Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-31

SeSSiHeiltS, ana IL IS put into the IunQ &c
defray the expenses of a campaign. He
says that three men appeared before the
Judiciary committee. There were three
men there. l had the pleasure of be-
ing there. l was representing $50 vot.
ers of the city of Biddeford In 1898
knowing that Biddeford was belplessly
Democratic they thought that they
could carry it, They came to this Leg
islature. The man who introduced the
bill told me that that was one of the
meanest acts of his life and that he
hoped God would forgive him for it.
In 1893 this police commission was born
this police commission was formed for
the sole purpose to get together the
criminal element of Biddeford into one
mass so that through their efforts and
by Republicans who might vote with
them they might get into power. 1t
was promised to this Legislature when
the commission was formed that the
man who now holds the Office of city
marshal should not have the position,
and it was pledged to the members
of the Legislature. With that pledge
they passed this bill and placed Bidde-
ford under police commission T.. II.
Banks. formerly State treasurer of this
State was on the committee. He tried
to live up to his agreement with the
Legislature, and after three. weeks of
dallying Mr.. Banks finally consented to
the appointment of the marshal of Bid
deford. Immediately after that they
started the Industrial League. a labor
organization. to shorten the hours of
labor. and it was composed of every
criminal in the city of Biddeford. every
keeper of dive. every drunkard that
feared arrest. and every rumseller join
ed that organization. Some good Re
publicans went into it. They started
the Citizens party in Bddeford and
they gave a good administrations; they
reduced our debt: it was a non-partisan
administration. Mr. Harmon could not
do with them as he wanted to: so con-
sequently he goes across the street and
brings over his Industrial League and
got enough of his Industrial League
members into the Citizens party so that
he could control their organization. He
nominated whom he pleased for mayor;
for aldermen and for councillors, and
our school committee, the street COM
missioner, chief engineer of the fire de-
partment and in all the depart
mcnts were men of his choice,
and also our school department 1t
certainly was lamentable thing.
Gentlemen, it is beyond my words
won't tell you the condition of our
schools-teachers teaching our scholars
whose character each and every child
knew. We found law whereby the
;t,,. - ID i,
committee by the citizens and not by
the board of aldermen and the city
council. We picked out the finest men
we could find to reform our schools.
They went to work We elected them
by a very large majority. Our schools
have been cleaned up. l have a few
figures here. In 1894 under the police
l received GAO votes for rep
resentative to this Legislature. At this
last election I received 1885 votes. What
is the matter? 1t is Disguised Republi-
cans that do not attend their caucuses
The Republicans of Bddeford do not
attend the Republican caucuses. The
buns and beats and rum sellers have
got control of the Republican party in
Biddeford and they do with it as they
don't go to the caucuses. They have
become SO disguised that they are not
only voting the Democratic ticket in
Biddeford, they are voting it in the
and for the first time in 40
years we have got Democratic sheriff
in York county You talk about a po-
lice commission. Harmon Owls a police
they are his creatures, they
do his bidding. One hundred and
twenty-five dollars the gentleman says
was assessed on the Democratic MEM
bers of the police force. ] do not deny
or admit it, but | do say that today
every officer who holds position on the
police in the city of Bddeford was as
sessed to send the men down here who
appeared before that judiciary commit
tee. and they say Their We're 80 of them.
They We're assessed to defray the ex-
pense of the people who came to this
judiciary committee hearing. The gen
tleman says there was remonstrance
signed by nearly 900. that this bill might
not be passed. I will admit that pos
sibly there may have been a very few
honest, upright, conscientious men
whose names are attached to those re-
but if anybody could see
the men who signed them they might
not be very much Influenced by the re-
The circumstances them
selves were circulated by the police Of
ficers of Biddeford They went to the
lowest, meanest crowd that they could
go to. and that is the class which the
gentleman calls citizens Of BiddefOrd. If
they are representative citizens of Bid
1eford. God pity BiddefOrd. We did
not bring any petition down here: we
lid not need any. / am here represent
ing Biddeford. ] was elected by ma
iority of 400 of the legal voters of Bid
1eford. Republicans and Democrats
alike. Do YOU think ! am coming here
with a petition? Not much; / am here
myself. daughter and applause).
] would like when I go home to carry
TO my people the word that the Legis- |
ature of the State of Maine was true
TO the principles of Abraham Lincoln. |
he right of the people to govern them |
selves. (Appause) ] want to go home
with victory upon my banners. I ask |
The Republicans of this House to vote |
according to the dictates of your con-
sciences. Throw away your political
preiudices; vote for right. for truth. |
.ote for even-handed Justice to all men |