Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-01


tagious diseases among cattle ana on
~ $4,000 more to protect the homes of
Maine from the saloon. The State has
spent $4,000 in protecting trees and
Shrubs. yet some object to spending
$4,000 to protect the people from the
saloons. The State has spent s21 .O0O
for orphanages. yet there are OBJ
jections to spending $4,000 to put out
of the State that which helps in a
great degree to make orphans. The
state has spent in the last two years
$4,000 In maintaining the Industrial
School for Girls, $4,000 on the state
School for Boys and $4,000 for the
home Tor the Feeble Minded, a total
OF $l22,000, and yet there are people
VINO OBJECT to the expenditure of
900 in the destruction of an insti-
| tuition that more largely than any 9TH
er makes II necessary to send girls to
industrial schools and boys to the
State school, and is the great cause
of feeble minded. The State has spent
| $4,000 lii printing and distributing
printed matter, yet there are those
who argue that it is inpoverishing the
state to pay $4,000 for the suppression
of the liquor traffic. The State has
spent $4,000 in the past two years on
the protection of it's inland fisheries
and surely we can afford 1921, 900 in the
protection Of our. boys and girls. It
has been estimated that $4,000 has
been spent in aiding hospitals in the
State and the sum Of s1S1,O0G in i'm
proving the State roads, yet we are
told $4,000 is too much to eXpend for
enforcing the laws against the saloon"
"As to expense under the sheriffs If
the liquor laws are effectively enforced
as many special liquor deputies will be
necessary and given per diem pay as to
cause as much or more expense than that
of enforcing the law under the Sturgis
deputies. 1t is impossible for a single
sheriff in county to enforce the law. His
appointees, the deputy sheriffs, are not
given salaries, but are paid for their SER
vices by fees, and these fees are so ridic-
ulously small that deputy sheriffs could
not afford to devote themselves to the
enforcement of the liquor law for the
compensation the fees will allow 1t is
time that in all our larger cities the po-
lice force should show themselves amply
able to close and keep closed the sa-
looms, for they are already paid sufficient
ly to do this.
THE Sturgis law has been the most
efficient in securing enforcement of any
measure on the statute books. Wherever
the Sturgis deputies have been they have
practically closed and kept closed the
open saloon. They have not suppressed
the secret sale of liquor and were the
number increased to 1000 they would not
be able to do that. Lewiston and other
large cities where they have gone have
been made, in reasonable sense, dry
cities. In 1892 there were in round num-
bers 1900 United States liquor taxes paid
in the State of Maine. OF this number
1900 were hard liquor taxes and the bal
ance malt liquor taxes. In the State of
Maine today are held in round numbers
600 United States liquor taxes of which
800 are for hard liquors and the balance
for malt liquors This, you will note, is
a reduction of 900 United States liquor
taxes held in Maine since the operation
of the Sturgis Commission, and is most
telling fact in favor of the efficiency of
the Sturgis law.
1.-THE Cakes law, providing for the re-
moval of unfaithful county attorneys.
which was passed at the same session of
anyone because it is utterly futile and
vain as far as results are concerned The
Stureis law, because it has proved effec-
tive and has brought direct results weber
it has been operative, is hated by the sa-
loon and it's sympathzers and it's repeal
is sought.
"The proposed substitute for the Stur-
gis law is an act to empower the Gov
ernor to remove delinquent and unfaith-
full sheriffs The proposed law does not
say that the Governor must it says that
he may do it. The law is futile because
it assigns to no one the duty to determine
when sheriffs are unfaithful and report
to the Governor proofs of their unfaith-
fulness, nor does it provide any appro-
priation with which to carry out it's pro-
visions.
How is the successor of an unfaithful
official to be selected? A Governor can
not know the political situation in every
county of the State. He must act upon
the advice of someone in the appointment
of n successor for the removed sheriff
Then If the sheriff next appointed is Mn-
faithful, who will petition to the Gov
ernor to remove him? What better results
NAV we expect from the third appointee
than from the first one?
1.-THE whole scheme If carried out would
take away from us an efficient and su1h-
Gent tried law. which puts the power INTO
the hands of three men to select and SEND
out men. who shall faithfully enforce TINS
law. where it is enforced. and three men
who have the power to remove any I'M
faithful or inefficient deputy at any mo-
ment and substitute and put in the place
of the officer removed the best man that
can be secured, and give to the Governor
the power to remove only the unfalthtul
sheriff.
.If this statute is safe, wise ana ell
cient statute it would easily make the
Sturgis Commission unnecessary ana So
leave the Sturgis law imperative upon
our statute books without harm to any
one, and if the members of the Leg'sla-
ture are honest and sincere in their oe-
sire to find something more SATISFACTORY
and effective than the present law ana
feel confident that this substitute is such
a law. why do they provide that IN case
this constitutional amendment is adopted