Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-27
MAINE LEGISLATURE,
Continued from Page Five.)

=.
Your committee have considered the
so-called Eaton bill and that bill puts
INTO the hands of the Governor the
power to remove sheriffs who neglect
TO do their duty, with the proviso that
sheriff appointed in place of the one
removed shall be of the same political
party as the one removed and your
committee thought favorably of that
bill But that is constitutional mat
ter and Will not go into effect for two
years. In the meantime | believe the
people Of the State at large demand
that some just means of enforcement
should be in the hands of the State of
ficials. Your committee were heartily
in favor of the Heath bill. II is concise
and systematic. But if we are to adopt
the Eaton bill two years from now we
thought we ought not to do away with
this bill which is under discussion: we
| thought we had better allow the Stur-
gis matter for two years to remain
where it Is. We say there should DC
| some means of dealing with officials
| who deliberately nullify the law; and
We say that that this Sturgis law,
while ii is not all that we might wish
while we realize that to 4 certain ex
| tent 1t IS unpopular in some portions nj
| the State, we believe that under the
| present conditions we as temperance
| people of the State of Maine should
| stand by that with the understanding
| that it is only as Il temporary meas
ure; it is only TO tide over the time I'M
til we can have more potent law and
one which is better adapted to meet thu
needs of the people. For these rea
sons we favor the Sturgis law. By a
| fair majority you opposed resubmis-
sion of the prohibitory amendment.
submit that it is unjust to the Governor
| that he shall have no power to enforce
| the law which he is required to enforce
| and it is unjust to every principle OF
| civic righteousness and good govern
| ment: and I ask that the majority re
| port be sustained.
| Mr. MCKINNEY Of Bridgton: MI.
| Speaker. it does not seem to me tina;
| the Sturgis law has accomplished tn
purpose for which it was intended. Tho
| gentleman from Brooks says we must
| have something to help in the enforcing
of the law: and yet it is a fact if the
truth had been told on this floor. thai
the portion of the State of Maine which
has nulliiicd the law the most and most
continually. the Sturgis commission has
not gone near, but have persistently
staid away. Notwithstanding TIN,
fact that they have been called upon
time and time again to go into those
places where it is we'll known that rum
is freely sold. they have declined to do
So Notwithstanding the fact that the
newspapers of the State have called
upon them and asked them why they
have not gone into those portions OF
the state they have remained silent. 1t
has not been denied. If we need a COM
mission to enforce the law through
our regular officers, we also need a
commission to look after the Sturgis
commission to see that they enforce
the law.
| do not care whether this law is re-
| poalcd or not. If | thought more OF
| politics than of what | believe is right
should hope YOU would not repeal The
law But I will tell you one reason
why I shall vote for the repeal of tn"
| SturgiS law. | have had but few pc
titions from my town upon any queS-
ton that has been before this House.
but there was one petition asking for
the repeal of the Sturgis law. and that
| contained the names of 1O2 citizens Of
| nv town, 62 of whom were leading Re
i
my town. The list of Republicans con-
| tanned the name of the only United
| States officer in my town. the postmas-
| ter and it contains the name of nearly
all the leading business men Of me
town: and it seems to me that a lis
| with 102 names of the business men OF
nv town is sufficient to represent the
sentiment Of my town. I shall there
| fore vote for the repeal of the SturgiS
| law.
| Mr.. Stafford Of kittcry: Mr..
| Speaker. | do not believe that the OATH
taken by the SturEis commissioners
can he made any more sacred than thai
of the sheriffs Of our several counties
] may he IL little old fashioned in my
| ideas. but I believe in the system OF
| government that we adopted from old
| England. / believe if We proceed upon
that system there will lie no need of
| appointing commission upon commits
| sion to see to the enforcement of tie
laws. 7 am opposed to those eXpcdi-
| entS. I am a temperance man. | be-
| lieve in prohibition and in Legislative
prohibition. We have had an expert
cnce in this State long ago, in the State
| Const abulary How did that operate?
| can only speak for the county Of
York. We knew when that when the
| constables went into the cities in York
| county 10 enforce the law the local
Iofficers kept in allegiance. They no:
| only did not aid the constablcS. but
threw obstacles in the way Of their
| enforcement of the law. That was the
| result That is the history VIC have
had of the enforcement of the temper
ance law in this state. Now | believe
Mr. Speaker that if We cannot enforce
the laws through the legitimate CHAM
nels, through the acknowledged author
| ity of the sheriffs Of the counties. we
| cannot enforce it at all. We had bet
| ter acknowledge that there is some
! thing wrong in our system of govern
/ ment / voted against resuhmisslon'
but | will vote in favor of the repeal of
| the Sturgis law. and ! will use all my
efforts as a temperance man to nave
/ that law enforced through the sheritrs
| of the several counties of our state.
i We understand the difference in feeling