Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-26
by that guaranty Of the Constitution
which IS the cole protection OF the

=
American citizen.
What did we do day before yester-
day? find up here the seturgis deputies
half of them outlaws from the begin
ning--sorae rundown, politicians who
wanted some place in the State where
he might perform his feats upon the peo-
ple-tore a mans house down, because
they supposed some liquor was there.
They have right to search in a reason
able way. but they tore every room up-
on the lower floor to pieces and drove
the family out that inhabited it, and the
Stxte paid those men for the damage
they had done, after the Supreme Court
had decided that they were trespassers
and had exceeded their duties. And
these contortionists who undertake to
control the rights of the people. induced
the State to pay the damage these depu-
ties have done; and not only that but
paid the attorneys who defended them.
I said that was wrong and 1 put in a
bill here at this session providing that
when the Supreme Court Of Maine has
decided that State officer had exceeded
his duty. that he was trespasser and
that the State should not pay any of
the bills One of the Senators said to
me: II thought there was a cat under
the meal and that you were talking poll
tics" ! was not. I was talking for the
protection of the home and the Preside.
and of women and children. A more in
famous act has not been done by this
Legislature than the one by which YOU
have licensed the Sturgis deputies in the
State of Maine to do just as they please
if they think there is liquor in q house
and to say to them, the State will nav
for it. That bill should be stricken from
the statute book.
haven't any doubt if Mrs Stevens
and one or two more fanatics were to
ask you to give them the right to as
sault them and to do what they pleased
that the Legislature you have here this
winter would give it to them. This pro-
hibitory law has created hypocrisy and
liars in the State of Maine for the past
forty years; and you know it, and you
have been playing with i. If it wasn't
for politics, you would never have had
a Sturgis Commission, but you would
annhilate it from the face OF Gods
earth as soon as you could vote
We have had four years of Sturgisism
for the better enforcement of the pro-
hibitory law. Is there a Republican
Senator who will tell me that he thinks
there has been any better enforcement
since the Sturgis Commission was form
ed, that there was before. 1 know that
there has not.
In Bangor, all last summer you had
four deputies whom you were paying
$500 day and expenses, who were go
ing up and down Main street and other
streets in Bangor past houses, saloons
and stores, where they had beer on draft
and they did not make but one search
and seizure in the four months they
were there. Do you think there is any
better enforcement in Portland than
there is in Bangor? 1 find fault with
1t again for the reason that you have
not put the Sturgis deputies in all the
counties of the State. York county urg-
ed the Governor to put them there, but
no Sturgis deputies were sent there and
you know how the law was enforced in
that county. In my county, of course,
We do not sell any rum, but we have
grand good officers. But it will be sold
in Knox and in Kennebec and in every
county in the State under this bill and
you may pile in Sturgfs deputies. but it
will result just the same way because
of the ridiculous manner in which you
have handled this thing. I would give
more if we could go back to it for the
old Washingtonian system than for all
that can be accomplished or has been ac-
complished by the prohibitory liquor
law in the last fifty years. And I will
join any party that will make me believe
that they can revolutionize the State
using Intoxicating liquor
We have been hypocrites on this aues-
@tion for 80 years or more. The men
who have the real cause of temperance
at heart believe this law should be abol-
ished.
l do not know what new dream is
coming over my Republican friends who
two years ago voted for the repeal Of the
Sturgis Bill. I do know and you know
that there was howl going up over the
State of Maine in favor of that repeal
You did not dare to say word against
the Sturgis Bill in your platform at the
State Convention. You wanted to keep
the temperance element in your party
and to do something to please the con-
servative element of your party.
If were only talking to get votes,
would say, do not repeal it, and we Will
go to the people and two years from
now will show you the handwriting on
the wall. You pay your money at this
session and you take your choice. The
people have got mad over this thing, and
they demand in the interests of temper
ance that no more drastic laws shall
be put upon the statute book, Let us
enforce what we have. =
We have sixteen sheriffs in the State
of Maine and 12S deputies and sixteen
county attorneys and more than nun
dred other officers whose duty 1T is 10
enforce the prohibitory liquor law, Let
us keep the matter right down TO the
people The majority of the people are
conservative upon this question of tenn
perance and are willing to do what IS
right about it. They want to see less
rum sold.
When you see the young. men going
down to perdtion and when you see
the aching hearts and scalding tears OF
the widows and mothers say to YOU
there is something wrong. and When
you know that condition has been