Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-17
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from Page Five.)

| lldu not the power, II We mad the
motive, to railroad something through
on Tuesday when every man here was
| in his seat, and a Republican Speaker
| in his chair. You remember the day,
gentlemen. Here is House organized
by the Republican party returned to
power in September, with a majority
| of at least five; and yet this order was
introduced, and to the amazement of
| most of u.s. on the first roll-call re-
| ceived a vote of so to 6S What was
| happening? Why. your noble leaders,
trained in the art of defense and Of
| Tense, met the charge of my Brother
Scates from Westbrook, and your
| chosen leader, the gentlemen from
| Phillips (Mr. Austin) went down
| quickly as | remember it under the
] onslaughter and lay bleeding and
wounded upon the ground and has
since been in the hospital. Laughter)
| MY good friend, Judge Smith, the
| gentleman from Pressure Isle whom |
| honor and whom / have known for
| many years, with all the courage of
youth, barred his breast to the lances
| of his opponents, but he too was I'M
| horsed and fell from the saddle, and
| he too has been in a hospital ever
| since. All the resources of the great
| old Republican party, lawyer and lay
man, men Of commerce and all from
| the upper chamber in this Legislature
| and from the Governors Council, and
from the corridors and the cloak rooms
were here and they called on Smith
| of Patten, and they piled books around
| him and misled him, and he got into
trouble. Hersey of Houlton, Parkhurst
of Bangor, who used to be here. mem
| bers of the Governors Council and
| Others began to gather around, my
friend Smith of Patten, and tried to
help him, and that man who sits there
with those Madonna eyes and that
Holy mien came to be a leader Did
| ne go down? | have this recollection
| mat twice he sat down any way
And we. a handful of Democrats, in
the minority in this House, you charge
with rallroading a measure through
| TINS House and unhorsing the giants
OF your body and the Legislative lead
ers. Do YOU think | could do il. Why
gentlemen, | have had hurled against
me TINS awful charge of once being a
| minister | have tried, gentlemen to
| i've down my past. Gaughter) For
| seven years | have tried to live down
| my past. Brother Hersey of Houlton
| used to hurl at me that great index
finger of his. and say, "Newbert of
| Augusta takes refuge in his Holy
| orders. daughter) Mr.. Smith of
| Patten charged me on the floor of this
| House, Tuesday. with having the
same sanctimonious manners as of
yore Now. gentlemen, that is the only
thing he said about me that got nn
der my skin Uaughter)
What is the question, gentlemen
from which I have wandered? As /
| approach it l want to say that I have
the right to the latitude of this great
| constitutional lawyer from Northern
Penobscot who assumes to stand to-
| day on the level with Webster. Isn't
| it true that something has come over
the majority party in this House,
Isn't it true that there is change?
| Ism IL a peculiar situation that a
Speaker presides today over this
| House in which he has not a majority?
apprehend no trouble from the
| Speakers end of this matter because
| he will be fair and will always be
J treated fairly by u.s.
AS l say, | don't pretend to be n
| iawyer | don't pretend to be able to
| intelligently discuss the Constitution of
| this State. We have before us here
simple proposition; it is a proposition
upon which a layman has as much
J right to an opinion as lawyer; it is
the definition of word, and the def
| milton is in controversy For 90
years no opinion has been given. and
| as | understand, the situat ton was
| never called in question. II is nothing
strange that during all these wears
| postmasters have come here and if is
| NOT strange that for so Years post
| masters have sat here in this HoDse
| because for 60 years one party prac-
| tlcally has dominated this state and
| .he postmaster from kittery and the
postmaster from Rangeley, or Ripley.
| OF PASSPORT, or from anywhere else
was the politician in his town. and
men gathered around his little corner
store and spat into the sawdust in the
| square box; there was no question
raised upon their right to be here.
| ana IL seems to have been left for me
| a humble iayman in this House. to
raise this question and to draw upon
| my mead all the abuse that the gen.
| tiemah from Patten can think of
| bul tlat is not argument gentlemen.
IL is not argument on this question to
Witty a member; it is not argument
TO rldlcule member: it is not areu-
| Hieht TO ABUSE member; it is nor
| argument 10 refer to me as only n
munster OF the Gospel; ii is not ars,l
ment to hurl at these six or seven
| FrosfessiVes here that they sing con
ward, Christian Soldiers: all this is
apart from the discussion of the ones
ton before this House, as to the con-
struetion of this phrase.
Now, gentlemen. in justification for
my own act I want to say that I in
troduced this order backed by right
motives; that | believed | was riebt
then and l believe / am right now.
and believe the proponents of this,
order have behind them right and
justice; and | believe we stand upon.
the Constitution of this State. (Ap-
plaGse)
| don't believe the trainers of this
Constitution ever intended to let in n
horde Of federal civil OfficehoIdare 7