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

say tncH as 1 said, this morning, that
that platform promised to the voters
Of this State that the Democratic par
tv. IL entrusted with power, would
enforce this prohibitory law. If / am
wrong somebody will correct me.
say now if I understand the Cover
nor correctly, that he has called this
special session to. announce to us that
it cannot be done; that he knew when
sheriff and mayor that it could not
be done
/ think I am willing to give as large
a measure of charity TO those who diff
fer with ne as any man can be in dis
eussion. The objection ] have to the
situation that confronts us is that the
campaign Of 1910 was not made upon
q square issue, if [ am correct in my
understanding of the Democratic
platform. In ether words, if that
promise was made, and think it was,
the Governor and the party have not
only failed to make good, but the Ex-
ecutife of the state, so far as | know,
has made no attempt in any way to
encourage the enforcement of the pro-
hioitory law and now says it cannot
he enforced. If that is true, as | said,
this morning, many hundreds of men
voted for him under a mistaken no.
ton of what he promised he would do.
In other words. when he promised he
would de what the platform promised,
and what he promised in many places
in the state, That promise has not
been kept. ard no attempt has been
made TO meet il. And now we are met
with the coWardly whine that il cam
not be done.
The senator from Knox has dis
crssed this question often, and it is
some satisfaction to me TO know that
have lived to find the Democratic par
ty cut i'll the open on this proposition.
That party has carried water on both
shoulders long enough, and we heard
in the discussion of rcsubmission in
the last session, and in other sessions
[sc far as | recall now, statements like
this: That nen We're in favor of re-
submission; the Democrats We're in ia
ror of resubmission for the purpose of
trusting the people. That they We're
in favor of it, as / know hundreds
were. for the purpose of having this
amendment submitted to the people
and have it reaffirmed by Them and If
am not mistaken at the time of the
recent Vote in September 1911, while
tho votes were being counted the pa
per published by the senator from
Waldo, and I assume he is the editor,
stated that if the vote of the people
showed even n small majority, it
would be his endeavor by every means
in hand to uphold resubmission and
uphold the law.
Now having deceived the people and
having failed to keep those promises,
having had a vote upon the so-called
prohibitory amendment, when the
Democratic party again attempted &c
carry water on both shoulders by say
ing TO many voters throughout the
State: Take this thing out of the
Constitution and let the Legislature
make the prohibitoIy law. The diff
Guilty in this State is that this law is
hidden away in the Constitution.
where the public and the voters can
rot reach it, Take if out of the Con-
stitutign; that does not mean license.
We do not favor license. but let the
prohihitory law be in force at the will
of the Legislature.
stsS liz Pt1AN9 ethAaAANNt ''e'NNA
both shoulders on that proposition
and got the vote not only of those who
favored local option but the votes Of
many men who believed it might be
well to leave the Legislature in con-
trol of the prohibtory law.
think il that course, that same sim
uous course, that has been pursued,
were ont in the open,-n is SOME
satisfaction to me that at last the is
sue is clearly drawn. The Democratic
party said We will enforce this law
as long as it is on the statute books,
and how they say it cannot be done
and they knew it could not be done,
and now we want local option.
/ do not know as there is anything
in the remarks Of the senator from
Waldo that needs any answer from
me. | do not know that | have any
thing more to contribute 10 this dis
eussien, if the ease is closed for the
other side l had hoped that some
body in this majority party would ex-
plain the precise meaning of this
amendment; that we would have read
to us the constitution as it would be
if amended and especially | hoped
tEi1I SOMEBODY NOuiN Iiibht pam '2Ac
precise position the administration oc-
curies, and the precise platform the
majority regards themselves as elect
ed upon.
Mr. OSBORN OF Somerset: Mr..
Chairman and fellow senator's, it was
not my Intention to take any part
whatever in this discussion until it
had opened and continued to some ex-
tent. And / feel very much, after lis
tening to its discussion by the able
ard eloquent gentlemen, as the lit
tie boy felt when he undertook to fol-
low n brass band with . jewsharp,
But there was question put up quite
plausably by the senator from Aroos-
took and il seems to be fair that some
OF us should answer it to some extent.
He asks in regard to the Governor
statements and promises-and l am
rot to speak for the Governor. ana
an not going to undertake to say
what he might have promised at dli-
ferent places in the campaign TWO
years ago. / stood upon the platform
1T Pittsfeld when he spoke there, ana
listened carefully and attentiVely to