Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-04
MAINE Legislature.
continued from Page Two.)

~, thing. Uron the other hand, as
~ Berry said ini his sermon down
snre the Republican party are OPP
MI w., to the StGrgis law. If what he
p ;s true and the letters which the
n,tor from Washington received ara
- and correct, and l do not doubt
:. - ,nen a majority of the temperance
,o,oenf OF .nis State are opposed to
he s.urgis law. There are two propo.
IN ...,rs in this resolve: First, do you
mant to keep the Sturgis law on the
s,a,,ie book two years longer. be-
90 in any event, if you pass this
s,,,,e The condition is to keep the
r,,,reis law on the statute book. If
IS talking politically in this mat
would say keep it on the book,
n1 ye will bury the party SO deep in
,.ars that there will be no record
Of it.
Tbere is something more than this.
rh..re is the question Of representative
,.rrnent: and the right of the
oorle is greater than the Sturgis law
- anv other question before the
oa,o,e TODAY. For that reason, I stand
80 TODAY in behalf of a representative
.sa reople to manage their own affairs
IN their own counties in their own way.
- -, eyervbodv else mind their own bust
ness.
Mr. President and Senators. do you
rant to keep the Sturgis Bill? Wipe
..ot ont. and then, if the sheriffs do
-. do their duty, there is a remedy in
~ constitution of Maine. I know the
raost of the sherffs in this State, both
nemocratic and Republican,; and I do
not believe that there is one among
,hem but what would do his duty; but
In feels incensed and insulted that he
,,os got to be logged around by some
,am,erance crank who apprehends that
.t;s man sells rum and the sheriff can
-. find If. and he comes Up to the
.o,arnor and the governor sends him
,n sturgis deputy; and he may do
!, every week or every month. Oh, no,
rou won't do that. gentlemen. You
have more confidence in your sheriffs
AVID If that sheriff does not do his duty,
tho neople Of the county will attend to
- believe in the sheriffs of the
counties enforcing all the laws of the
statute books and / believe they will
ao If so far forth as they can. There
is no sheriff. whoever might be appoint
al who can enforce the law to the sat
isfaction of everybody; but he will ap-
nroxmate it and do the best he can.
of course. it will take Il two-thirds
vote to submit to the people this con-
stitutonal amendment, and it cannot be
voted upon for two years. They say
in this resolve if the people vote to
give the governor the right to remove
cberiffs then we will repeal the Stur-
gs Law,-admitting in the very word
ing of it that they do not believe it is
good law; but they think that they
can satisfy certain element in the
party by promising the people that. I
am going to tell you that the standing
of the Sturgs Commission in this State
has been 50 reprehensible that the peo-
ple Of this State are not going to stand
il for two years longer. You will hear
from them from the cross roads. You
heard sounds last fall and you will hear
the elatter of 10000 cowhdes coming
10 the polls when the matter comes up.
What may say may be of little con-
sequence to this body. l find that the
Sturgis Commission has cost $74,75S90.
Does the Senator from Washington
want to keep that class of men who tear
down houses over in Androscoggin
C0unty-so wanton was their action
that the Supreme Court of the State of
Maine said they were trespassers, not
only there but in other places; and still
you have got ShcrifS who are willing to
do their work Let us vote down this
resolve, because if a sheriff grossly and
wantony refuse to do his duty, there is
remedy in the Constitution and he
may be turned out This is simply a
political matter and nothing more.
There is not anything honest in it.
There is not anything sincere in it. If
those opposed to it had not rolled up a
large majority last September, you
would not have heard anything more
about this Eaton resolve or my broth
er Hastings amendment.
But you have got to do something.
do not blame you. I appreciate the
situation in which you find yourselves.
you are not to be piticd Mt all that
you find yourselves in this dilemma. be-
cause you have brought it upon your
selves. You have not been honest with
inc people upon this question of tenn
pefance You have not been honest with
'hem and YOU DO not propose to be
hohest with them, for you say to the
people: You give us this. and we will
repeal the Sturgis law that they admit
wrong and wicked and not conducive
10 Tue cause of temperance.
NOW Of the two evils, if I was n Re-
publican l don't know which I should
take, the Eaton Resolve. or to stand by
Tue Sturgis Bill. That is a matter for
YOU but as far as l myself am con-
eerhed, believing in good law, believing
IN having all laws upon thee statute
pooK enforced, believing that all the
sHeslifs of the State of Maine of all our
eouhtles are honorable men who have
"ohe and who will do their duty. I am
opposed to having placed in our con-
So'utlon the right for the governor to
ieihoee lawfully elected officer of a
.ouhty When YOU do that you take
i.onh the people their rights, which
should be guarded with great sacred
ness With these remarks. I hope the
motion of the Senator from Washing
"h will not prevail
Mr. WHEELER of Cumberland: Mr..
resident: I have listened with great
i''erest. as l always do. to the charac-
'efistlc campaign oratory of the Sena-
or from Knox and to his familiar de-