor of nuiii-
fication. l say l have known score
of instances where by their acts known
to all men. and speaking more plainly
than words can speak, they have 50
declared and profited by it in your own
county OF Cumberland and also in
others in the State Of Maine. CA
plause).
Mr.. DAVIES: If the gentleman is
satisfied with the reply to the question,
/ am. I thought it was perfectly fair
speciously fair. at least, and | think
some Of you will agree with nc that
the anwer was hardly sufficient to be y
direct reply to the question. The mat
ter that is now pending is this-and
we had a proposition somewhat similar
to it yesterday-nn rcfcrCndum-don' t
need it-all bosh. This is a question Of
referendum, whether tho electors ct
this State will place into the constitu-
ton Of the state Of Maine Il claus
which will give to the Governor power
TO remove sheriffS who violate the pro-
visions OF sacred oath Why he afraid
of them? Don't you think that our
moral standard III the State Of Name
is sufficiently high 50 that Nt
can trust the electors OF talI
State with that proposition AT
a general election? Now, the
made to the referendum the other day
was that it was n special election ana
it would cost altogether too much
money. Now here, is q proposition for
referendum at general election
Can the same complaint be urged
against that, that it is too far away
and somebody might forget what ne
wanted to vote. | think We can very
safely and very reasonably trust the
electors in this State with deciding
whether the Governor shall have sum
Gent power ana authority to remove q
= sheriff who has wilfully violated me
. proyisions of his oath of Office. l can
see absolutely no reason why anyone
should refuse to give the electors Oh
this State the opportunity to pass upon
this question.
Mr.. MONTGOMERY: Of course |
expected some reply IlpIll tiit SIM
man from Yarmouth Now if his earn
estness was unfeigned and he sincerely
and honestly knew that Il sheriff in
any of the counties of the state had
declared himself a nullificr of the law
he would have had us sit in Judgment
upon it with an address to the Gov
ernor while we have been here to re-
move that official. The earncstncss
that he has displayed is not real, ana
it cannot be.
Mr.. HORIGAN of Biddeford: Mr..
Speaker, while listening to the argu-
ments of the gentlemen who have pre-
Y coded me | have been wondering who
Is to remove the Governor, or who Is
, to be given the power to remove the
~ Governor when he does not do his
duty. An instance occurred in our
county within the past year, where
the county attorney of the county Of
York came to the Legislative halls Of
the State of Maine, came to the pres
ent Governor and complained to him
that the local officials We're multiplying
the prohibitory law. and he asked the
- Governor to insist that they take hold
and help him enforce those laws. Did
d. tthc G"vcrnn" 10 u? lie did nothing
'.n,c Gr.u.lt * .nu,,c uirnn him Il
\. help ,rtr'-. :..: VIVA :1d "" refused
/ to d. H. }, ,'t 90. g.. D.. -. H. lrh5
as the Governor tl- L..- '-'! a. e M
3 vene the Legislature" and To propose
Impeachment proceedings against any
sheriff that he will only have to dc
that thing once. and the history OF
that one time will be a menace and a
club over all future sheriffs so that
they will feel obliged to and will en-
!: force the laws without giving this
10. great power to the Governor of the
= State OF Maine. You may have Gov
= errors who will he honest, YOU may
have Governors who will try to en-
force all laws. but YOU will certainly
get some who will be just as your
;, shcriffs have been. just rs the judges
-, of your municipal courts have been
and just as the Judges of your higher
~ courts have been and will he. who will
play into the hands of the political
party which has made them what they