Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-15
jan3dt
that the gentleman from Ripley may
answer the inquiry. S
Nr EhRRAR of RinleY. I am.

that the gentleman from Ripley may
answer the inquiry. ~
Mr.. FARRAR of Ripley: I am.
Mr.. NEWBERT: And Mr.. Speaker
on page 961 of the same book to which
l have referred ! find this record un-
der the head of "Topsfield, Post
master: O. II. Taylor" and l would
ask the gentleman from Topstield. Mr..
Taylor. through the Chair. If he now is
holding office under the United States,
and if in fact he is at the present
time postmaster of Topsfield?
The SPEAKER: The gentleman
from Augusta. Mr.. Newbert, asks the
permission of the House to inquire
through the Chair of the gentleman
from Topsfield, Mr.. Taylor, as To
whether or not at the present time
he is holding the Office of postmaster
at Topsfield. The Chair assumes the
permission of the House is granted,
and inquiries whether the gentleman
win answer the question.
Mr.. TAYLOR of Topsfield: l am.
Mr.. NEWBERT And, Mr.. Speak
Ell, on page 991 of the same Register
| find unSes the head of "Kittery'
the FOLLOWING reference: Postmaster: .
HOSHdS w iloOiit yin, IlOid.t
MITCHELL And | will respectfully ask
through the Chair of the gentleman
from Kittery. Mr.. Mitchell Are you
now holding office under the United
States. and are You in fact postmaster
at Kittery Point?"
The SPEAKER: The gentleman
from Augusta, MIR. Newbert makes the
inquiry of. the gentleman from kit
| terry. Mr.. Mitchell. -
Mr.. MITCHELL of Kittery: Mr.
Speaker. I am; my resignation is III
the hands of certain parties on the
way to the Post .oHce Department.
Mr.. NEWBERT: Now Gentlemen,
It seems to me shat we have suffi-
cient evidence chat these gentlemen
named in the order are atsthespres-
ent time holding office under 1.-The
United States, and are in fact post
masters, holding office as TIE order
Sets FORTH 1t night be argued in this
House, and probably will sand an-
| tieipate it, that this order should not
| be the ground of settlements of this
question. today, but that this whole
question should go to some commit
| tee, namely, to the elections commit
tee on the part of tile House, sub
NIT, gentlemen, this is not a ACQUISITION
lsfor reference H. any committee: this
lfs not an ordinary election ease: this
is'not case wherein election Is con-
| tested; this is not. d case in which
ballots are to be counted. this is not
case in which law may be cited as.
| to the conduct of elections, or Che
kind of ballot. whether 1t was a good
| or a ha hai I H. -y7f.is,
question comes downsseo this simple
| proposition, are these gentlemen dis
| qualified, today, by. the Constitution OF,
this State, or are they not? II is not
question, as may be argued as to
their right to vote, today. for Senator:
IL Is "A question of their right to sit
IN this House as members of this
House, and to participate in any and
an OF the proceedings of this House.
| submit, Mr.. Speaker, and. Gentle
men, that the Constitution does dis
qualify. these gentlemen, and that iii
reality their seats are and should he
vacant; but i may be argued that
these men should have a hearing. We
bring no charges against these gem
tlemen; they are highly honorable
citizens of our State. And there is n3
cause for hearing other than a hear
ing such as, we are holding in. this
open House, with 151 members sitting
here to take part. as jurors, if you
please AT II O'Clock, today, gentle.
men, this House will take up a hish
1 duty, none higher to perform sin our
/ deliberations of this winter-the SOL
emn duty of voting for a senator of
the United States for the fulI.tterm Of
six years; and / submit that this dis
| cuSsion is timely and it should pro-
coed, and by our votes here we should
determine once for all whether these
three honora bic gentlemen are en-.
! titled TO seats here, or whether they
are disqualified by the Constitution
and have no right TO participate in
any of the proceedings of this House
| take it that no gentleman frorn
the State of Maine would be willing
to go to Washington as Senator for
six years were his election, today, de-
termined by The vote of one man who
on his own testimony is a postmaster
and, as we believe, disqualified be-
cause OF holding that position for
membership in this body. 1 repeat
MIR. Speaker, the words with which /
began; ! move the passage of the
resolution which l believe and hope
will appeal to the majority of the
members of this House.
Mr.. SMITH of Pressure Isle Mr..
Speaker, / do not propose to make q
| speech at this time. but it strikes me
as very singular in as much as We
| have been in session here something
! over two weeks, and this is the third
I week, and UP to this time these three
| gentlemen, whom my friend from Au-
| gusta (Mr. Newbert proposes to
| have disqualified, have been permit
| ted to take part in the deliberations
Of this House; and it is certainly
very singular that this great light
from Heaven should on this day on
which we are to elect a United States
Senator so suddenly shine down upon
the gentleman from Augusta. Now,
Mr.. Speaker. it seems to me that to
act at this time on this motion is UNI
fair to these gentlemen, and unfair t,
the House. There is no reason under
Heavens that l can conceive of why,