Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-01-10
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10, 1912,
The Special Session.

AhC CPCehaa SNso'onN
The governor has called special
session of the legislature, to convene
on Monday, March 20. He names
three specific purposes for which this
special session is called: ~ The revi-
sion of the election laws; (2) the re-
districtipg of the State for congress
sional purposes; go the considers
ton of the prohibitory law.
Some of the newspapers of the State
are especially severe on this action of
the governor. The Portland Erening
Express starts out column and
half editorial by calling it the Grown
ing act of folly of the Administrations.
1t regards the calling of the session in
itself as a piece of unnecessary ex-
peEse, and reminds the governor and
the campaign orators of 1909 of their
charges OF republican extravaganza,
compared with which the expense of
this special session is trifie large.
Then the three reasons for calling
the session are discussed. The cleo
tion law the governor would change;
yet it is the result of the wisdom of
the years, and has never yet failed to
give expression to the peoples will.
Why change it?
Next, the redistricting of the State
for congressman. The only call Tor
redistricting seems to be for the crea-
ton OF districts more surely demo-
cratic than they now area need
which can appeal to democrats only.
'The third reason which the gov
ernor gives" continues the Express,
''for the unnecessary expenditure of
public money which he proposes to
make in violation of every precept
which he laid down in his campaign
and in his inaugural address, is to find
some kind of a solution to what he
calls the liquor problem. Last Janu-
airy he answered himself. In the in
augural address from which we have
already quoted, Gov. Plaisted said:
81 desire to take the liquor question out of
State politics and permit the people of Maine
to settle 1t at special election called for that
purpose and that purpose alone, unconfused
by any other question:
"Note his great desire at that time
to take the liquor question out of State
politics, and to permit the people of
the State to settle it at special cleo
ton called for that purpose and un-
confused by any other questions. His
wish was gratified. The question was
sent to the people unconfused by any
other question. The people settled it,
and it is now the purpose of the gov
ernor to stultify himself, to go back
entirely upon the word spoken of his
own volition, to inject the liquor ques-
ton into politics and to settle it by
the legislature and not by the people,
or if it goes to the people, to have it
go at time when 1t is confused with
other questions
"If there have been those who have
believed that the governor and his ad-
visers have been gifted with states
manship," concludes the Express, ''the
last vestige of that belief is now re-
moved.n
The Lewiston Journal speaks of
"this amazing proposal to nullify and
repeal that law 1.-THE prohibitory lawl
by an amendment in the face of the
declaration which says that 1t shall
not be repealed or nullifed".
The Kennebec Journal regards the
reopening of the liquor question as an
attempt to betray Maine's citizenship
into the hands of the liquor interests.
''Gov. Plaisted argues that the cleo
ton has settled nothing" says the
Portland Press, "and has left things in
worse condition than ever. Therefore
he will ask the legislature to submit
an amendment to the constitution
which will permit the enactment OF
laws concerning the liquor traffic,
which are capable of honest enforce
ment because sustained by the senti-
ment of the several communities to
which they will be applied. In two
words: Local option. That is what he
means--a constitutional amendment
permitting license and local option"