Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-12


ure brought in here simply because
some Democrat suggested it l should
resign my position as a representative
from the city of Waterville because !
might not always be able to do so
properly and fulfill my duties towards
my constituents.
Now | undertake to say that 1t is
absurd nonsense for anybody to at
tempt to inject any party politics into
this question You are familiar with
your party platform. You Republic
cans may recall yours. We recall ours
7 assure you; and in neither of the
party platforms was there single
word applicable to the resolve now pc
fore you, not a word. The Democratic
party platform did not advocate 1t, the
Republican platform did not advocate
it; and l can think of no more childish
argument to use against that measure
than to undertake to label it with
party name. 1t may be Democratic
doctrine or have more of a Democratic
tendency than a Republican tendency;
but. as the gentleman from Yarmouth
stated. State after State strong in
their Republicanism have approved
this method of choosing the State Of
ficers. Now in fairness to yourselves
if seems to me in considering this
question you should consider it square
" on it's merits and on its merits alone,
disabusing your minds of the petty
and childish idea that on everything
which comes up here you must per-
force play politics, and play TO the gal-
lerieS, play to your constituents, get
something in the newspapers ABOUT
how you love your party ana all thdt
sort of rot which hasn't got any more
place in a Legislature than the Lora
PRAYER would have in 4 poker game
Uaughter.)
We come down here to a plain prac-
teal issue, whether as business men
We think it would be better TOR the
State of Maine to elect three of ITS Oh
fcials by the people or elect them pt
the Legislature, and on that point
want to submit just one word, ana tl"'
is this believe that the Legislature
can as wisely select State officials as
State convention can nominate tnei'l'
but the work of your legislative eau
MS is done in the might and Is over
and nobody can call you to reckon
ing if YOU do ILL., The work of your
State convention must go to the people
of the whole State: and I say that II
Won are selecting candidate LOT III
torney general, secretary OF state or
State treasurer whose name was I"
70 upon YOUR official ballot and whose
strength or weakness might add to or
letract from the chances of your cam
didate for Governor being elected, you
h; with care imam
when YOU can sit down in a caucus OF
one night and select your three or lour
State officers. Further than that, any
If us who have ever attended leslsId
tive caucuses OF their party know, tina
where we have four or 1--WE candlaa'ts
Cor q state office to select, the friends
Of one play to the friends OF the othei'
.nd Won get a combination through
the caucus which it would be lmpoS-
sible to get through conVentloh' III
view of the fact that the people must
ratify the acts of the convention. F"i
myself, if | had been drawing the r.
solve proposed here | would nave lelt
,ff for the time being the secretary III
state and the State treasurer because
| T do not deem them so important ds
the other position. But ] beleVe re-
oradless of party-and ! cannot TOR
| the life of me see how anybody can
find any party question in the matter,
| believe regardless of party it would
he q wise thing and a splendid thing
fo, tho people of the State of Name
| in their marty conventions assembled
to nominate and at the polls to erect
| the attorney general. ! know of no
| position in Maine needing more re-
| sponSible man than that OF attorney
general There are abuses after ABUSES
| Existing in this State which a courage
GUS attorney general backed by the
votes of a majority of the people OIL
Maine could do away with More TO-
| forms could be accomplished by an
| attorney general willing to accomplish
| them and feeling safe in the popular
! backing he would have than can be
| accomplished by all the laws we VIII
| pass here this winter. You need your
| strongest and best man there. You
| arranged in the Legislature two years
| lgo to elect your state auditor by the
| people: and | say to you that If that
! arrangement had not been made some
| If the men who are leaders In the
| dominant party here would have SO
| arranged it that the man who has
| made 50 splendid a record i'm the offic"
| If State auditor would have gone out
| If Office at the end of his first snort
| -erm No party would have dared to
| refuse him denomination In conVen-
| ion: Il Legislative caucus would nave
| turned him down. 1t is better, | sub
! nit for your party and for our party,
| that when we meet in convention We
| should say to the people whom we
| want for attorney general and let them
| know who he is going to be, let them
| vote upon it. The change can at best
| 10 no harm; it cannot come about un-
less the people desire it for it must
| be submitted to them for q vote. 1t
| seems to me it might lead in the state
! to the bringing about Of some neces-
| sary reforms and changes. However.
| that may be. we might differ on that
| point but one thing we can agree on |
| believe. and that is that when we vote
| we will vote on this question on its
| merits and not be preiudiced by any
| sort of an appeal that might better
| have been made in a backwoods hall
| to a country jury. that this ought not
| to be voted on its merits but should be
| voted down because some Dem Ocrat