Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-24

islature Of Maine. There is no one
else but themselves TO look after
themselves, and if a majority Of the
people are net competent to decide
these matters for themselves how can
they be competent to decide them for
other people? Who are these legis-
lators that are SO competent above
the common ordinary people to pass
an opinion upon all these things and
enact statutory regulations? They are
no angels from Heaven. rs Thomas
jefferson said. they are common every
day people In fact, at the present
time they are Just you and I. And
while there night be no doubt as to
the competency of this Legislature
to pass theil opinion and put Il in
statutory form. how can we know
that in two years from now there Will
he an equally able body Of men here
10 look after the same matter In fact,
when two years do go by Repub-
lcan Legislature may be here ana
there iS no question of any Kind in
the minds Of the majority that such q
Legislature would not be equally com.
retent as the present one TO pass
upon It, I may say also that II is
within my recollection that there has
been from the town Of Lisbon some
Is or more different representatives..
| may say that no one from that town
has ever been reelected. that with
three exceptions think no one has
ever been renominated. Those three
have been renominated were not cleo
ted. partly perhaps on that account.
- 7 ie
in all that time been trying to get a
man TO suit them. l am not sure
that il has yet obtained the man 1t
wants; and of course If in two years
from now the town should send some
gentleman less distinguished and OF
less ability than the gentleman who
row represents thai town. that man
would not he competent to pass upon
these matters with the same Judgment
and ability as the gentleman who |
say now represents the town of Lisbon.
This comes on the question of the
general idea Of the regulation OF
everything. There Is always more or
less danger OF favoritism in all these
matters. Somebody srnust finally pass
these things and the power "hlch
we have here and the ability cannot
be delegated to another set oil men
who are to be chosen by the 'foF
ernor or by any other body o. mon.
They NAV he men who are more eN-
nosed 10 self-interest, they may be men
less intelligent and of less calm ana
ohIa ind eY1,ent than ourselves. ana IL
Some candidate comes up before them
for examination il is possible. as /
say that they may be swayed by SELL
intrrest or the interest of their pro-
fossion or an idea that they are NOT
qualified for the practice of medicine
or Osteopathy or any other 'hihS anu
so keep them out
AS to this particular regulation II
seems to me that the State of Name OF
any other state should have only one
standard That standard should be open
ed wide enough to let anybody in VINO Is
competent and who is qualified in the
basic principles upon winch all agree.
There isn't now even among the regulars
so called. in the medical profession
unanmity of opinion as to the treatment
in every particular case. l apprenend
there is no practitioner of medicine IN
the State of Maine who would yield his
Judgment of himself TO that of any other
man unless the other man. even men,
her of the State board. should show him
that there was a reason why hes hould
so yield his Judgment. Now it has been
stated by one of the gentlemen who has
argued for the side on which l am now
talking. that this present board is open to
anybody TO take the examination. Well.
the point TO a. certain extent is aside
4 sIa
tention of the House at the present time
to the fact that the gentleman was in
error in so stating. In Senate Document
ll2. Section II, it says that the board
shall examine all applicants for registra-
tion as licensed physicians or surgeons.
Each applicant shall at least seven days
before the date of his examination. pre-
sent to the secretary Of the board an ap-
plication under oath or affirmation. con-
iaining satisfactory proof that said ap-
plicant is twenty-one years of age, OF
good moral character and a graduate of
some reputable medical school or college
in good standing. II the State of Maine
is to have standard for those who sec
fit to 60 before this board for an exam
ination. and the applicant can meet the
standard, il is none of the States busi-
ness where he got his education. The sole
business of the State, the sole proper
function or limit Of the State in that re-
spect, is to ascertain whether the appli-
cant has the information, and il 1t costs
money TO find that ont, let the State pay
the bills il y wants to. do it. AS to this
particular regulation. there are some
eighteen or twenty Osteopaths in the
State. They claim that there are some
others masqueradng. as they would say.
perhaps, under that name of Osteopath
who have not received an education at
their school. This same thing has been
said practically Of all schools who were
in power at that particular time. those
who were on the inside wished to choke
Off, so far as possible those on the out
side. And even Democratic majorties
! stating that they believed in the principle
of equal rights to all and special privi-
/ leges to none. in, the doctrine of free
speech and freedom Of the press. have not
been unknown even in recent times to
| suppress by cloture the motion of the
previous question any opportunity for
debate on the main question. But IL the