Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-06
THE 18th maine LEGISLATURE.
Stenographic Reports Of Yesterdays Sessions OF
The Senate and House of Representatives.


ing that do NOT criticise the action
of the Progressives at all because they
! have very able candidate for mayor
and very good citizen. a man who if
elected will no doubt perform the du.
ties efficiently and well-hut our COM
/ mon friend Mr.. Newbert, was very
j anxious that they put ticket in the
/ field. And by the aid of Democratic
signatures procured. they put upon the
ticket a full list of Progressive candi-
dates
/ No sooner had ne done that than he
/ discovered in the city charter pro-
vision which had he read, knowing he
was to be candidate. when he was
/ discussing constitutional questions i'll
/ this Legislature. he would have
! known it required a majority to elect,
and that a mere plurality would not
! elect
Now having discovered that he has
gotten himself into this position. he
comes to this Legislature and asks for
relief, immediate relief, and says to
the Legislature that all candidates are
agreed upon this proposition. The
Press comments upon it this morning.
I IBuls MI. 1i6SlutHl, / an lIllpiiiltu lildl
nobody representing the Progressiees
in the city of Augusta has agreed to
this proposition. The Progressives.
and ii is true that they have good and
able representatives in the other body.
did not raise this question 10 protect
the rights of their local candidate
here, | stand here in my place this
| morning as a senator from kennebec
county, and raise the question, in ordet
that the Progressive party in the city
of Augusta may have its rights prop
erly protected. Gentlemen in the
other branch of the Legislature did
not do that.
! stand here, Mr. President, for
another proposition. | deny the right
of two candidates for office in the city
of Augusta, or of three candidates, TO
agree and come to this Legislature
and say to us what the people of Au-
gusta want. | do not know what they
want on this proposition. and | claim
to be as near in touch with the citi-
zens of Augusta and their popular will
as any one of those candidates, and |
say To you that when they come to this
Legislature, and ask unanimous con-
sent for the consideration of meas
ure like this, a month after the time
limit has expired for the reception of
private measures. and ask us to rail-
road it through here, without refer
enee to committee. without any OPP
portunity whatsoever, Mr. President,
for the people of my city of thirty
five hundred voters TO come here and
express their will, they are doing
very impolitic thing and n thing that
may be unjust to the citizens of my
city. | deny their right to represent
them, fto make. any agreement. between
the heads of political parties that will
bind my fellow citizens.
In addition to putting this through
here as private legislation, in addition
to letting down the bars after we have
closed them tightly and kept them
closed here, what do they ask? on
an honest question of private legisla-
ton / want to say that | have stood
against some of my own constituents
who have come to me demanding the
introduction of private legislation, and
have told them--+clients of mine. too
who have contributed to my business
IN the past ten years-that could not
and would not, Mr. President, ask this
body to change the rule which it has
adopted. ! cannot change my views
at this time in order to satisfy the
political ambitions of anybody.
Further than that, they have tackled
on here an emergency clause. Not
being satisfied with railroading this
measure through this Legislature
without reference to any committee.
without any opportunity for the citi-
zens of Augusta to be heard. they
nave put upon it an emergency
clause
! think. Mr.. President, that the time
has come when we should not tack
upon bills that go through this Legis-
nature, as was read to the judiciary
committee in the Bar Harbor hearing.
an emergency clause forbidding, as
the Legislature did two years ago, the
making OF a close time of smells or
herring.
It was never the intention of the
constitutional amendment that we
should put an emergency clause upon
any such measure, and the worG
emergency means something here.
IL does not mean the qualification of
the political ambition of Republicans
democrats or Progressives, and that is
ali there is to this proposition II is a
race between the head of the Demo-
cratic ticket and the head of the Re-
publican ticket to see which shall get
the most votes on the first election
Now is that an emergency that salts
flies the provisions of the Constitution >
IL is not such an emergency as salts
fes my mind that we should invoke
that provision. And standing here in
my place / deny unanimous consent
for the reception and carrying through
of this measure.
The PRESIDENT: The Chair will
state the situation. Under the Joint
rules this matter involving special leg
! islation, cannot he received except by
| unanimous consent, The motion to
| suspend the rules can be entertained
| and requires two thirds vote. The
| question is, shall the rules be suspend
| ed and this bill received after the time
| limit for the reception of such bills
| has expired?
Mr.. MURPHY of Cumberland: Mr..
| President, | believe that the situation