Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-22

was old enough to know anything
about it Il measure that has been :,
misreprcSentcd i'll the press as ha>
been the case in regard to this matter
| That has been tru" to some extent ot
| other matters this winter pick W
paper after paper and read with sur
priS" the sensations that aIr being cX
plotted by the very able gentlemen
who earn their money by writing foi
til" newspapers. sensations concerning
he Legislature. about which | knew
nothing and about which no other
member knew anything. and | have
read those things until | have be-
'omc impressed with the description
which Bernard Shaw gives in his play
The Doctors Dilemma of a reporter
4" describes u newspaper man as 4
cheerful. CifusiVr young man who is
disabled for ordinary business pursuits
| by Il cunGcnitat crroneousness which
eCnderS him incapable of describing
accurately anything he sees daughter
ma applauSc). or understanding or re-
porting accurately anything he hears
laughtcD. AS the only employment III
which his peculiar talents can find
proper exercise is journalism. he is
oertorcc Il journalist and has to keep
~ an air of high spirits through a
lailH struggle With his own illiteracN
ma Tho prccariuusucSs of his employ
.ncnt. tApplauS",b And while if
had any political ambition which
nave not ! should not attempt IL speak
So frankly in the presence OF report
rs. G.aughterb. have been inpr, So
II since | read that description and
then followed the reports of this Leg
islature with the idea that Bernard
Shaw knew human character better
than any man Who has lived since
shakespeare. Laushter.D
And now | want to say a personal
word Much has been said about my
connection with this Kenncbec Dam
Company. one gentleman connected
with u large electric company went 10
member of the interior waters COM
iaittne no longer ago than this morn
Ing and attempted To impress upon him
that my connection with that company
VAS something tuat should cause me
to be summed by decent mon. My con-
neCtion with that company has been
the sam" legitimate. honorable eonncc-
lion that | have lad with every other
matter that | ever presented to Il
Maine legislature. 1t is easy to speak
i'll OF men, il is easy To go behind
mems backs and say that which Is not
true OF them. and to one Who las been
IN politics and Who has played the
game as openly as | lave. il follows
Of Il ,eeesitV that | have mad" enemieS
WI" do nos scruplr to say tlat of ne
behind my back which they never would
say t. my face. want To say one more
ncrSonal %ord. | am interested
in this matter l am interested in 1t be-
cause | believe the business interests OF
Maine demand that a. some time you should
shake of the shackles OF monopoly which
4ow bind you, petty monopoly monopoly
made UP OF these little companies which
1rc not powerful enough financially or in
my other wa TO take care Of your busi-
less. yeu should shake of those shackles
and permit competition in Maine l be-
lieve that time will come although you
nay differ with me on that n n business
principle. one thing I do want 10 ask
OF you Want you to give this matter
suNeently serious consideration 50 that
you will say %ou are willing with me that
il shah lie dormant for two years and &c
III I'p7i i'il - come bclnTt the next IrElS
laturr, not with your endorsement but with
your consent in order that ii that develop
ment can be brought about IL the public
mind can be disabuscd OF the prejudice which
has accumulated in regaru to this matter,
that something may be done to make CEN
tral Maine resemble rs il ought to- central
!assaehu, .ls i'll its manufacturing capacity.
Now il is not alone for myself that
ask that. You have Il committee ON inte-
rfor waters. good committee | did not
myself believe that this bill ought to
have Son" To that committee. not that ]
diStrust its integrity or its Judgment, but
thcr" Were legal questions involved in
that bill and | was of the opinion that
there should have been lawyers on the
committee, but that colnmitte,. heard that
1ll. heard il under hard circumstances,
their hearings ran way into the night
they gave il their careful and conscicn-
tious consideration. and that committee
divided. mon just as honest as others on
the committee thought the bill ought to
pass. other men whose opinion is Just as
good thought it ought not to pass-four
to four. Two members, Mr. Davis and
Senator Donigan. did not sign the report.
They We're in doubt what to do.
Now with the committee standing
that way submit il is only
in fairness 10 them t. hold
that that matter should go over t.
another Legislature where it may be
fairly considered on its merits in on
der that within two years tGc p"o-
pl" Of .,iainc may have an opportunity
to ;tckarWltdGc the sincerity of the
opposition of this mcasur" AMI at ths
same tim" acknowledge the business
Possibilities tnat Ii, in carrying il out
~" next Legislature will be bound
by nothing that We do. Our successors
will come here free and untranmelod
to do their will, but at \ matter oi
courtesy to those OF Us who have stood
for this measure, as matter of de-
cenCy toward the members of the com
mittee who stood for il, ask yo,
gentlemen, to sustain the motion which
! make. which is to refer this matter
to the next Legislature. uonG con-
tinucd applause)
The question being on the motion
to refer the bill to the next Legisla-
turc.