The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-03-30

and applause), or understanding or
reporting accurately anything he
nears Oaughter.) AS the only EN-
ployment in which his peculiar tai
ents can find proper exercise Is jour
nalism, he is perforce a journalist and
has to keep up an air of high spirits
Through daily struggle with his
own iliteracy and the precarious-
ness of his employment. CApplause)
And while If | had any political am
bition which ! have not | should not
.ttempt to speak so frankly in the
presence of reporters. GaughterD !
have boen impressed since | read that
description and then followed the Re
ports of this Legislature with the
idea that Bernard Shaw knew human
character better than any man who
has lived since Shakespeare Gaugh-
ter)
And now | want to say a personal
word. Much has been said about in
connection with this #kennebee Dam
Company One gentleman connected
with a large electric company went to
a member of the interior waters com
mittee no longer ago than this morn
ing and attempted to impress upon
ullli that lily COHlltCllOil Will lltdl
company was something that should
cause me to be stunned by decent
men My connection with that com
pang has been the same legitimate
honorable connection that | have had
With every other matter that ! ever
presented TO a Maine Legislature. II
is easy to speak i'll of men, it is easy
20 20 behind mems backs and say
that which is not true of them, and
10 ole Who has been in politics and
who has PLAYED the game as openly
1s ! have il follows OF necessity that
| have made enemies who do not
sCruple 10 say that of me behind my
back which they never would say to
my face want to say one more
personal word | am interested in
this matter. / am interested in ii be
cause | believe the business interests
of Maine demand that at some time
you should shake off the shaekles of
monopoly which now bind You, petty
monopoly, monopoly made up of these
little companies which are not power
full enough financially or in any other
way to take care of your business,
you should shake off those shackles
and permit competition in Maine.
believe that time will come, although
You may differ with me on that as a
business principle. One thing ! do
want to ask of you. | want you TO
give this matter sufficiently serious
consideration so that you will say you
are willing with me that it shall lie
dormant for two years and be in a
position to come before the next Leg
slature, not with your endorsement
hut with your consent. in order that
if that development can be brought
about, if the public mind can be dis
abused Of the prejudice which has
accumulated in regard to this matter
thai something may be done to make
central Maine resemble us it ought
10, central Massachusetts in its man
ufaeturing capacity
Vow it is not alone for myself thai
ask that. You have a committee on
interior waters. a good committee |
did not myself believe that THIS bill
ought to have gone to that committee.
not that | distrust its integrity or its
Judgment. but there We're legal ques-
tons involved in that bill and | was
of the opinion that there should have
been lawyers on the committee: but
that committee heard that bill. heard
it under hard circumstances. their
hearings ran away into the night they
gave il their careful and conscen-
tious consideration, and that commit
tee divided. men 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 Don
igan, did not sign the report They
were in doubt what to do Now with
the committee standing that way | |
submit it is only in fairness to them
to hold that that matter should go
over to another LEGISLATURE where it
may be fairly considered on its mer-
its in order that within two years the
people Of Maine may have an oppor-
tunity to acknowledge the sincerity
Of the opposition of this measure and
at the same time acknowledge the
business possibilities that lie in car
rying it out The next Legislature
Will be bound by nothing that we
do. Oour successors will come here
free and untrammcled to do their
will; but as a matter of courtesy to
those of US who have stood for this
measure, as a matter of decency to-
ward the members of the committee
who stood for it. ! ask YOU gentlemen.
TO sustain the motion which | make.
which is to refer this matter to the
next Legislature (Long continued