Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-07


proceeded in the way in which he has
been proceeded against, without warn
ing and without notice. he would hale
before the courts of this State the
best citizens of his city.
And he would have to he careful in
his work. or he might bring in in his.
drag-net some visiting strangers OF re-
nown who happened to be enjoying the
hospitality Of his town at that time 1t
is swee ping thing. How easy il is, NV
friends, To look solemn and say the iaW
should be enforeed-the law should be
| enforced,--it ought to he. II you had
| the Sheriff OF Kennebec here before you
tonight and the prosecution off red evil
dencc That The sheriff had knowledge
that there We're certain places in this
town where members of the Legisla-
ture, either by invitation or otherwise
could participate for Il little While in
maintaining d liquor nuisance, would
yoa have the heart 10 remove him
How many of you could do it? Ee
honest with yourselves my friends.
| Sometime or other the whole State Of
Maine will take this matter up, free
from can't, free from hypocrisy. in a de-
cent. honest, manly way. If there was
shown against John Ballou one parti-
Gle of dishonesty, one suspicion of DIS
honesty, | should be Ioath to make for
him the argument that | am making
nov. and if proof Of dishonesty was
shown | should expect you to vote
UNANIMOUSLY for his removal. Nc evil
| denec of INSTRUMENTATION, no evil
ldenee OF any wrong doing in any way
| whatsoever. except that he las given
over tue administration OF that part of
his duty to liquor deputies instead IF
| doing it himself.
1t came in evidence that he did not
| swear out warrants. Why. some oi yoli
are familiar with the shefiff's office of
| Maine. DO lou know n sheriff of Maine
Who sWears out warrants? Do you
think the business of The high sheriff Is
| down to where he goes about from
place To place. peekine in the doors II
rum shers, booking through the keyhole
in houses Of illfame and trying to get a
chance to swear out Il warrant against
| somebody.
| oh, | remember when | WAS 4 little
fellow the first high sherin / ever
| saw He looked bigger to me than the
| Emperor of Germany would look now.
/
the office of high sheriff was given to
| big men. Great men held i. They Mere
| the leaders in the counties, and ynu
| held that kino of sherifis in until yea
kept pressing statute after statute up
en- them. making o: them nothing, if
| they followed the letter at the law, but
liquor spoilers, like some of the gem
tlemen here who bring evidence against
them.
Most of that generation of old shcr-
ifs have passed away. You have got
one left. sheriff of the old days, Il
sheriff eff the bygone times. man
WHO has come down to us from another
genera ton, who has enjoyed the friend
ship of the great in Maine. ana not
been puffed up by il. Who has been the
friend of the humble in Maine. and not
!, | been lowered ny 1t, man who has
livee with the best and done good to
the worst: II man Who after thirty six
years of official life is forced in his old
age to keep on performing the duties OF
sheriff OF Sasadahoe, with dignity and
1 care and such energy as he possesses
in order that he may take care of him.
| SELF and his wife in their old age; a
man who in these days of graft and
crookedness, in these days when 1t is
| almost prima faeie evidence that there
is something wrong about a man If ha
mixes up in public life at all, who aft
err that long oflio ial life with all thc
opportunities that came to him III his
office. in Il County where there is SEINE
latitude in the administration OF the
law, is poorer today than when as \
Young man he first assumed the burd-
ems of office. And You are asked 10 ie-
move HIM You are asked to remove
him and put the stamp of yoar disap-
prevail upon honesty, OF. manliness, on
candor on fralkness, in order for
what In order that when he goes out
by some hook or crook, some Wilbu,
Oliver, or creature Of that stamp may
be picked out to take charge of the
sferiffs office IN the County OF Saga
dahoc; some man who when he speaks
of the wickedness OF his city. his home
| city, rolls ii over il his mouth as a
choice morsel: man who delights tn
come into the public print, ana who
| when he finds something going wrong,
or that he thinks is geing wrong, in
+, stead of going to the officers end tell
/, ;ng them where the trouble lies, in
/
| man whom he had known from boy
| hood as AN honest, square, manly man.
land saying to him Mr.. Ballou, there
| are things going on in this town that
You ought to know abe ut,--I want to
tell you about them and have you
straighten them out'-instead OF that
| goes into the public print and spreads
| broad cast over Maine the statements
! that were read here today, grossly ex-
| acgerated and uttered by him purely
/ and solely in an effort to gain votes III
| one Of those despicable political cam
| paigns to which we are becoming too
| we'll accustomed.
| That is the only sort of a fellow you
could get to take the place made vacant
by the action of this Legislature. or our
i Governor in displacing such man as
John Ballou. No honest man in Sagada-
F., hoe would take his place. No honest
man in Sagadahoc of either party wants
his place, until the Kind Master calls
i, him home, and when that time comes /
would rather lie down i'll my last sleep
with John Ballou's record, knowing him
4, as | have. than to take my chances with