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

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cussion % this kind. But lei me call
| the senator's attention to the fact that
| the prohibitory law having been Vio-
/ lated in the Garden of Eden, the AL
mighty did not upon that change to a
i license system. But il I remember the
Scripture correctly, the prohibitory
law was Immediately enforced
The next point referred to. as | re-
call the senator's remarks, was some
thing about the Sumptuary law. the
personal privilege. over which no Leg
| islature should have any control The
inference is from the senator's re-
marks tl4at no other attempt could
, properly be made to control what he
calls personal liberty. except in this
! particular instance Of the prohibitory
| l9W | wish the senator, or somebody.
would point out to me where he draws
the line in me matter of personal lib
erty. | suppose he would not want his
| remarks to be brought To their uiti-
mate conclusion: he would not want
| to say that no law ought To be en-
! forced against mans rights to gam
bic that no law ought to be enforced
| against the practices that are general
! lN assembled under the name of the
White Slave traffic. if any person was
found engaged in that sort OF thing.
! Where shall: the line be drawn He
has drawn it IN very glittering and
| general way. Where is the distinction?
| The senator has also been pleased to
! refer To 4 woman whom all of lis re-
! sPeet: who is not here to defend her
self: who has been denied by the ma
| iority of this Legislature the priv
lege OF appearing before a committee
I of the Legislature and stating her
views upon this question. He is vel
| come To any credit ne can gain by
that sort of argument.
| He has asked us to show him
where drunkards have been reformed
in the meetings of The W. c. T. T.,
| and ho has been pleased 10 east IL
| general sllT upon that organization !
| suppose lie expects me to believe from
observation of what has been going
| on around this city; of disgraeeful
scenes that have occurred at the Au-
| gusta House, where high State oi!i-
Gals have participated; that the best
| place to reform drunkards is ut Au-
gusta during a session of the Legis
lature.
He sad something about good shsr-
| IFS. l should like to have that term
defined by somebody, some member OF
this majority party What is a good
sheriff? / have mad some ideas on
| that subject We have one man sitting
with Us in this chamber, Il member of
the Democratic party. To me that man
| has ncen ii good sheriff. ono of tho
| best and hraNest in the State of
Maine If ] understand the remarks
of the senator from Waldo, the whole
| trend of his remarks has been slur
| against the work of that sheriff. ltal-
| ian laborers must have their beer, ac-
| cordng to the senator from Waldo.
| Is it not possible that, assuming the
| proposed amendment is. passed. some
| Italian laborers might stray into the
plantations that are excluded from the
provisions of this bill. Is it not posi-
be that the Italian laborers might find
themselves in a town that did not pc
titioa for this relief. How would the
senator take care Of that situation
Hypocrisy, Nobody could have
compelled the sheriffs TO do their
dut-,; the Governor could not have
done it" saws the senator from Waldo.
| What did the Democratic platform,
UPON which the Democratic members,
excepting the senator from Waldo,
were elected, mean? What did the
Governor mean when he said that all
laws. so long as they are on the stat
| ute books should be enforced?
The senator says that his platform
was rum, and that he came here on
that platform with 800 majority. The
platform upon which most Of the sem
ators that belong to his party We're
elected, was not ostensibly rum. He
SAYS, the Governor could not have
compelled the sheriffs t. have enforc-
| ed the law | do not Know what the
present Governor meant when as d
| candidate for Governor he went around
| the State making certain promises.
do not know what mental reservations
he made l do know perfectly Well
and SO does every senator here, and
the evidence can be substantiated by
a hundred witnesses, that the Cover
| nor in town after town. i'm Grange halls
and other places, made statements like
this: He said in one town, If | am
elected Governor and "a sheriff declines
60 enforce the law | will personally
see that he is impeached.' And to
| my mind that situation, that neglect
of certain sheriffs within this state
to enforce the law, would have been
"A proper cause to call this Legislature
together And now that we are here,
| believe that We could pat this idle
| week that is coming to no better use
| than to consider whether amy sheriff
| in this State has been recreant to his
duty The remedy is ample and within
the reach of any Governor in Maine.
And we have a peculiarly fortunate
situation now for the Legislature has
convened the first time for many
years, not as usual at the beginning
| but right in the middle of the term OF
office of the sheriffs What do we
| fnd2 The majority party outlines
their plan that does not include any
| thing in regard to the duty of these
sheriffs and then the senator passes
it off on the general denial of hypo-
crisy, and the assertion that nothing
could have been done about the multi
fication of the Prohibitory law.
The senator asks for an instance OF
| hypocrisy to surpass an extract he has
read from an old Republican platform
| do not defend anything of the kind