Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-22

take an untenable position should be
able to see their mistake.
The bone of contention is the mean
ing of the term "post-officers" in the
constitution, whether it means postal
officials or whether these are exclude
ed from membership in the Legisla-
ture. The question was precipitated
without notice, on the eve of the sem
atoral election, with the apparent
purpose of destroying the Republican
majority. 1t had never been raised
before. So far as appears, postmas-
ters have served in the Maine Legis-
lature without question during the en-
tire period of Names existence as a
State. Digging into the records shows
that there We're postmasters i'm the
constitutional convention of 1919 and
that postmasters in numbers were in
the Legislature for many years there
after Every fact of record every
probability, every opinion of weight,
supports that construction. 1t has
even been found that an old diction-
airy, now out of print and use but in
vogue in the early part of the last
century, defined the word as an Off
cer -cr official of the post. The evil
dence all goes to show that it is
word now obsolete, which at the time
of the drafting of the Maine constitu-
ton was in use as meaning postmas-
tiers or postal officials. Nothing worth
considering in the shape of evidence
has been discovered to support the
opposite contention that the word
means military officers. and as it
stands it is a far fetched, forced and
absurd construction.
Mr.. Wheeler of Paris, leader and
proprietor of personally conducted
party of six, AYERS that lie has had
the question under consideration for
some time and advised client that
poStmasters We're ineligible to the
Legislature. 1t is too bad that Mr.
Wheeler failed TO give the public the
benefit of his opinion earlier. Mr.
Wheeler further says those who think
postmasters qualified under the con-
stitution have a big surprise coming
to them" if the question is referred to
the supreme court Possibly that is
so, but as matters stand one is in
clined to prefer the opinion of Judge
Emery even to that of the eminent
constitutional lawyer from Paris We
also have in support of the Newbert-
w IlGtiti lIIt btlffoH vi "a
Portland lawyer. Representative Ke-
hoe. Mr.. Kehoe is clear that Judge
Emery's answer does not give much
light and that post Officers means
military officers He SAYS the con-
stitution was not made for the con-
struction of the supreme court" and
the judgment of the House lis as good
as the judgment of any body on
earth" Still he cannot deny that the
constitution itself provides for invok-
ing the Judgment of the court on sol
emn occasions and that it has often
been sought. The anti-postmaster
crowd do not seem able to agree
among themselves. some wanting to
refer to the supreme court and some
opposing this. They should get to-
gether.
Meanwhile the question OF Mr.. Far
rar is pending. For purely partisan
reasons and In obtain an unfair po-
litical advantage, it is proposed on
iimsy and ridiculous grounds to fire
out a representative who was elected
fairly and in good faith. If this is
done, il will be tn the everlasting in
fanny of those responsible. There are
perhaps 700 postmastcrs in this State
ard with clerks and carriers there
must be at least a thousand post
officers" Hitherto they have been
considered as having equal rights and
privileges of citizenship with other
citizens, and upon occasion many of
them have exercised those rights i'm
legislative service. 1T is astonishing
that their rights should have been
challenged at this time on any such
trumped up pretext.