Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-13

ing the "Sturgis Act" so called, of 1906.
The bill will be recognized. or the mat
ter to be considered will be recognized. as
the Eaton resolve" The Eaton resolve
in the first place was to amend the Con-
stitution so that the Governor may re-
move sheriffs. The sheriffs are elected,
as we all know, by the. people. This re-
solve is to give the Governor the power
to remove those sheriffs. 1t further states
that-in case that resolve is accepted and
passed here and accepted by the people
at meeting called for that purpose that
it will then repeal the "Sturgis Law" As
one member of the committee to which
that was referred, the judiciary commit
tee, / recognize this condition, l may say
that it is the condition of the dominant
party of this State, and that condition is
this: To somehow get rid of the Sturgis
law Now, 1 think 1 have struck you
all fairly and correctly-in some way to
get rid of the Sturgis law, to actually get
rid of it. This is proposed, an amend
ment to the Constitution of the State, to
allow the Governor to remove sheriffs,
remove them. presume, if they don't do
all that is expected of them by every
unwise, or whatever may be the condition
of their minds about this traffic in intox-
icating liquors. 1t is moving from one
thing to another, as you will see, and
sometimes we learn through wisdom that
we are able to determine what we ought
to do if we will just consider what has
taken place in the past. I believe it is g
good idea to study the past in order to
shape our conduct in the future. l think
if we should do that oftener we would
make less mistakes. l think if the Legis-
lature that enacted the Sturgis law had
carefully considered the past and what
had been done, and what the people of
this State had desired to do, as they
should have, they probably never would
have passed that law.
Now, what have the people done? In
1861 away back in 1867, when the prohibit
tory law was just as unfruitfu as it is
now. just as interesting to the people as
it is now, and perhaps more so, when
perhaps they were more interested in it
than they are now, they thought that the
sheriffs and the constables and the exec
utive officers who ought to have enforced
the prohibitory law were not pay
ing that amount of attention to
it that they ought to have and they
tried to seek some way to obviate It.
Now what did they do: They passed
this law, and it was called the state
Constabulary Law and | am going to
read it because | want you to see how
ncary it conforms to this SturSis law.
and for this purpose, that you may
understand that it cannot be enforced
that it is no good and the people won't
accept it and won't use it. Let us not
have it. The law is as follows: There
shall be an officer to be called the
constable Of the State, appointed by
the Governor. On application of 10 or
more legal voters in any city or town
in this State. if the constable be sat
isfied that the local authorities fail to
enforce any of the laws of the State
therein and the public good requires
it, may appoint one or more deputies.
And what shall they do? 1t provides
that They shall have and exercise
throughout the State all the common
law and statutory powers of constables
of towns and marshals, police officers
and watchmen in cities. and cooperate
OF the State are enforced and OBJ
served
Now that was the constabulary Law
in 1867. when only 10 people were re-
uured if the laws We're not enforced
in a town to have that done in that
way The people were just as earnest
as no!N. but not more so, and they were
looking into the constitutionality u
things carefully. and they were look
ing into the effect of their laws and
what did they do in their wisdom? The
very next year they repealed fhat raw
and got it out of the way. and it stayed
out of the way. and it stayed out Oh
the way until 1880. from the time 81
that Legislature in 1867 until 1881 Is
years it was out of the way. In me
wear 1880 there came up to TINS Leg,
stature | presume men who had Tor
gotten the experience in 1867, men VINO
perhaps like my friend from Houlton
here (Nr. Hersey) were strong in their
righteousness so strong that they would
be good themselves and not only that
so strong that they would have every
body else good. and they would make
them good even if they had to hang
them or XIII tntlil. anu ivy ti'"Si'N
then that they needed that law, an"
without perhaps studying the past they
enacted this State liquor conStabulaiN
in 1880. Just see how near it reached
to the present law. That law says:
Upon petition of SO tax payers in any
county that the provisions of Chapter
land that is in regard to intoXical-
Ing linuors-are not faithfully enforced
by the county and local officers, the
Governor shall appoint two or more
constablcS for such county. whose
DUTY it shall be to diligently enforce
thc nroyisions of said chapter, ana
said constables shall have the IKE
movers and duties as sheriffs ana thelf
deputies" Just see what power they
would have. under the provisions OF
that law in 1880. just the same as II Is
now. But that law was so impracticill
that nobody paid any attention 10 II
II was on the statute books tor years
and wears. until 190l-from 1880 10
1901 lust see how many years IL was
on the statute books: and then prop
ably some ingenious man from ldr-
mouth came forward with all the YER
satility and thoughtfulness OF ou'
friend. wandering into different sta'-
utns and among laws and every thine
IN