Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-29
Mr.. TRACY ACCEPTED
THE GOVERNORS RE-
QUEST FOR MORE

QUEST FOR MORE
Governor Curtis answered the open
communication from n. B. Tracy of Au-
burn to him. published in Mondays
Lewiston Journal. In his letter the
Governor invited the Auburn man to re-
ply. Mr. Tracy accepts the invitation
and his answer follows:
To Editors of the Lewiston journal:
valuable paper In which to reply to Gov
Curtis as he has SO kindly requested me
to do.
Auburn. Sept. "a, 1915
To His Excellency. Oakley c. Curtis,
Governor Of Maine:
Hon. Sir.-Having read your kind reply
to my open letter Of the 18th, hasten to
reply to your favor published In the Jour.
nal and other papers of the State on
sept. rs, as you 90 courteously requested
and Tor WHICH please accept my thanks
for the confidence you placed in my abili-
ty to further enlighten you in regard to
your power to enforce the laws. I must
confess was grieved at, what seemed to
me. very weak excuse on your part for
not attempting to fulfill your oath Of
and honestly etrived to have the law en-
forced. why did not you ask and insist
upon the last Legislature making such
IN order 70 do Yann
ample chance to appeal to that body II
you so wished You then knew the situa-
ton. as we'll as at the present time. and
! think no one is to blame but yourself in
that direction.
! hope it is not your personal wish to
evade the law by Offering so many ex-
cuses on all points.
Possibly it may be your intentions to
carry out your belief as stated in public
before YOU were elected: THAT YOU
DID NOT BELIEVE IN PROHIBITION.
But DID BELIEVE IN LOCAL OP-
TON"
Now l should infer from this simply
that you believed in practically free rum
and not temperance. IL such Is the case,
it need be no surprise to the people If
you put forward weak excuses in favor
of publication of law.
If this be fact it grieves me sorely
that Governor Of our noble State
should throw his influence towards such
class of criminals who are striving to
the selfish gains from money squandered.
homes laid waste, life destroyed, and
every sacred thing dishonored
To enforce all laws costs money. but II
you wish to save money why not COM
pei the sheriffs and their deputies to do
their duty. THE PEOPLE ARE PAY
ING THEM TO DO THIS WORK. II
they enforced the law you could save this
obstruction to the performance of your
duty. If you honestly wish to see the
laws enforce you can compel the sherifs
and county attorneys to get on to their
and have them fined or imprisoned. and
their bonds forfeited to the State. If
you are sincere in this desire, order your
attorney general to proceed against them.
lie fn, lie t1nyN RI n
sion of the Legislature.
This you CAN DO, and you won't be
put in Jail for it. either
The expense of an extra session of the
Legislature would be but drop in the
bucket compared with the amount the
present reign of notification is costing
business men of our cities in the loss OF
trade, poor bills-in fact affecting all
seller. the gambling hells and brothels.
believe it has already cost the business
men of Lewiston and Auburn, also, over
100000 during the past year.
AS to your question of what per cent.
of the people would stand an assessment
to pay for an extra session of the Legis-
lature, l will say every Christian church
member and every law-abiding citizen
would gladly do so if the sale of rum
could be stopped. In regard to calling
out the militia, YOU say it would cost the
State s2,710.65 per day. AS to this pre-
sumo you are correct, as ! have not seen
Further you say that the constititlo1
would not allow you to draw money to
support the militia. that you would be
fined and sent to jail for issuing money
not provided by the LEGISLATURE.
That, in my opinion. is a poor excuse as
the law of necessity would govern such
a case. If an armed invasion of Maine
should come suddenly, J. suppose you
year from next winter to make the nee
essary appropriation to enable you to
maintain the militia to protect the peo-
pie, after the enemy had captured the
with your idea You also quote from Sec
ton II, article 5, part first of the consti-
tuition of Maine, which says: "He 1.-THE
GOVERNOR SHALL TAKE CARE THAT
ECUTED." You say there is consider
able doubt as to what this means. You
say 1t does not mean that you shall en-
force the law, but you shall sit and see
the law executed. ..u,s.
forcing thes tws you grind out reminds
me otsa young minister who preached a
long. Fe sermon one Sunday. After
naming his text he said he had forgotten
text was in, but it was in the New
Testament. After the sermon an older
and wiser preacher aceosted hin, him an, and
said IN s Bro you dS not SURE nnd d
replied the young divine. The elder one
said: Brother. you go home and you
will find your text in such book and
chapter of Josephus.' Now, your Ex-
cellency, if you will look in Webster 6
Dictionary you will find that the word
means practically ENFORCEMENT as
relates to the EXECUTIVE: Having the
quality of executing or performing; as,
executive power of authority, an eXecu-
tive office. Hence. in government. exec
utiye is used in DISTINCTION FROM
LEGISLATIVE and JUDICIAL. The
body that celebrates and enacts laws Is
legislative: the body that judges or ap-
plies the laws is the judicial; the body or
person who carries the laws into effect,
or superinte nds the ENFORCEMENT
of THEM is EXECUTIVE.
You will please note that execute
means enforcement!
trust you will now see your way to
command a thorough enforcement, in
stead of hunting for excuses. If you are
a man of backbone and not political
coward, you will do something to save
yourself and your party from utter de-
feat In 1916. do not wish to enter into
further controversy on this subject, but
as you invited me to reply ! have done
so out Of honor to the office you hold.
Thanking you again for your courtesy,
am,
Yours respectfully.
y. B. Tracy.
Another attempt was made early
Sunday. morning to burn the barn in