Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-05
THE nth MAINE LEGISLATURE
Stenographic Reports of the Sessions of Senate
And House of Representatives

advice of the attorney general Of the
State, and acknowledged that the leg
islative department had charge of its
own printing, and that the position
taken in the Senate was right. 1t was
said that everything would go on as
usual.
Now had it stopped there the Chair
would not have said 8 word this
morning: had that ended the matter.
But something else took place, and I
regret that the exigencies Of any de-
partment in this state require that
certain things should be done, bat
someone, l don't know who, outside
Of the Legislature was responsible
for 1T, and there was placed in the
hands Of the Senator from Lincoln,
Senator Boynton, who gave the Sem
ate certain extracts, so-called, through
interviews in the executive chamber
with the public binder, and the same
thing in the record of the House by
the gentleman from Houlton, (my
own town.. MIR. Pierce, to read and
they were simultaneously read In the
Senate and in the House, and those
extracts, unexplained, would have a
tendency to deceive the people and
put into the record of our Legislature,
that the President Of this Senate was
public printing Of this Legislature, and
not the executive department.
Now that may not be wrong in
the matter, which you know went
through the Legislature yesterday, I
want to read to you from the Water
vile Sentinel of today.
The order passed by the Council
relating TO- overtime on legislative
printing has been modified to con-
form better to the law and custom,
What causes most satisfaction, how
ever. is the fact that the official scalp
Of President Hersey, who was chiefly
responsible for the whole muss, is
nailed to the wall in the executive
department"
THE scalping of President Hersey
was done in cool, matter-o of fact way
by Senator Boynton, Democratic lead
err in the upper branch, this morning,
who. by unanimous consent of the
Senate, got into the official record
testimony showing that the State
binder had delayed the delivery Of
legislative printing at the request Of
President Hersey, thus making it plain
to the senators that all Of the force
OF the Presidents carefully prepared
statement might have been lost had
the printing not been interfered with
but allowed to go along in the reg
ular way"
I'm the House. Pierce Of Houlton
succeeded in having the Senate order
relating to the legislative printing ia
bled, principally on the ground that
there was no possible good that it
could do. He. too, quoted the interest
Ing testimony regarding President
Hersey's movements in the affair, thus
robbing the upper branch of much Of
the sympathy it might have secured
In the lower body in its clash with
the Executive Council"
And the same gentleman in the
House in his remarks quoted the tes-
timony Of Mr. Reid. and said: IF
there has been any delay you have the
testimony Of the State binder to the
effect that he was requested to hold it
UP by the President Of the Senate
(Applause)"
I came into this Legislature in 1909 and
have been here since then; this is my
Iourth term. 1 came here with Senator
Boynton OF Lincoln. I was drawn to
Senator Boynton by those things that
draw men together that stand for noble
things. I respect him and have always
respected him, and shall always respect
him for the sterling honesty of his char
acter and the grand way he has stood
for the State of Maine In the LEGISLATURE
1 nave been his friend; we have been
friends. and we have talked over political
matters. although Of different parties
and most of the time we have agreed
and when we have not agreed I know
that I have believed In his honesty and
integrity. I want to remain his friend,
and know he wants to remain my
friend. I know that Senator Boynton
would not he guilty of doing little
mean thing against any Senator. I be.
lteve that, and I do not believe in what
he did yesterday that he was conscious
that he was engaged by anybody else
to injure and humiliate the President of
the Senate or that by the use of these
garbled extracts. he would put the Presi-
dent Of the Senate in a wrong light be-
fore the people Of Maine. But he was
chosen by somebody to humiliate tine
President Of the Senate. and he did 1t.
think he regretted II, think he will
always regret 1t. but we are friends and
he is an honorable man
But that is not all. Somebody select.
ed the gentleman from Houiton, Mr..
Pierce. one Of the dearest friends I have
on earth and an honorable man, q boy
that saw grow up from the cradle. He
has lived beside me. and he would loose
his right hand before he would knowing
~ injure any man, or injure me. But he
was deceived, and garbled things were
put into his hands that through the gen.
tlenan from my own town. my dearest
friend. the President OF the Senate might
be crucifled >. go. -.
Now what was there to it? ALI there
was to it was this: That on last Mon
day the public binder came into the Office