Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-15

" trust tilc pcopie say Sct, We can
trust the people. II you foist this thing
upon us we can trust the people To deal
with 1t honestly. intelligently and man
fully. But ! say to you-that the people
of oxford county have trusted me- they
have entrusted into my care and Keeping
their vote upon this question in the Sen
ate Of the great state of Maine, and
shall not betray their trust either for.
party policy. political gain or any other
reason. When I vote upon this measure
I shall vote. not only according to the
dictates Of my own conscience but in ac
cord with what | believe is the sentiment
of NY own people and for the greatest
good of the entire people of the State of
Maine.
Mr. President, | second the motion of
the senator from Aroostook to substitute
the minority report-for the majority re-
port.
MIR. MILLIkEN of Aroostook: NJ
President, | have spent nearly scveE
weeks here during this session. most OF
the time waiting as a humble member Of
the minority party for the announcement,
from time to time, of the party in power,
Of their policy upon important public
questions. / have been waiting especial
ly with a great deal of interest for all
authoritative announcement from the
party in power as to tneir policy upon the
question involved in the resubmission re-
solve before us today. From time to time
/ have seen in the newspapers. and 1t
has been common knowledge about the
State House, that caucuses have been
held. that the leading members Of the
majority party had convened. and that
there these matters and others OF interest
to the state have been discussed. l heard
about a week ago rumor that new
plan had been devised, that new system
for handling the liquor traffic had been
proposed and had met with favor and
was to be suggested. I waited with great
interest for some announcement from the
distinguished senator from Knox along
those lines. The fervid temperance SEN
timents Of the senator from Knox need
no repetition or announcement upon this
floor. They are familiar and well known
But ! did hope to hear from him some
answer to this question: After resubn.is-
sion. what? He says here that he does
not speak for the Democratic party. Who
does? We, in the State of Maine, Mr..
President and gentleman of the Senate.
before we take this leap in the dark
await some authoritative statement from
some source as to what the policy OF
the majority party in this state is to be
after resubmission.,
The senator says frankly that he
favors local option. Assuming that
resubmission passes this Legislature.
and assuming that the vote of the
people in September abrogates and an
nuls the amendment to the Constitu-
ton. commonly called the Prohibitory
Amendment what provision has the
Democratic party suggested. what pro-
vision embodied in the report OF this
committee for handling the question
then? Do YOU propose to leave this
State between November 1911. and
July. 1913, the earliest time that leg
islation passed by the next Lcgisla-
ture can take effect. do you propose
to leave tho State during that time.
assuming the vote was negative. with
out any provision under the constitu-
tion in regard to handling the liquor
traffic" Is II proposed to call ses-
sion of the Legislature to handle it,
If SO, what is the attitude OF the
Democratic party? What scheme is
proposed, what method advocated?
| submit as Acmbeiss or the mihori :
Its party, We have a right to hear from
some source what plan the majority
has made. Can it be possible that~the
senator from Knox has been 50 long
upon this floor, eloauently defending
so used to viewing the situation with
alarm. that he has overlooked the re-
sponsibility now upon him as a Lead
ing member of the majority party, TO
advance upon this floor some construc-
tive policy? The senator SAYS that
$4,000 voters in this State at the last
election declared for reSubiniSSiun. I
do not know just what those $4,000
voters did declare for. They declared
against the policy of the party that
was in power in this Legislature two
years ago, undoubtedly. What feature
Of that policy they declared against.
what they objected to most. am not
prepared Ia say. How many voted as
they did because Of rcSubmisSion. or
how many voted as they did because
of other questions suggested here.
cannot say. | know Of one man in my
town who was arrested and sentenced
to jail, less than year ago. for selling
liquor-we send them to Jail UP there
sometimes when they sell liquor. He
had voted the Republican ticket. Just
before the last election he declared
his intention to change his mind. Some
of the faithful among the Republican
party went to see him about it. They
came back and reported that he had
decided to vote against us because in
his opinion the Republican party in
tlils State was taxing the railroads
too heavily.
SO I say. Mr.. President and gentle
men. that it is a little difficult TO say
on just what grounds all those $4,000
voters voted for the majority party
at the last election. have SO far at
tempted merely, to point out what
think is a. reasonable position for the
party to take: that we have a right
to know what the constructive policy
of the majority party is to be. We had
TO define our position in the past; we
were the responsible majority party
and we took the position that we be-
iieved in retaining the Constitution Of
this State the prohibitory amendment;