Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-03

past relative to the enforcement Of the
liquor laws don't know but know that
in Cumberland county the judge who stu
| upon the bench of the superior court has
probably sent to Jail more rum sellers
than any other judge in the State o,
| Maine. / have confidence in him and
have confidence in his integrity and
| know he is accepted SO by the people of
| that county. He sits upon that bench tn
mete out justice in an equitable manner
! and in spite of all the slurs that have
! been made here from Democratic sources
| for political effect. when a rum seller
merits Jail punishment and is brought
before the judge of that court he will ret
! what he deserves. The enforcement OF
the prohibitory law in the city OF Port.
| land, whether it is known to the rest OF
the people of the State or not don't
| know, but the enforcement of the prohib.
itory law in the city of Portland, CITY
of 5000 people, is very different propo.
sition than that of enforcing the law in
some small country town in Oxford coun-
| ty, or even in the city of Bangor. The
| streets and the alleys of that city are
| filled today and always have been filed
|
tenn that this State may inaugurate, with
| liquor saloons. Only God Almighty can
drive them out of business We have had
| honest officials there who have done ev.
| erything in their power to enforce the
prchibitory law. but it is beyond the
power of man in a city the size of Port
| land to bring about absolute prohibition
! say to you that the business men OF
| Portland are sick and tired of this tenn
perance legislation, and l do not believe
| they are in favor of a high license sys-
| tenn; but they are radically opposed TO
! all these radical measures which nave
been passed by this Legisla ture year az
| ter year
The rank and file of the Republican par.
ty in the city of Portland are honest:
| they want the prohibitory law enforced
in decent manner. but if this act which
| we are now considering should pass give
you my opinion that it will mean abso-
| lutte notification. 1t is safe to say that
there is at least one man out of every 10
in the city of Portland who does not be-
lieve in the prohibitory law; and every
jury will contain that percentage of men.
| In our part of the State it is pretty diff
| cult to induce any jury to bring in YER
| dict of guilty against rum seller. we
have tried it in practical experience we
| have seen county attorneys in our county
Who have repeatedly if a person has been
| found guilty. they have moved for SEN
tence and the Judge has given him the
maximum sentence. Every succeeding
case in one particular term this applied
| to. although the evidence was SO strong
that it seemed impossible that he should
| not be convicted the jury returned ver-
dict after verdict of not guilty. whereas
| ii they had allowed the matter to rest
with the discretion of the court. undoubt'
eddy some of those men would have gone
to Jail. l do not believe the people OF this
State desire such radical legislation as
this; and if it is done in my opinion 1t
will have much worse effect upon the
people at large in this State than the
Sturgis law has ever he'd. Hesitate be-
fore you vote upon this matter. Repuo'
licans of this Republican House who de-
sire a Republican administration. hesi-
tate before you vote upon it. Do not be
led astray by the gentleman from wa
terville. who has played a very shreWd
| political game here this winter. Hesitate
before, you cast your for what. if passed.
viii. be the doom of the Republican party
in the State Of Maine.
| Mr. ALLEN Of Jonesboro: Mr.. Speak
er, 1 suppose it is not necessary for me
to speak to put myself on record in this
matter. 1 shall be perfectly contented
TO let others discuss this problem. but
Tor the fact that it has been stated open
~ what has been said to me in private,
that his was political trick. want
TO say If were on the plane OF low
politics there is no thing that would
| please me quite as much as to have the
Republican party defeat this measure.
II 1 had been so low and contemplate
as to be playing that sort of game
should have let you gone on and car
| RED out your scheme. I assumed tha'
the Senator from Oxford who intro
dCced that measure was honest. We dio
| not undertake to play any political trick
should you pass the Hastings bill ana
then say to the rum seller I'VE have
given you two loopholes to escape on.
OF, and say to the temperance people
see what we have given your l ao
not ask for the privilege Of going De-
lore the people at a later date and snow
ing the hypocrisy of that movement; wo
assumed that the gentleman from OK
FORD was earnest and we treated him a.
II ne was earnest and we proceedeo
IN unanimous committee to remedy
those defects without regard to political
schemes or tricks. I think the undue
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