Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-02

of which we are proud. The san
itariums for the sick and suffering and
the great charities Of the State have
grown up and become splendid lnstl-
tutions, Of which we are proud. Dur
ing that time the University of Maine
was taken over from a little school
which was a by-word Of reproach In
the State and became a great, magnln-
cent State institution of which we are
proud.
The Normal schools and academies
have grown wonderfully, and the
amount spent for education is some
thing marvellous. And then we have
taken this old State House, to which
I came on my first term, one OF the
most rickety, miserable affairs, not
fireproof, not healthy, not comfortable
a disgrace to the State, and we have
made it the magnificent structure
that it is.
Not only that, but during my term
of office we have seen wonderful i'm
provements in the laws Of the State
In the matter Of taxation we have
made wonderful progress. The State
has discovered how to get a revenue
from those great interests and corpor-
ations that had avoided giving the
State anything in return for theil
privileges. The taxation laws have
been wonderfully and gradually i'm
proved, until today from its immense
revenues the State is able to do a
great work.
Iaf~ 1,~, N,,1,
where labor has been given an equa
chance. almost, with capital in the
fight for existence. The Employers Ii.
ability Act, the trustee process, the
repeal Of the law Of fellow servant
the 54-hour law which we have pass.
ed this session. the Workmen's Com
pensation Act, which mas gone to the
Governor today.
And then the great measure Of al
measures, the Public Utilities Com.
mission, regulating the great public.
service corporations for the people
one of the greatest victories during
that eight years. can speak no long
err upon this. Those are the wonderful
successes which l have witnessed ant
of which l have been a part.
l do feel also that during that SANE
time there have been failures. In tn,
first Legislature, one of the creates
fights in the history Of the State wa,
the fight to get two-thirds of boil
houses to submit to the people of tn,
State a constitutional amendment Civ.
ing the Governor authority and pow
er to remove SheriffS who did not d.
their duty, without calling together
the Legislature. We have never beer
able to get it then or since; that wa
one Of the failures.
In the first Legislature I stood fo
the Massachusetts BALTIC. which ha
been gaining every year, slowly bu
surely gaining in this Legislature, un
til by only a very few votes we faile(
at this session.
In the first Legislature I stood To-
woman's suffrage, which has beef
gaining, gaining, gaining, but it ha
failed by just a few.
I don't know whether they are fail
ures or not. Where the vanguard
camps today the rear shall rest to
morrow. l have learned something i,
those years. 1t is a knowledge of tn
men of Maine. During that eight year
l have been in every town in Maine
L know the men of Maine. l have me
here at the Legislature men from al
parts or the State. I know the lobb,
OF Maine. They are grand fellows, a.
you all know, big-hearted, and tn
most of them are honest. l have mo
the politicians Of Maine, some of then
good fellows, and some of them pref
W small men. Sometimes, you know
when you first look upon certain men
you call them great and big in tn
State, and when you get up close t
them you find they arc small. little
insignificant. But you look on som
men that you don't know much about
and you will find you are wrong. an,
that they are big-hearted, great men
often you will find a fellow that don.
say much, but he is a worker, a digger
ne attends to his duties. he is honest
ne wont trade, and YOU grow to lik
him' People don't know much abou
hin' but he does great work for tn
people just the same You will fin,
horSe-traders; and you know what .
horse-trader is. he trades whether h,
makes a cent. just for the purpose O
trading. There are men in the Legis
lature, that whether they can get ;
cent or anything else out Of it, they will
trade just for the sake of trading. The,
generally enjoy themselves only for on
term. trying to kill measures just for tn
purpose of killing. They are one-term
ersi they never get back.
L have grown to understand and be
lleve that the best thing a man can ii,
for his constituents and for the peopI
at home is to stand by his party plat
form. II he gets nomination and cleo
ton Oil a certain party platform, an,
then goes TO the Legislature and goe
against his party, he has got his cleo
ton by false pretences. and is a traito
to his party. lie is one-termer. The,
never so back.
l have found out that the best thin,
the people can do is to send back tn
man who is honest and experienced
and keep him there The people max
mistake when they leave a man i,
just one term. when he has just learne,
to legislate: and Maine suffers from ii
That is all I want to say. I beliey,
in the future greatness of Maine. I be
lieve in doing our best to establish tn
great manufacturing industries of Maine
believe in it's railroad, in its publ
service corporations. and stand by them
believe in the development of Maine
and all her great resources believ
we should do the best we can to kee]
the cities and the country towns work
ing In unison. I believe we should do tn