Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-14


whether prohibition here is a success
or not as against license there. There
is an immense amount of material to
be considered in relation to this mat
ter, but I return TO this, that in COM
pany with my friend from Monson Mr.
Knowlton 1 want to reiterate that
this is a great moral question, and how
we. as intelligent legislators, can view
a great moral question in any way ex-
cept to enforce it and to follow it up
and never surrender, is more than
can understand. (Applause)
Mr.. JOHNSON of Watervile: Mr.
Speaker, it seems to be in order for
gentlemen who rise to address you TO
announce the obligations they are un-
der to their constituents who by
their votes have elected them to this
House. l do not deem it necessary for
me to follow the custom in this re-
spect, but for a moment l will allude
to 1t. L represent what we call ana
what to me is indeed a beautiful city,
city of a college of learning. a city
OF manufacturing, a city where the
whirring spindles give Employment to
thousands of laborers, a city of as in
telliSent people as can be found any
where in the confines of the State of
Maine or anywhere within this Union,
citizens who are capable of passing up
on moral questions. That city-and it
has operated for her proSperity-is
evenly divided between two political
parties, although that csty was so close
that two years ago when l came to
this House | came with a Republican
representative from that city, and l
coming here by but a few notes over
my competitor, this last fall l came
here with a majority of over 500 from
that city of Waterville due largely to
the position which 1 had taken upon
this very question; and my support
did not come from the liquor inter
ests Of the city Of Waterville. / agree
with my friend from Bowdoinham that
this is a great moral question. 1t is too
large a question to be made a Ques-
ton Of party politics. 1t is a question
which ought to be considered broadly
and wisely. But as a moral question
we are in the same position upon this
as upon many others in the history Of
the world. Did you ever know of any
great question which is live question
being discussed as this liquor question
is il every state III this Union, demand
ing solution Of the evils which follow
the use Of liquor and it's sale-did you
ever know it to be settled right by
shutting it up and putting it away in
a constitution or anywhere else and
saying to the intelligent people or a
State, You shall not deal with it, you
shall not discuss it?" (Applause) You
cannot settle it that way because it is
a moral question and one that is APP
pealing for solution. The Pharisee in
the past drew his cloak about him and
said THANK God, l am not as other
men are" He had settled the question;
it was not open for discussion. And SO
others have tried to settle the question
and have said there shall be no future
discussion. Isn't that the attitude in
which we are forced here in this State?
1 am no sudden convert from the
city of Waterville to the question of
resubmission. In 1883 in old Granite
Hall in this city l attended my first
political convention. Being appointed
upon the committee on resolutions I
advocated then q resubmision of this
constitutional amendment. I had voted
against it in 1854 when it meant some
thing of ostracism at the time. / know
how that constitutional amendment
went into the constitution, and so do
many of YOU, gentlemen,-when the
temperance peOpl" and the ladies
crowded the polls and it was almost an
impossiblity for man to get a mo"
ballot to vote against it, and if he did
vote against it he was put down as 4
rummie, or ostracised. 1t was that
feeling that kept many from recording
their votes at that time. Now when |
went into that committee on resolu-
tons in 1883 l offered there a plank
in favor of resubmissiOn. That plank
was voted down by a vote of nine to
seven. l remember the majority of
that committee announced the plat
form of the Democratic party and it
began with these words, I'VE dcnOunce
the Republican party for its hypocrisy
in dealing with the liquor question:"
l presented a minority report and l
said these words, when | opened Gen
tlcmcn, before we denOunce the Re
publican party for its hypocrisy hadn't
we better look around our own house
hold and commence here and set our
selves right upon this question:" |
need not say here that for the great
Republican party in the State of Maine
have unstintCd admiration, and vet
speaking to YOU not as members of
the Republican party or any other but
as members Of the 73rd Legislature,
you know that the Republican party
have put into their platforms that
same statement, their advocacy of the
prohibitory law, and then openly coun-
tcnanced its violation and notification.
1t was that which called my attention
chiefly to the need Of having the peo-
PIE take up this question again. In
1872 the Democratic party inserted it
in their platform, and l ascribe to my
friends and myself something of the
credit for having placed it there, be-
cause | felt as | do now that this was
question which ought to be submit
ted to the people of the State of Maine.
that 1t had no business in the cOnsti-
tuition of State, that it had nothing
to do with organic or fundamental law.
that great moral question like this
should be left where it could be dealt
with by the Legislature of a State. by
the people, and regulated: and it will
have to be, Gentlemen, sometime.