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

| BODY, Democrat or RepuDllcan, ana
| when the great press of the State of
Maine knew it and these reporters sit
| ting here sending it all over the State
and every paper commented upon 1t,
| there was no complaint from the great
press of the State in regard to the ac-
| ton of the House and Senate Cap
plause) And if l gelt that the Sentl-
ments of the gentleman from Portland,
Mr.. Rounds, expressed the opinion of
| the Republican party of the State OF
Maine, I would get out of it before
| night (Applause) If. however, the eff
| feet of these different measures that
are going to be passed through this
Legislature is to put rumsellers in Jail,
young or old. and keep them there for
a while, l think it is the best argu-
mcnt l ever heard. I have had my
| doubts whether we should take diScre-
| ton from our judges. If it was a ques
| ton of the judges composing the SUI
preme court of Maine today. l would
| he in favor of the proposition, but you
have large number of municipal
| courts. trial justices and police courts
| that are afraid of the rum element, and
who depend upon the rum vote to get
elected. think the sooner the Republi-
| can party gets rid of those men the
| better, and the sooner we put it up to
some of these eight or nine police
court judges that they have got to
pass certain sentences on the rumsel-
| Ter or be impeached. the better. l agree
with the gentleman from Waterville
| that the Republican party should be
| consistent. and 1 am pleased that the
Democratic party is consistent for
once in voting for this measure. I think
the Republican party as a whole stands
where the Democratic party do today.
opposed to this measure that protects
liquor selling in the State of Maine.
| and 1 hope they will vote accordingly.
Mr.. MARSHALL of Portland: Mr..
Speaker 1 would like to ask the gen.
tleman from Houlton question,
whether as a lawyer he believes this
proposition is fundamentally sound, the
compulsory imposing of Jail sentence,
the so-called Hastings bill?
Mr.. HERSEY: Under the circum-
stances, under the conditions in the
| State of Maine today, believe it is the
| best legislation we can get. (Applause.)
Mr.. Wing of Auburn moved the pre-
vious question.
Mr.. Dunn of Brewer called for the
yeas and nays.
Mr.. PETERS of Ellsworth: Mr.. Speak
| err. l look at this matter not from the
standpoint of "a citizen of Portland and
| not from the standpoint of man who is
opposed to the prohibtory law and who
| favors local option. l look at this from
the standpoint of man who desires
| strict enforcement of the prohibitory law
| and who believes in that law as a prac-
| tical working measure. | have become
| more and more impressed during this ses-
| sion of the Legislature with the fact that
| there is grave danger of our getting this
| temperance legislation altogether too top
| heavy. 1t seems to me that when any,
1 thing is proposed in the way of temper
| arce legislation apparently or substan-
| TALLY or possibly looking towards the
| strlcter enforcement of law. regardless of
| anything else. that we are too apt to
| clamor to get that thing onto the statute
| books without delay. tAppause) And it
| seems to me unless we look at this thing
| carefully and consider our actions in the
| hsht OF other statutes and the other laws
| mat we have on the books. that We are
| hkely 10 overload our ship of State in
| TINS particular. and if we are not very
| careful 1t will tip over and go upside
| down. AS citizen and as q LAWYER on
| TINS proposition of making Jail sentences
| mandatory, believe that we as Iegis-
lature will regret that we passed it if we
co pass it. and I think that this will NOT
nave the effect that the friends of the bill
believe it will have, and for these reasons
snail vote against the passage of the
law.
| Mr.. BIGELOW of Portland: Mr.. Sneak
er. have endeavored in nv votes unop
the various temperance measures before
this House to maintain a consistent nro-
vision. 1 have been opposed to the enact.
ment OF any further temperance lepisla
ton in any way. have been opposed to
the repeal of the Sturgis law and voted
AGAINST 1t. 1 voted against resubmission
Or the prohibitory question to the people
OF this State because it was written in
the platform of the Republican party. T
| nave endeavored to do what I believed
the Republican party promised in that
PLATFORM. In this particular case I am
opposed to the passage of the act. II
looks to me like 18th century legislation
| The whole tendency of modern iur;snr,,-
dence Is to give more and more disora.
ton to the judges Of our courts. IF saar,s
to me that 1t is very severe critac;snn
for the people Of, the State Of Maine "a
make of the judges OF the supreme court
! AS TO what their action has been in the