Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-14


in tine future as it l:as done in the past.
To these who insist that rcsu5mission
| III its proposed form would be Il blow
to prohibition, rs suggested in Gov
| Crnur Cobbs message, / say: Change
! the form, as il has already been
| charged in the minds of many people.
i SQu@rciy declare for rcs;IIblliSSiOn FOR
| the ;VoWcd purpose, and in the firm
! faith and belief, of its ca!iirmation by
Il vote of our people. DDcS, anyone
| think, f." minute. that. with the
| advocates that could D.. brought to its
| support, with the warning example of
| the working Of license laws in other
states. Nith the vital interests involved
ana the interests Of the owners OF our
mills and factories, our employers Of
labor, and the great agricultural
| interests of the state. With the in
litlcnccs that will be brought to bear
by the fathers and mothers, wives and
sisters CT Maine. with the example Of
| the results of fifty years Of prohibition
manifested i'll the remarkable pros
| perity of our State with its mcagrc
natural advantages. with the general
| cause Of prohibition steadily growing
| in favor in nearly every state in the
Union, and, | may say. in the whole
world does anyone think. that. with
such a platform. the Republican party
| can fail of q triumphant victory, and
! III" Democratic party of an over
| Whclming defeat"
Why is Sheriff Penncn the popular
| IDOL Of his party. receiving at tho
hands Of tn" Democratic members of
| this Legislature the complimentary
vote fnr United States senator Not
because he was once the great nullilier
Of the prohibitory law in Maine. but
| because he has given ii an honest en-
| forccment in Cumberland county. 90
! among IN" people of that county and
| near 4. I:.t they say of him. 1t is that
| he "nfurccs the law and not that he
one" went on th2 stump advocating
the licensed saloon. Why WAS Sheriff
Lang elected in Republican Somerset
Because he promised To enforce the
law. and ne did it, and is today held in
/ high esteem by beta Republicans and
| Democrats in that county. Why was
! he defeated? Because an opposing
| Republican candidate promised to do
the same thing. Why was Sheriff
| Ham defeated in Icnncbcc? Simply
because the people thought that he did
| not enforce tho Law as he might have
! t;"nc. Why is Sheriff Gilman kept in
! office i'll Perobscot. living as he docs in
! that hot-bed Of license sentiment? Be
cause the people Of his county believe
! that he has tried, as hard as a maan
could. to enforce the law. The fact
| is the people want tho law enforced,
! and enforced by the Sh"riifS and city
! marshalS whom they elect. AMI not by
q commission from the state House,
With this evidence before you. arc YOU
afraid To submit the main que %tiUn t.
the people? There is before this
legislature Il mnasur" to amend lii,
! Constitution 80 that t. per cent. of tho
1 voters of the state. not moro than l.
| Ter cent of whom shall come from any
one county. may propose an amend
! m"l!t to the Constitution. the rcfcr"n-
DUN. so-calcd; ana this is a popular
measure. Ard why? Hccaus" il
throws into the hands "f Il E?inprity III,
! right to demand Il vote on any imror-
tant public matter. With this bcfnr,
! yc1l is there any Inconsistency in Civ
in" to the voters. at this time. Il chance
to vnt" on the question of tn" FiftE
/ Amendment? Did il ever occur To Nor
| int the continued refusal Of thi'
privilege to a minority il breeding dis
trust in the Legislature. among INC
people, and leading to the referendum
and primary caucus laws" That tn
people will take from their representa-
tivcS as much delegated power as IS
not properly exercised" To my mino
j. is a bad condition Of affairs that
leads he people t. distrust their ch"s"l
representatives either as legislators oi
as delegates to conventions. 4 lcadine
! Democrat of this State said to mt
within a month that, if | could bring
my party to rcsubmission, we would
have them in o box; but, he added
"YOu can never do it. The Civic
League controls that matter and they
VIII never consent" Is it possible
that the Civic League will play into the
hands of the Democracy of Maine after
the support which they have always
received from the organization of the
Republican party?
May | ask the Hon. Charles F. John
son. the duly and regularly elected
leader Of the Democracy in the present
House. and Senator Staples, the blush
Knox county. the Hon. Cyrus w
Davis. last Democratic candidate fol
Governor. Mr.. Pennell, sheriff of Cum.
bnrland or Mr. Plaisted. sheriff o
KennebCc, and incidentally editor o
the New Age. my brother Pattangall
editor Of the Watervlle Sentinel, OIL
the editor of the Portland Argus. may
ask any Of these. if such there be. t,
stand and answer for the Democratic
party of Maine whether that party now
stands for license with local option o.
for prohibition, as the best way to sup
press. or even regulate, the rum traffic
in this State? If the answer is 70
prohibition. then ! am no longer for re
submission. That ends the question
But if for license with local option,
say to them and to it and to Mr.. Franz
COwan. that the slavery question wa.
: settled hy III" ballot through refer
,nium. BY a resubmission if y"'