Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-01

not. What fairer proposition could we
have than that? AS 1 understand it,
there was another proposition, the So
called Heath amendment which was Of
fered and which provided that China
men, Indians, people in Texas, women
and children could vote. Even with that
l believe that the japanese and the
Chinese the Indians and the idiots and
all the people of that part of the town
would much rather keep the old place
together That is what We should do
today. Who is prompting this? A lob
by, a paid lobby, which has been here all
winter all winter long traf1icing and ty-
ing people up on this proposition to d.
vide the town of York. The gentleman
from Leeds (Mr. Additon) says that
when a man and his wife cannot agree
the proper thing to do was to divorce
them | say to you, Mr.. Speaker, and |
know in your own Office in Fairfield that
you have always, when man or wo-
man has come to you who could not
agree with their other half tried to get
them together tried to get them to live
together to remember their children, re-
member their posterity, and you have
done all that you could to protect them
and their names. That is what we
should do with the town of York and
that is what the people Of that town
want It was attempted here to pair my
| vote to traffic and trade my vote with
the honorable gentleman from Lebanon
when it was known that we both stood
together That is not fair; that is not
right, and this House should not recog-
nize such actions and hope it won't;
|
account, not only on account of the town
Of York but for myself, hope that this
House will stand where it stood last
week.
Mr. BEARCE of Eddington: Mr.
Speaker. 7 wish that I had the talent
of some Of the members of this Legsla-
ture to tell you my opinion upon this
| subject but ] have not that talent, and
| 50 / must tell you in my own rough and
hayseed kind of n way. 1t has been my
opportunity to be placed upon the COM
| mittee of towns. and when this claim or
| this question came before the LegiSla-
| ture last week ! was called home and
could not at that time state my position
upon that question. I want to state my
position here at this time, and | will
| say this, that they had 4 good hearing,
both sides were there at that first hear
ing and stated their case; and after the
hearing we took a straw vote Now,
many Of you may know what that is.
and / will say that every man was in
favor Of not dividing the town excepting
one man and he was the chairman of
the committed Perhaps l am giving
away some secrets but I am telling you
the truth. That chairman of the COM
mittee made us understand it was unani-
NOUS, while he didn't vote, and
claiming he has no need to vote. When
we came to vote upon it for good he
stood out and said perhaps he would
bring in a minority report. That mi
nority report he did bring in, and I be-
lieve it was the influence of this paid
lobby that brought that minority re-
port. The people of old York didn't
want their town divided they wouldn't
consent to it. They hadn't the ghost of
a chance to divide it before the commit
tee, and | think I am stating it fairly
when I say that we should let the people
of that town do they wish to do 1t
is right that they should. My brother
here the gentleman from Leeds comes
up and says Let us divorce them" How
would he like to take it right in his
own town? If they had a little trouble
in that town, thing which almost ev-
cry town has to a greater or less extent.
if some one should come down here and
influence the people Of this House by a
paid lobby and cut his town in two?
Now, gentlemen of the Legislature, you
people who live in the country or any
where. take it home to yourselves and
- ,rlf hot, Ia; 7
islature should divide that town without
the consent of the town or without the
vote of the town in any way? They
have used a trick here and you all can
see it; it is plain trickery. The paid lob
by that has been here with money in
their hands I truly believe has carried
this matter to this point. Now, gentle
men. stand by your manhood and let
us do what we think is right Cap
plause).
Mr. MARSHALL of Portland: Mr..
Speaker, / think | know the town of
York as we'll as the gentleman from
Saco (Mr Moore). I know it from its
mountain to its rugged coast. l know it
all / know it better than the gentle
man from Jonesboro (Mr. Allen). I
have lived there. and my ancestors
before me have lived there and l know
the conditions. l know that there have
been citizens of the town of York here
this winter asking and demanding that
this town should be divided. They are
interested; their property is at stake
The gentleman from Saco speaks about
taxing Chinese, Japanese, and that sort
of people. l want to ask him whether
he will give votes to a man like Francis
Lynde Stetson and n man like Thomas
Nelson Page? | had a letter here from
Mr. Stetson.
Mr. CHASE of York: ! would like to
ask the gentleman what date he has on
his letter from Mr.. Stetson?
Mr.. MARSHALL: The letter is dated
January 12th, 1909 and is as follows:
| Edward s. Marshall. Esq,