Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-25

view OF this question, even il he live IN
| the metropolis of the United States. And
l urge you further, members of my own
party and members of the dominant par
ty, that the best interests of the state
of Maine will be best promoted when you
exercise self-control and offer TO the peo-
pie Of the State of Maine who dwell IN
the country fair deal, the right to have
this question determined after it has
been discussed by us as We'll as by the
members OF the city constituencies be-
cause it affects us and what affects the
We'll being of the cities affects the we'll
being Of the country and our welfare and
your Welfare.
Simply because a small fraction over a
majority in the few cities in the state If
Maine have indicated a preference for
certain doctrines upon this question yo1
should not plunge US again into this aw
| full struggle and the expense of another
plebiscite. You should admit that the
question belongs to us and it belongs 20
| YOU. precisely the same as the question
| of good roads belongs to us as it belongs
| to you And | am reminded to leave
| with you this suggestion which / take,
| as you know, from a prominent Demo-
cratic member of this House; and in this
respect | discuss the political phase of
| it and then l have finished. The dor1I-
nant party is in power in this House not
| by virtue of votes which belong to you;
| you are here with the assistance of Re
| publican votes also in addition to your
! own. You have elected Governor in
/ this State and the dominant power in
both branches of the Legislature with
the assistance of Republican voters ana
where did they dwell? You had in the
beginning the power in the cities;
| YOU have possessed it and yoa
hold it, and l admit you are likely to
hold ii, but your success was due 10
the assistance that was rendered 10
you by Republicans who claimed to be
fair minded and liberal and who did
| not have the provincial view which
you say we now possess. They voted
with yDu UPON resubmission and to
! improve the conditions. And now for
my quotation from the prominent
/ Democrat: You cannot elect another
| Governor of the State of Maine, you
fcannot elect majority in this House
or at the other end of the corridor
| without those same Republican votes
| When you stand upon the floor of this
| House and insist that the representa-
tiyes of the majority in the cities de-
mand this thing and go before the peo-
| pie again, you make a mistake; the
people of the country who assisted you
before will not assist You again upon
| that proposition.
! ] leave it with YOU not because I ex-
peet to influence a single Democrat
vote now, but because / insist em-
phatically, Mr.. Chairman and gentle
/ men of the committee, that il is the
duty of every man here regardless of
politics. to go home into the commune
| ~ from which he comes and where he
| has an infiuence-else he would not
be hereto return to your nomes and
/ let your influence be for what is right
and square regardless of the party
Whip so that your friends and neigh
bers may get from you a fair discus
sion of this question to the end that
| Democratic leaders and Republican
| leaders both may allow this question
| To rest, and allow us as citizens of this
! State to consider those other important
/ issues which cry out for the attention
| of thinking men within the borders of
| the State of Maine.
| This is my plea. / do not attempt
10 represent the Republican party here
tonight, although l am happy and
/ strong in the belief that the Republic
can party now is united as YOU have
not seen it united for a period of over
1 two years; and / say to you that the
country vote which you want has
/ right to be considered and has a right
to leave this question for the present
| time: and if ever the demand occurs
again for resubmission, as it might in
the progress of time, / say to you that
myself might occupy a different po-
sition than | have occupied hitherto
| Tor one reason. | believe that the peo-
pie of the State of Maine when they
get ready to have this question re-
| submitted again, and when this alleg-
ed demand for license shall come to
exist--for vt does not exist now-but /
say. when this alleged demand for Ii
cense comes to exist, the people of the
/ State of Maine will put the Republican
party in power, Chief Executive, House
| of Representatives and Senate; and
! the first demand for a license law. if
| it ever comes, shall be enacted by the
Republican party, by the friends of
temperance and be put in force by the
| friends of temperance rather than
| through any outside influence from
outside the State of Maine acting up
ON platform of either party. l thank
you, gentlemen. (Applause)
Mr.. PETERS of Ellsworth: Mr..
Chairman, at the outset / want to
| make myself as popular as possible
by saying that ] shall not deliver
knowingly temperance speech nor a
long speech: but | desire to say a few
| words in behalf of 60,750 men who
voted No" at the last election, al
though do not myself agree with all
of their views. For about 80 years,
Mr.. Chairman, there has been a very
short, simple, plain provision on the
Constitution in substance saying that
the manufacture and sale of intoxi-
eating liquors shall be forever prohi-
bited throughout the State of Maine.
| Now, ! am one of those who believe
that that is not a proper provision to
have in that place; / am a disbeliever
in constitutional prohibition. I hold
the same views now that l held Il
year ago and two years ago, and all
the time since l became old enough to
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