Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-13
local authorities fail to enforce til

than the one or 1881 Indt reIndiHeu oi
the statute books of this State and was
finally repealed. This law is opposed
to the sentiment of the people OF this
State. 1t is expensive and it adds TO
nothing and when you come to think 1t
over you want to take some way to get
rid of it and you take this method OF
doing it, by empowering the Governor
or reforming the constitution so that
the Governor will have the power to
remove sheriffs.
Now. supposing you give that power
to the Governor. My idea is to repeal
this right out and leave it just as it is
now and leave it to the people to elect
the sheriffs. and to leave them off of the
ticket if they don't do their duty. l say,
leave it to the people. But this amend
ment will place it in the power of the
Governor. Now. what can the Governor
do? What has he ever done? 1t was
as you will remember given to the Gov
ernor to remove County Attorneys. Did
he ever do it? All these years he had
the power to remove County Attornys,
and nothing was done under it. Will
there be any more done under it in the
years to come? Will there be any more
done in the future than there has been
done in the past? And so l say for my
self not as a partisan. but as looking
for the business interests of the State
and looking towards the morals of the
State and looking for good government
of the State and for the people, to give
the people such laws as they will re-
spect and live up to and love to live
under and not be over-burdened with
these laws.
I have an abiding faith within myself
that most of the mebers of the commit
tee really would like to have done that
same thing themselves. l have made
my minority report that the resolve
ought not to pass. and also that the
Sturgis bill be indefinitely postponed
want to say that 1 do not expect all Of
you to support me, that is you may not
by your votes but l certainly feel that
there will be great many of you who
will say it is wisdom, and we would
like to have it.
Mr.. MOORE of Saco: Mr.. Speaker
for the benefit of myself and some of
the other Democrats in the House
would like to PROFOUND question to
the gentleman from Camden How shall
I vote on the pending question?
Mr.. MONTGOMERY: Vote for the
minority report. to accept it.
Mr.. MOORE: What is your motion?
The SPEAKER: The motion of the
gentleman from Camden is to substitute
the report of the minority for that of
the ma jority
Mr. HERSEY of Houlton: Mr.. Speak.
err, took the time of the House for
some time on another day in discussing
the matter of the removal of County
Attorneys. | shall not today take any
time in going over anything that dis
cuSScd before. What | said then on the
question of the removal of County At
torneyS applies equally to the removal
OF sherihS; and | am glad that that the
gentleman from Camden this morning
has added to any argument | wish to
make by showing that when the people
ol the State OF Maine attempt to enact
laws mat VIII relieve the regular Off
Gals from their duty and responsibility
they make ii mistake. and admit with
the gentleman from Camden that these
laws establishing State ConstabuIarv
and these laws establishing the Stursis
commission and these laws establishing
any other commissions excepting fore
ing and obliging the regular officers to
do their duty is mistake, and we do
not wish to repeat il. and the Republi-
cans OF this Legislature are here TODAY
10 say that they are not calling upon
YOU 10 assist them in any way, or the
democrats to assist them in any way in
repeating any such mistakes; but thew
ASK You TO assist them, whether you are
republican or Democrat, that the sher-
ms duly elected by the people of this
state shall perform their regular du-
ties under the constitution and the laws
OF the land. or else the Governor shall
have the power to remova him. and +ba,.
say that this law is enacted will give to
the people what they wish and thew
WISH to have the opportunity Of putting
'helr approval or disapproval upon it.
ne senate yesterday I think was re-
sd'u WIN the question of resubmission
lie DeplocratS took the position there
t'lat the people should have tie right to
nave question of this kind submitted
10 them. on the question of rcs,,bmis
SION. and that they should have an on
poftunlty to vote upon it, and that tbey
Ahould have an opportunity to vote IN
on It, and that they should saw whether
theH would have resubmission or NOT
AND today, see the spectacle in this
House of the gentleman from Camden.
representing the minority party. saving
they should not submit it to the peoplc.
In" question Of whether the Governor
should remove sheriffs or not; an at
tempt to blind you to the real issue here
by discussing the Sturgis law. Now, [
claim that the Sturgis law Is not a
matter before us at the present time
The real question is whether we shall
adopt this amendment to the constitu-
ton giving the Governor the power to
remove aheriffs. There is a separate
Dlil that if the people do adopt this. it
repeats the Sturgis law. so that right or
wrong the Sturgis law is not really in
TINS question. because if you don't adopt
this amendment then the other bill goes
Tor naught. If you do adopt i. then it
Will kill the other bill Now. il seems
to me very plain-the matter here is
one upon the question of whether the
NOTICE.