Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10

at Convention.
to. / will give them all to you IN the
campaign. AT least, l expect to.
I'VE always have in the State and
in the nation some important matters
in which the people are vitality con-
cerned. | have spoken of the temper
ence question, which appeals to the
State of Maine / don't think l need
to argue that before any audience in
the state of Maine | will leave my
acts during my administration and my
record as the only argument that l
will present to the people of Maine or
to you (applause).
II said one thing on this platform
during the last campaign, and | will
repeat it. 1t isn't a very nice thing
for a gentleman to say. | said then
that I didn't care a damn for the
whiskey power in the State of Maine,
and l say now that l don't care two
damns about it (applause).
I'VE have another great question
which | want you to take home with
YOU. It is a great question upon
which you as business men are charg-
ed with great responsibility. There is
nothing that is so troublesome in pub
lie affairs today as dissatisfaction and
discomfort. Our Democratic friends
and very seldom speak of them-but
their organization is honeycombed
with socialism. Discomfort and dis
satisfaction pervades their own ranks.
They have catered to all the mean in
stincts in human nature. Jealousy
envy and hatred are widespread among
them.
There is a different psychology
that runs through the minds of the
Republicans of the State and the ma
ton, that conservative, fair minded,
solid element of the community, both
business and laborIng men, which re-
quires that a dollar must be earned
before it can be possessed, unless you
steal it. They represent that element
in society which has always stood for
the protection of property as our con-
stitution declares the government was
formed for in requiring the protection
of property, In securing safety ana
happiness to the citizen, an dthe Re
publican party has followed the first
section of that charter all these years.
Now this great question is ques-
ton which has been dear to me
through my entire political life. In
1889 and 1891 / made a fight in the
Maine Senate, as you older men Will
remember, for the regulation of rates
and tariffs on the railroads of this
State. didn't win, the lobby was too
strong, but l talked so much and
made so much trouble that for the
81, in ms
promises and as soon as we got home
we had two cent mileage for the first
time as a result of my work, and |
want the younger men of my State and
the drummers who are going around
this State to know that you received
for the first time in this State a two
cent mileage book upon which you
have ridden since
Now we have tried over and over
again to get regulation. The great
corporations have grown. 1t is easy to
excite prejudice and jealousy and en-
Wy of the small and the weak against
the strong and the rich. The people
demand publicity. They demand to
know what the public service eompa-
MES are doing for them. They have
right TO know The public furnishes
the money through its savings institu-
tions to establish the railroads and
the other public service companies.
The men you see behind the windows
selling tickets, the men you see on
the train as engineers, firemen and
conductors. the men you see in the
different offices who are shaping the
policies of the railroads rarely own q
dollor in them. The public pays the
freight The public is on both sides.
Ncw the public cannot go as u pub
iic and investigate the books Of pub
lie service companies. You cannot in
vestigate the books of Il water com
pany in 2, town of 10000 people or OF
5000 people. You cannot find cut in that
way whether you are paying too
much for water or for electric lights.
Nor can the average citizen determine
whether or not bond issue or a stock
issue is proper.
I'm the last Legislature-to the cred
il Of that Legislature--we provided for
n Public Service Commission, and we
nave a public service commission and
our Democratic friends, many of them,
supported it, but it was referred
Though the work and effort of the
members Of the Democratic State COM
mittee OF this State to the people for
their approval or disapproval. That
is the great economic question for the
people in this coming campaign. 1t
needs explanation. The Democratic pa
pers tell you 1t is not in the interest
of economy, they tell you anything.
They don't give you the bill. You can't
find a line OF the bill that has been
published in any of the Democratic
papers of this State. The people ought
TO have ii and ought TO understand it,
II means the establishment Of a new
court. / have been criticized for APP
pointing three Of the best lawyers Of
this State as members Of that COM
mission but the bill was made on the
tt>>pry that II was creating a court. I
called for five commissioners. They
gave me but three. They said that the
bin provided for the employment Of
ell experts, that 1t was court to in
terpret laws, not only this law but all