Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-12

Clu lct"--Jlo tiidbSt 10 iiidbG-WC ndyn
precisely the same law, nothing more
and nothing less. and we have to con.
slider it in the same way.
But, gentlemen, / know that sinca
the smoke Of the last campaign battlo
has cleared away, we are not talkn,
resubmission very much. Go where
you will, in the hotels or on the street
corners, or even here in the Stat
House, men are silent on this Question
They do not mention it. Hence
conclude that resubmission is a dead
issue. We do not as a rule like to tan
about the departed, and hence the 81
lence on this question that seems TO be
of so much Importance.
/ believe that during the campaie,
of 1865 this question was twice s,,c.
.nitted to the people: In the Republi-
can State Convention at Bangor and
the campaign preceding it, this was tho
dominant issue: and we all know the
outcome.
The Honorable William r. Haines.
very popular gubernatorial candidate
whose Only sin, so far as / know. wac
the fact that he advocated resubmis.
sion as panacea that would cure all
ills and smooth out all the wrinkles Of
the Republican Party-he said at that
Convention This question has been
resubmtted and i am getting the af-
fects Of it,"
Again, at the September election, This
was the dominant issue; and resubmjs-
sion at that time met its Waterloo so
| conclude that reSubmission is dead
1t is q dead issue; and when there is
such a wave of prohibition sweenin.
over our entire country-in the South
in the West-and even perIneating the
Central West-it appeals to ne strong
up that it ill-becomes prohibition
Maine TO even talk of prohibition. We
ought to have cotton by that point:
and ] think we nave.
At this time l just want to saw a
word in commentator of the old pro-
hbitory law of Maine. / have great
regard for Maine-for our strong citi-
ZenShip-for the sturdy character OF
our men and women-for the strength
of their moral fibre-for their noble.
rugged claraeter-and I believe that
the more than average strength of our
citizenship is due largely to the fact
that we have lad upon the statute
books for the past so years law pro-
Misunderstanding under a ban and
minimizing in a large degree, the al
fleets Of the saloon. This prohibition
sentiment is growing. 1t is rapidly
spreading. Millions of our people with
in the last few years 'have seen a
great light on this subject, and | be.
lieve that, now that the saloon is on
trial for life q the hand.
writing on the wall that announces its
doom. / believe it must go. It's doom
may be long deferred, but l think that
in the near future, call will come so
loudly and mistakenly from our people,
that laws will be enacted along the line
of protecting our people from the curse
of strong drink; and l say, God grant
that the time will speedily come.
But today. / do not know that that
is the question that we are talking
about. We are simply here to talk
about reSubmiSSiCn, which l believe is
dead issue. We are, as it were at
tending the observation-disclosures the
funeral rites of this great question;
and l am sure that my friend, the hon
orable Senator from Knox, will do the
subject justice in his own inimitable
way.
Mr. President. I move that when this
question be decided, it be decided by a
Yea and Nay vote
MIR. STAPLES of Knox: Mr. Presi-
dent and Gentlemen of the Senate:
am here today, not in behalf of the
saloons. if there are any in the State:
| am not here in behalf of the whole
sale liquor dealers that are pouring
their liquor into this State; / am not
here for any rum class; but I am here
in behalf of the people of Maine.
think l represent upon this issue the
best element of both political parties
in the State of Maine. / do not regard
this as dead issue. No issue WHERE
the people demand right to vote up
on a question can ever be dead issue
And l wish to say right here, that no
great qucstion-and this is great
moral question-is ever settled until
it is settled right; and the people Of
this State have time and time again
asked that they have a right to vote
upon this amendment.
l stand here in behalf of temper
ance; l stand here in behalf of the
young lnen of the State of Maine: in
be half of good morals; in behalf of the
Democratic party, who are willing to
do anything that they can to elevate
and refine the people of the State of
Maine and to give us something with
regard to temperance which will not be
farce and a hypocrisy. Why are you
afraid, my Republican friends, to sub
NIT this to the people and to the great
wave of temperance which is passing
over the country? Have you any
doubt that the people will reafiirm the
constitutional amendment? Why are
you afraid to submit it to them?
am willing to trust the people upon
this question. and you ought to be.
They demand the right, and l say
that the last election in this State
showed it conclusively. I admit that
that was one of the great issues, the
question of resubmission, upon which
| this State voted last fall; and you
know that upon one question you only
carried this State by 1000 votes and II
| ii had not been Presidential year,
the Republican party would have been
| buried on this question of resubmls-
sion. Why not submit it to the people
| M hn fota Int