Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-04

have also another article should
like 10 read that it seems to me ap-
plies fully as well as any have read,
an article taken from the message OF
Governor Folk Of Missouri. Governor
Folk says: "In large majority Of the
counties of the state the local officials.
at least endeavor to carry out the law,
but there are some counties where the
officials millfully neglect their duties
and where the sovereignty of the law
less liquor seller is greater than the
sovereignty of the state, for they over
rule the statutes of the state and set
aside the mandates of the common
wealth with impunity and the state
is powerless. 1t is travesty on state
government to have the dram shop
laws enforced where the Governor has
the mower to enforce them-enforced
in counties where the local officials
want to enforce theln-and ignored IN
counties where the officials either can
not or will not enforce them
Governor Folk insists that some rem
edy must be found for this travesty
upon state government He justly says
there can be no such thing as local OPP
ton in obeying or not obeying state
laws.
And. gentlemen, l think I have prov
ed to- YOU: First. that the law Is not
an untried one. I have proved to you
Think from the statement made be-
fore that committee and from the let
ters received by Mr. Owen. that the
sentiment of the temperance people to-
day is 81 to 4S against the Sturgls
law. 7 have shown to you that four of
the states have similar laws and have
| proved to you that the four governors
of those states advise strongly that we
have such law on our statute BOOKS.
move, Mr.. President and Gentle
men, that when the vote is taken, 1t
| be taken by yea and nay vote.
hIr. STAPLES of Knox: Mr.. Presi-
dent and senators, 7 am glad that the
Republican party of the state CT
| Maine, by their senators assembled,
have agreed upon one thing with the
Democrats, and that is that the Sturgls
| law is a BAD law.
l find that the Republican prohibit
tionists are not in favor of the Eaton
Amendment. The Rev. Mr.. Berry, last
Sunday night, delivered a sermon in
this city, where he said that the I'M
| dcrtaking to repeal the Sturgis law
| and to substitute the Eaton bill In its
place was subterfnge.
| Let us be honest about this. Why
is this Eaton resolve put in here? The
Republican party of the State of Maine
are afraid of it. The vote last fall put
the handwriting upon the wall; and
this very resolve today takes up both
the Sturgis commission and the Eaton
resolve. 1t keeps the Sturgis bill upon
| the statute book fer the next two
| years at least, if the resolve passes this
| Senate.
| Do the people of this State, after
what they have known of the trans
actions under the Sturgis bill, and It's
| iniquitous practice in some of the
counties Of the State-do they want to
keep that upon the Statute Book for
two years longer? Is not this the stu
alton in which the Republican party
| finds itself today which they have
down in a caucus? We want to get rid
Of the St,rgis bill. but we are afraid to
OIL account of some of the temperance
| element in the state of Maine; and
| undertake to substitute the Eaton bill
so that they can say to the people:
! "Why. we are going to get rid of the
| Sturgis bill"
Let me tell you it is not a question
| Of lieu at all 1t is question OF the
| constitutional rights of the people.
| understand how the Republican party
| IS situated III this matter. If they do
| not repeal the Sturgis law. they are
| damned; and if they do they are
| damned. / am not opposed to the Stur-
| eis law because it searches for liquor,
| but / am opposed to it upon constltu-
tional grounds. do not believe that 1t
| is constitutional. and whenever any
| Of it has come before the supreme
court of Maine, as in the instance
| when they appointed a county attor-
rey UP in Somerset county. then the
| court, as far forth as it went, declared
| il to be unconstitutional.
| ] do not believe that you can usurp
the power of the sheriffs of the coun-
ty by the Sturgis deputies. What COM
| nlaint has been made? Has anybody
| complained of the sheriffs of the State
Of Maine. that they have not done their
duty? Pray tell me where one com
plant has been made against sher-
if in any county of the state of Maine.
The Constitution provides the duties
OF TIE SiitlluS anu HOW they Nilfii VI
elected
If we are going to have a represent
ativc form of government. let the
counties elect their sherifs. | have
heard no Complaints. | know that III
my county the sheriff has executed the
law as far forth as he could. Bat be
cause somebody gets Il milf agans;
a sheriff Of a county. l am not going
| to put into that mans hands the right
| 10 go 10 the Governor and to say 4
| him: We want you to remove this
nan from Office and have him APP
| point another man to take his place
| Somebody, the next week or the nexr
| month. will complain that this MAJ,
is not doing his duty and it will be
| asked that he be removed and some
BODY else put in his place. / do not be
| lievc that the people of this State dc
nand it at our hands. / do not be-
iicve the temperance element demand
it at our hands today. We have all
| the law that is necessary upon the
statute book. The Governor has a right
| 10 impcacll today, by address to the
Legislature, if any sheriff does not do
his duty in any county, or if any other