Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-17

in this way upon this question We're
acting from purely selfish party poll
teal motives to defeat the will of The
people of this State by Il purely tech
meal question without merit, but dis
franchising three members of this
House.
Now, | am convinced that there is an
honest difference of opinion. 1t is not
for me- gentlemen and it is not for my
friends from Patten CAIr. SMITH to re-
fleet upon the honesty of these several
members who may hold opinions differ
ing from ours upon this question, which
is not a question for a lawyer so much
as it is a question for a photographer;
il is Il question of the definition of a
term, not question of law; and what
the meaning of that term is has bean
argued pro and con by different members
holding those varying opinions. But We
are getting nowhere
What does it all mean? II is not 4
question for reasoning and argument so
much as it is a question of historical in
depreciation of what the founders of this
constitution meant by this word post
pAiittlS- DHt says IL IiItdHS Olit liiiliGt
and another says it means another thing.
And those who introduced that order
that day were as confident, / believe. as
their expressions, their assertions indicat-
cd that they We're confident, and relied
not only upon their opinions of eminent
lawyers to whom they had submitted that
questions. l say that We should dismiss
from this discussion altogether the ques-
ton of sincerity. We cannot impute mo-
lives To our neghbors ON various mat
terS because when the last word is said
and you go To authorities for a definition
OF that word post-oftlcer, you don't find
the word. No enc in this House has found
that word in the Century Dictionary. the
tionary. or any other book except the
Constitution of the state of Maine. Gap
plause).
And | will go further, and say that no
man in this room will stand upon his feet
and say that he ever saw that word print
ed from a printing press, the word post
officer" 1 submit TO you that Professor
Little of Bowdoin should be an authority
which would help us and give us light
AIibIi Nliio hutSliOIi. Inc bilA iift tiiot
he gives us is that in the New England
Dictionary, or some other dictionary the
name of which | don't remember, he
found the word 'post-officer" He says
no more about it in that letter. If | un-
derstood it correctly; ana so ! say that
there is q difference Of opinion and an
honest difference of opinion and we are
asked that that question of opinion be
settled 1t should be settled, not only
for our satisfaction, but it should be set
tied for succeeding Legislatures and for
the direction of the people of rhs State
who are contemplating the nomination. OF
one who may be a postmaster. | believe
it is of sufficient importance that this
question be raised at this time and set
tied.
There is one other point to which
want to call attention. That question
was not raised until Monday night last
SO far as I know, the first that l heard
Of il. Tuesday we were to vote TO elect
a United States senator. There was q
question of doubt What was the sltua.
ton? You all know and ! need not re
count to YOU any of the details of thai
greatest pressure had been brought Il
bear upon the so-called Irosressives Il
keep them within the fold until the cleo
ton of United States senator was eff
fectcd. There is a Progressive party il
this state now: there was not Progress
sive party in this state at the time o.
the September election; there was not
Progressive party in this state perhaps
at the November election in the sense
that there was a Progressive party il
other states: but by series of compro
misses they were held together, and Wher,
As 600 voted the Progressive ticket q, nc
voted the Republican ticket and the,
came to this Legislature from all part
of the state with those unsettled ques
lions as to what they should do. Yol
know what has happened since. Yol
know how the old guard has stood be
fore them, looking toward the west, rigid
stand-pat: and YOU know how the Pro
gressive Republican party, so-called, ha
stood. They have seen the way to tn
Promised Land. but they We're stan,lin,
with their faces toward the west mark
ing time. with their eyes upon the colder
calf and with their thoughts only upol
the Promised Land. making no progress
marking time. That was the situation
and there was a division: it was foun,
that there were those in that Progressiv
Republican rank who We're real Progress