Oxford Democrat., 1914-09-08

the workmen's compensation bill, which
had been so recently the subject Of dis
cussion from this platform. 1t fell to
his lot as chairman of the judiciary to
appoint the subcommittee on the public
utilities bill. The workmen's compen-
sation bill he had himself introduced.
This bill was drawn by l.. B. Deasy,
who was afterward the first selection
made by Governor Haines for the public
utilities commission-the friend of the
labor interests, not the tool of the cor
porations. With some complimentary
references to Mr.. Hersey, with whom he
bad been associated in two legislatures,
he introduced that gentleman to the au.
dience.
Mr.. Hersey at the opening of his re-
marks referred to a handbill which was
distributed advertising the Progressive
meeting of Thursday evening, at which
Mr.. Wheeler spoke, and used for refer
ence the report of Mr.. Wheeler's address
in the Lewiston Journal and some manu-
script notes which had been furnished
him. he said In part:
indulge in no personalities. l have
nothing to say about any mans private
life or character. But candidates for
office must stand before the people on
the record of their political acts, and by
that they must stand or fall.
said at South Paris last Tuesday
that Wheeler was opposing the public
utilities bill. supposed he was. His
party are opposing it, their candidate
for governor is opposing 1t, their news
paper organ, the Lewiston Journal, is
opposing 1t, Mr.. Wheeler was q member
of the convention which adopted the
Progressive platform, and I have never
heard of his saying word in its favor in
this campaign.
The next morning after l spoke at
South Paris, Mr.. Wheeler came to see
me as was about leaving, and told me
that was speaking on misinformation,
and that be had not opposed the bill. l
told him during our conversation that
if he would at the meeting Thursday
evening favor the bill and advise the vot-
ers to vote for it, / would acknowledge
that he was in favor of it. | expected
him to advocate the bill at that meeting,
and was disappointed when he made
an attack upon it.
He says l accused him of voting
against the workmen's compensation
bill. The record may be wrong, but it
shows that he did.
first met Wheeler in the legislature
of 1911, and liked him. he won fame In
his contest with Pattangall. In 1912 he
accepted the Republican nomination, did
valiant service on the stump, and was
elected as Republican. We said,
he'll stand against Psttangall. We
we're surprised when he said, I'm no
longer Republican, and repudiated the
party and the primary. Certain Demo-
cratic politicians went to him and said,
if you will deadlock the vote on United
States senator, the Democrats will turn
their votes to you and elect you. don't
believe they meant it, ! think they
would have tricked him. He voted for
Burleigh once, when he knew the vote
was deadlocked, and then changed his
vote. Is be a safe man to send to WASH
ington? Will he stand by his pledges?
he pleads guilty to voting with the
Democrats twice. he voted with them
at other times. He voted with them
" hen it was proposed to unseat Repub
licau members who we're postmasters,
for the purpose Of defeating Senator Bur.
leigh. During a considerable part of
the session, the Progressives acted with
the Democrats. The Republicans In the
accomplish nothing.
Mr.. Wheeler AYERS that he was sup
porting the workmen's compensation
bill. Where was he when the bill got
into the house? Did he rise to his feet
and open his mouth in its behalf? When
| it came to q vote he was recorded against
it. He says that the record is wrong;
that he asked to have his vote changed
so that be might move reconsidera-
ton. Perhaps the record Is wrong. Any
one who knows about legislative records
knows that if he made that request the
record should show it. There Is no
such thing in the record. have to
stand by the record.
Mr.. Wheeler and l worked together
for the public utilities bill. He made q
good speech for 1t in the house. The
Lewiston Journal said that Wheeler had
done great thing for the Progressive
party. Now Wheeler is silent, and the
platform of bis party is against the bill.
Did he tell you the other night to vote
for the bill9 He objects to the makeup
of the commission, and uses the same
language that Pattangall uses in oppos-
ing the bill. We made that bill for
three lawyers, and Wheeler knew that
the governor must appoint three lawyers
on it. The idea of trying to prejudice
voters against 1t because of corpora
tion lawyers! Any lawyer who does
any amount of business sometimes does
some for corporation.
Mr.. Hersey referred briefly to the 9TH
or candidates for congress, saying "You
won't catch Harold Sewall saying one
thing and doing another" and condemn.
ing McGillicuddy as having share Of
the responsibility for the depression In
business. No one who believes In the
principle of protection to our industries
can vote for McGillicuddy, he said. he
also spoke briefly of Haines and Curtis,
the two candidates for governor between
whom the choice must lie. he warmly
endorsed Governor Haines, and said that
It is absurd for Curtis, who as mayor OF
Portland has never madea move for en-
forcement of the liquor law, to allege
that the governor Is not enforcing the
law. His closing was an appeal to Pro-
gressives not to throw their votes away,
but to get into the one of the other two
parties in which they belong.