Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10
IA Republican State Convention the Biggest Ever

laws in all states of the Union, wher-
ever questions of public service mat
ters come before the court, and we
need the best minds we can have.
Now | would like to argue gentle
men. how YOU would like to submit a
priyate question to the Legislature of
Maine to be settled. How would you
like the question of horse trade be-
tween John Peters and myself to ISL
members of the House and 81 members
of The Senate to find out whether
cheated John in a horse trade or not.
What kind of a proposition would that
be?
Il don't know whether my friend
Jim Withee is here or not. He was
mere this morning after so years. He
was here 50 years ago at a Republic
can convention, and Jim knows all
about a horse He will stand up and
tell you that it isn't sense to submit
the trial of a horse case to the Maine
Legislature because he has been a
member Of it.
Now then, if you wouldn't submit
a horse case, If you wouldn't submit
any question of a matter pertaining
TO civil or property rights to a Legis-
lature of 151 members of the House
and 81 members of the Senate to fix
the price of a horse or the damages
for cheating on a horse trade or any
other civil or property right how
will you submit a property right to
mob as you might say. so far as the
judicial determination of the question
is concerned as to what water COM
pany shall charge, or an electric light
company, or what a man shall pay
for a mileage book?
THE last Maine Legislature consid
cred that whole question and it has
been considered in this whole country
and IS in harmony with the most en-
lightened measures and modelled aft
er the pattern of Wisconsin. We pass
ed a bill which provided for this
couru which should settle property
rights between the different owners,
the corporations and the other citi-
zens in this State. That is what this
public service bill means. The peo
pie don't understand its scope. They
don't understand that every man has
a right to go and find out Just what
he shall pay, that the man who stands
Eeiliilu IHe WIlluOW GditiiOl liiAIJbot u epIl
him, he is simply in a position of au
thority. That is what public service
commission means to the State of
Maine, and if there was ever a vital
question to the people of the State, IL
there ever was a time when they
should go and do their duty and have
this law adopted, it is now
1--WE have one other great question,
and that is the question of the man
who works and who may be injured
and killed and whose family may be
left in destitute circumstances. Twen-
ty-three states in this Union have
passed workmen's compensation acts.
Last year our Legislature took hold
of this problem and they worked in
dustriously They had the advice and
assistance of the best minds in the
State ard out of the State. They had
all the bills of the other states. The
proposition is simply to insure the in
dustrial life of the State of Maine SO
that when a man is injured instead
ef having to bring suit his injury shall
be met with compensation just and
fair and also the business shall bear
the burdens.
Now, gentlemen, these are two great
questions before you. We have many
others. Your state is in splendid con-
dition. We have now new enterprise,
new hope The Maine development
theory is with us. Every town is be-
ginning to have confidence in itself.
We have 233, 0o0 depesitors in our saw
ings banks. They have nearly one hun
bred million dollars deposits, over half
Of it expended in other states. We are
trying to keep this money in the fu
ture in the development OF our State.
n is the Republicans who do the bust
ness in this state who are interested
in that movement
Il want 20 ask you just one more
question, what is the use in doing 1t
if property rights of the corporations
or the laborers rights for hard work
are not properly protected by law.
I'VE have another great question, the
great good roads movement. We have
a new good roads law, bipartisan.
nom partisan, passed as a non-parti-
san measure, the work OF the entire
Legislature, and nobody has ever crit
icized it until the Democratic news
make capital against Governor Haines.
1t is a system as old as Rome itself.
Practically the old Roman system
adopted by France, Germany and Eng
land, just as good today as il was
then. 1t lays out roads through the
principal parts of the State in every
direction and then there is another
system of State aid roads interlocking
with 1t and these roads will be very
great financial assistance for ali. Why
make these roads. why issue two mill
lions of bonds. why make double
tax upon the automobilists, why turn
over 100000 this year to the towns for
State aid roads, why in every way
special appropriation aid the
whole people of the State, if after we
have done it all we are to settle back
to the question of whiskey and resub-
mission?
Remember we don't want roads to
haul rum over. We are developing this
State for an honest purpose to de-
Velop the honest industries in this
State and l know that the campaign
of 1927 see 1t now-I see it in your
eyes-I see 1t wherever | go-that you
are going to be more alive, that the
business men are going to become