Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-23
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
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repeal the law that gave him the only
authority but one to, enforce the laws
OF the State of Maine. For imme-
diately on the assembling Of this Leg
tslature. hardly before We had done
a particle OF business. a hill was Of
5ered under suspension OF the rule =
10. repeal the SturgiS LAW, So-Called,
giving the Governor Of Ia" State tn"
authority to send special deputies l."
different counties Of the State to IN
force the Maine law where it was
not enforced, and that bill was pushed
through both Houses OF this Lcgis-
lature and II received the signature
or tho Governor and he said: - CON
sent, | agree, ! want that la"' II
pealsd. want the authority ia
ken from Inc to appo.nt that
commission To enforce the laws
of shs Stat. of Maine" And then
there comes IN appeal 10 the majority
party in this House that you remove from
your Governor the last vestige OF autnor-
ity under the constitution and law of tn"
Land TO enforce the liquor law OF Maine.
am not speaking to you Republicans
how the Republicans of this Legislature
stand by that law. l am speaking to the
Democrats of this Legislature. / am
speaking to you as man to n man, l am
speaking to you now as men who keep
your campaign promises TO the people
that you would faithfully enforce the law,
am speaking to you as men who say
that your party believe wnat they said to
the people, am assuming that the Gov
ernor meant what he said in his message
and am asking you not 10 repeal this
Law and not say TO the people that you
do not mean what you say.
What is the law? II simply says that
20 adult citizens by the right of petition
may bring the matter of the non-enforce-
ment of the law in their county before
the Governor. and after a hearing. if he
is satisfied that the officer persistently
fails TO do his duty he can remove him.
hitherto you have said that you believed
In the right of petition. that you believed
in the people having a voice in the gov
eminent and being heard. If you enact
this law you remove from the people the
right of petition. you remove the right
of hearing. and you remove from your
Governor all authority and all power to
enforce the law of the State. What can
a Governor do? In few days this Leg
islature is to adjourn. No county attor-
ney. in the State of Maine can be I'M
peached then before the Legislature. 1t
is up to the Governor. He will have to
walt two years. What can he do? Enact
this law and the people may petition and
petition to the Governor and all he can
say to them is 81 am helpless and hope
less, cannot do thing, l cannot lay
my hand upon this officer. / cannot en-
force the law, / cannot comply with my
duty under the constitution; you nave
tied my hands"
y 1 believe in plain spoken words. do not
want you to misunderstood me at all Some
sne may say that there Is no occasion for
such law as this, that the county attor-
peys In the State are faithfully perform
iug their duties. But | assume that case
may arise where county attorney in the
State OF Maine is not doing his duty. Let
me illustrate will assume for the sake
of the Illustration that over here in the
county OF Penobscot the county attorney Is
not doing his duty In the enforcement of
the Maine law. viii assume that the
county attorney OF Penobscot takes the cases
that come before ninh, the criminal business
brought 10 him by the officers and deputy
sherifYs and constables. from every source.
ALI Of those prosecutions that have been
bought TO HIM In the Supreme court. and
mol presses them. will assume that the
county attorney of Penobscot consents TO
open sales in the city of Bangor, that he
has made by-word and reproach for nom
endorsement of law In the nostrils of the
people of the State. ! will assume that he
has been rebuked by the court from the
Bench, by the pulpit OF Bangor and by the
press of the State. ] will assume all that
for the sake OF tho argument. and then
will assume that he came to this Legis-
leture at this session and had room at
The Augusta house and has stayed here ever
since i will assume that he has been
lobbying here day after day. ! will as
sumo he is in the lobby now, and ! will
assume that he is watching TO see whether
you repeal this Law that he may re-
turn to Bangor and still carry on that
policy Of lawlessness and defiance of
The. laws of the State and say that you
cannot touch him. Now l say, assum-
ing that to be true, Mr.. Speaker, then
the political party that will allow that
TO be done in the face of campaign
promises to enforce the laws OF the
State, is cowardly and ought not to
Dc tfttIuSttu iuit Will lut 6oNcih
u1ent of the State. And | say this
that If you enact this law and put ii
up to the Governor Of this State, If he
does not interpose his veto against it,
then these great. strong, brave words
In his message become not like the
strong, brave words of a Governor of
a great State, but they become the
sounding brass and tinkling cymbal
OF a mere politician. 1t is up TO you.
tApplause)
Mr. PHILLIPS Of Shirley: Mr.
Speaker, do not doubt but what this
law may have been needed in past
years but do not believe we need it
very much at the present time. In
Piscataquis county there has been "a
man selling rum there for Is or 20
years almost by the wholesale. They
have had him arrested great many
times. had him before the court at
Dover and every time he has gone
clear. A few days ago they found five
barrels of whiskey there which they
seized and 700 bottles Of other liquor,
and they took him to Dover and he was
fined 800 and given 60 days in jail. l