Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-11-14
AT Last We Know II Is No.

At their meeting on Monday of last
week, the governor and council formally
and officially announced the result of the
vote on the proposed repeal of the pro-
hibitory amendment TO the constitution,
taken on the 18th of September. The
corrected returns from Limestone, West
field, Athens and Matinicus were accept
ed, and the result of the vote was de-
clared to be 6O,O95 yes and 6O,S53 no,
repeal thus being defeated by plurality
of T5S This is what has been generally
understood for some time to be the real
vote of the people OF the state on the
question.
announced that it is his intention to call
a special session OF the legislature at an
early date, for the following purposes:
First To receive the report of the
last election by the resolve under which
the election was held.
Second. To revise the laws relating
TO the conduct of our elections in order
that the will of the people as expressed
by their ballots may be accurately de-
termined aud promptly declared.
Third. To submit an amendment to
the constitution which will permit the
enactment of laws concerning the liquor
traffic which are capable of honest en-
fOrcement because sustained by the
sentiment of the several communities to
which they will be applied"
Let's see about the necessity for such
action as is proposed.
First, TO receive the report of the cleo
ton. Governor Plaisted thinks il is i'm
perative upon him to call the legislature
for this purpose, because the resubmiS-
sion resolve provides that the report of
the vote shall be made TO "the legiSla-
ture," while in the case of the other
amendments submitted to vote the re-
solves provide for report to the "next
legislature" This is mere bubble.
1t is hardly to be considered that there
is any such necessity for haste in amend
ing the constitution that special session
of the legislature must be called for il.
Ii is altogether more reasonable 10 sup
pose that "the legislature" means the
legislature which in the ordinary digni-
fled method of procedure in the case of
an amendment TO our fundamental law
would be the one to receive it, namely,
the legislature which assemblies for the
next regular biennial session.
Ii the result of the vote had been tn
repeal the prohibitory amendment, the
governor might have had the wording of
the resolve 70 serve as an excuse for his
haste to get the offensive prohibitory
provision out of the constitution. But
certainly there is no necessity for haste
in formally declaring that no change has
been made in the constitution.
Second, the legislature is to be called
TO revise the laws relating to the con-
duct of elections. IL is true that hands
have been held up in holy horror at the
looseness with which this last election
was conducted. II is indeed true that
there was loosenesS in the methods, too
much of it, though we were not dis
franchised thereby. But what will the
legislature do? There's law enough for
the conduct of elections. The thing
which has caused the aforesaid holy hor-
TOR is not the lack of law, but the man
ner in which it was not observed. The
legislature can't enforce the law.
But in the third place we come to the
real reason, and the only one that can
serve as a fair excuse, for this extra
session, aud that is to submit another
amendment, or rather, an amendment.
IDS time lnere viii not DC du attempt
to repeal the prohibitory amendment,
but instead some kind Of an amendment
to the amendment will be prepared,
which would leave us nominal pro-
hibitory provision, but would modify il
by making a form of local option pro-
vision for the cities and larger towns.
To submit such an amendment as this,
so as to get vote on it next September,
is the real purpose of the proposed
extra session.
II is by no means certain whether the
legislature il assembled will submit such
an amendment, under all the circum-
stances. And then, too, there are thir
teen vacancies at present in the member
ship of the two houses, several of them
caused by the resignation of leading
Democratic members to accept other
official positions. No elections have
been held to fill these vacancies. Will
the governor order elections for that
purpose, so as to carry the scheme
through? Verify, all this pother would
seem to be undignified and almost in
decent haste to get some law on our
statute books which will legalize the
saloon.