Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-10


probably about $50 on the dollar
No attempt has been made to deny
1.-THE fact that the Aroostook Construc-
ltiou Company is making large
profit tbut Of every mile of road built
lby the Bangor Il Aroostook Railroad
lCompany No attempt has been made
to deny the fact-and ii is Il matter of
public Eecord--that tn" Aroostook Con-
structipn Company holds Il large part
Of the stock of the Bangor q hroostool
Railroad.
Counsel for the b. & \. Il. r., upon
a hearing on another matter had the
caShier of the road present and when
the chA Arge was made that the con-
structiPn company was profitinG, as
have Indicated, and he failed to put
that cashier upon the stand. as he had
been expected t" do. he confessed then
and There that the charge had truth in
| it,
Mr.. president aud gentlemen. / am
not going to repeat any part "t that
argument, but the people of tn" State
of Maine have a right to know some
| things that have been done here in this
lobby lin regard to this bill. Members
of the, Senate have been influenced by
arguments that had nothing to do
with the merits of the question itself.
I do NOT mean to criticise the commit
tee or any member of the Senate or to
impugn his motives. The principal
reasonl that | have for saving a word
at this tim" is tlat / have learned
since che argument was made the other
! day, that a statement has been made
| by counsel and lobbyists for the B Il
\. X. f. that demands some answer
fromf me. l understand it has been
said by them that had "a personal in
| tereSt in trying to prevent the con-
| Struction OF the so called AllagaSh EX-
tension on account of some possible
| competition of prospective lumber mills
| in that region. That charge is a
serious one, for | agree wholly with
that great Democrat who said 4 pub
lie office is q public trust" and be-
lieve absolutely that any man who uses
his position as a public official To iur-
ther his private interests is Just as
truly Il traitor to his country as is the
| man who betrays his country on the
field Of battle.
| That charge is 50 absurd that il did
not occur to me that it could be made
|
and to members OF this Senate. l say
here that it is not only untrue bat the
fact is. SO far as my personal interests
are concerned they are absolutely In
the other direction and for this ex-
| tension. ] wish to say to you further
that Il any lobbyist for the Il & \. K.
| K said TO any member of the Senate
or to anyone else-any lobbyist per-
I H.
was actuated by personal motives. he
know he said what was untrue. and it
was for the purpose Of dccciving YOU.
! want to say further that this lobby
has net been as fair in this matter as !
| have tried to be with them. ! hl1 a
| perfect right TO present this amend
! ment in the Senate without notice 70
| them, and To argue it. and t. ask for
its adoption. | save them ample no.
ticc and time t. 10 what ! knew they
i would do. use every possible influence
! on m";uhe"s nf tins Senate. | know
what il means when members are call
cd ont to the telephone when the Sen
| ate 's in session and matters are uu-
der discussion. | knew what it meant
the other day; il meant that failing in
| all other ways to secure "a hold upon
certain members. the lobby we're re-
sorting 1" having certain constituents
call up these Senators aud ASK them to
vote against the amendment.
An incident happened here in con-
! Hnction with this matter, which 50 far
as | know. is without precedent in this
| STATE since | have known anything
! about legislation. Never before have
l known a member of the Governors g
| Council to SO far forget the dignity
cue his high position as to come into
the senate Chamber while the matter
Was under discussion and frantically
ask a member Ia vote on this matter
! according TO his wishes. Members of
the Senate We're induced To promise
definitely how they would vote upon
| this amendment and felt obliged to
vote in accordance With that promise
| | want to say To You, and would have
said it then had known at the time
such d promise existed, that any such
promise made upon ii matter of this
! KIND Is subsidiary. and should be sub
sidiary to the solemn promise that
each of Us made mt the beginning Of
this session. when Ne said that before
God we would vote on all matters as
! our conscienccs demanded.
| l want to call your attention for one
moment to the political aspect of this
matter-but before | do so ! want to
refer to OH, other thing this lobby has
done that l think is unfair. | will state
il plainly and frankly here. l under
stand they have secured a delay upon
| a proposition to extend the charter OF
an electric railroad In .Aroostook coun-
"; matter which is of great import
ancc to the people of that county. and
that thcy have said if this amendment
could be killed. favorable action would
be permitted upon that charter. If they
have done that they have done what
is unfair and improper on any matter
of this kind.
want to call your attention to the
political aspect of this question. The
Republican party, acting through the
Legislature. has granted at different
times special privileges to the Il. x A
Il. T.. The first special privilege was
granted for the purpose of getting a
railroad built into this part OF Maine.
The next special privilege was grant
ed in 1909. and do not believe the