Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-14

Leitch, and Dr. Leitch says that j
| was the September term that he pre-
| sented to him the bulletin and tolt
him that he had evidence to go be-
fore the grand jury with reference &
the violation of the liquor laws ano
ne told him something like SO place:
tina he had evidence against. but be-
cause he had considered those places
at other times, because their names
appeared on the docket at other terms
he didn't feel that it was his duty to
present the evidence to the Septem
Der grand jury and indict those
places again, although l submit, gen
tlemen, it was just as important for
him to know. just as much his duty
10 know, ava | believe there is not a
single citizen ii the age of intelli-
yence n the city of Lewiston who did
not Nlop-and If Mr.. Hines didn't
h J. the oniy one. in the city-that
l.Cuor was being sold openly and
freely in that county and in the city
of Lewiston in September. 1912, and
from then up to within two weeks
ago.
Then another significant piece OF
testimony in relation to DIR. Leltcfs
testimony which he gave here. Ihefe
was some little confusion between
him and Brother Pattangall as 10
whether or not he was deslrous OF m
dieting under the Cakes law or
whether he desired to give his IN
formation with reference to these
liquor sellers, but that matterea
nothing. He did testify that when ne
came back to see the county attof-
ney he inquired of him why he hadn't
notified him SO that he could go De-
fore the grand jury, and Mr.. Hines
said to him, 1T is a pretty diffieuit
place I am in, and YOU know well
enough that l wasn't elected to en-
force this law"
So much, gentlemen. as showing ile
action of this county attorney IN tue
year 1912 as indicating whether or nol
he was during that period enforcing
faithfully and diligently this chapter
of the statutes.
l submit, gentlemen, there is not
the slightest question and IL you are
considering this evidence honestly anu
fairly and impartially you Will Hho
that he was simply acting as one ~
the cogs in the wheels of the sheriii
department in regulating TINS traihe
during the year 1912.
Well now, gentlemen, If that Is So,
if YOU are satisfied upon that point, /
every member of this convention be-
lieyes that County Attorney Hines
was doing that in the year lslZ' .nae
his action with reference TO ,hese
LIQUOR cases on the docket during ina
year was simply part OF TINS Wiio'e
plan over there, why then, gentlemen
what do you say as to his following
ont the same course of action at the
January term, 1913? II he Is dolhs
exactly the same thing in January,
1913. isn't the evidence just as con-
clusive that he was following along
the same lines since the beginning oi
this term of office as during the pefioo
of 1872 1t is true that the time iias.i
been long enough for us to Snow tile
continuance of this performance aar-
ing the whole year, but we nav
shown YOU the practice that was go
ing on there in the first two years Vi
his administration, we have shown
Won that he was beginning the same
methods of practice in connection WIN
the sheriff's department this year thae
he had previously. and how can any
gentleman of this convention, now
can any man who is honest and SIN
cere in considering this question, en-
terrain any doubt for moment that
the proceedings at the January term
in Androscoggin county with refer
epce to these 81 or SO liquor sellers
were not in accordance with the same
plan that has been going on for the
past two years.
IF that is so, gentlemen, can there
he any question in your mind as TO
the propriety of requesting the Gov
ernor to remove county attorney
who has been following in that Office
the same policy as the sheriff whom
YOU Enthusiastically would have re-
moved, but who did not dare to stand
trial here before you?
Consider for a moment, gentlemen,
what would happen If you leave a
county attorney in Office who has
shown that this was his method of
enforcing the law. and have the Gov
ernor placing there a sheriff who
was undertaking to enforce it. There
is the danger of leaving the county
attorney who has shown the traits
and the methods of procedure that
this county has shown during the last
two years and a quarter. What is
the use of the Governors accepting
the resignation of the sheriff unless
you have a county attorney who will
faithfully and diligently assist him in
the enforcement of the law.
Now this, gentlemen, is an exceed
ingly important question. 1t is not
one for you To allow the slightest
sympathy to enter into your action in
this respect You gave no sympathy
to the old man so years old who came
before you and had been in the sher-
lifts department for 35 years. You
didn't allow your syspathies to sway
you one iota from the path of your
duty and are you going to allow your
sympathies to sway you in this mat
ter because this county attorney is
just beginning life? 1t is just as i'm
portant that the young men that are
entering upon the profession of law,
just beginning their public life, should
know that the people of the State of
Maine will not stand for this sort OF