Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-05


ly and squarely and honestly with the
people. and by representing things as
they were. In am very much interested
in the welfare of the city of Bangor to-
day, and in it's future, as my interest
and business is conferred there. 1t was
said in this Senate when this matter was
before US last Wednesday. that there
were more people in Bangor in favor of
this charter today than there were when
it was voted on in 1914. If this is true
why are the proponents of this bill OPP
posed to a referendum? l cannot under
stand why. 1t was also said that the
owners of the Bangor Electric Light &
Power Company had Influenced people in
this matter. Now, fellow senators, I am
not influenced by any corporation or by
any of the people of Bangor and l want
1t so understood. l hope that the sena-
tors can see their way clear to vote to
have this amendment adopted.
Mr.. DUNTON: Mr.. President, 1 wish
to aid anybody that can. 1 will also
advertise the gentleman's business. be-
lieve he has very successful business
there. But l hold In my hand list of
more than 400 names, and many of
those names are of men right on his
street, one an ex-mayor. including some
Of the wholesale and retail business men,
perhaps in the same line. They have seen
this petition and they have signed it, and
they have had this referendum within 10
months; and the difference between these
business men on that street and this gen.
tleman from Waldo is that they live there
and vote there.
claim there hasn't been one particle
of evidence shown by anybody, with the
exception of four discredted Democrats,
ward heller, and a political boss, men
whom the party has repudiated and
whom the Republican party refuses to
have. Iaughter). That is the only evil
dence that came to us here that there
was a decreased demand for this charter,
and l tell you that l know and l think
we have produced evidence to show that
there is a growth all the time toward it.
He says he wonders why not? / will
tell him why not. There are two poIit-
ical newspapers In Bangor, privately
owned, selfishly used. and they were
both opposed to us, and we had to fight
this charter out by public subscriptions,
and We had to appeal to everybody to do
something. The laboring men would
come in and devote their little amount to
help, and it has cost thousands of dol
lars to carry Statewide referendum,
which took place in 1913, and the gen.
tleman wants to force that down us
again. We had rather have a Statewide
referendum, and although nobody has
threatened 1t except the owner of one
OF these newspapers. I venture to saw he
is just as scarce with his dollars, al
though he has his millions, as 1 am with
mine. He is only human and 1 don't be-
lieve he will do It,
The gentleman comes in and says he
mas peen told that 1t is unconstitutional.
That matter was threshed out in the
committee, and two lawyers from this
Legislature were on the committee, and
they both declared that after the amend
ment which we allowed and accepted was
taken out. there wasn't anything of that
kind in 1t at all.
All we ask you. gentlemen, is to allow
that referendum that we had to go. 1t
Is too late for the gentleman from Wal
DO to tell US what we shall do, or to in
sist We shall do a certain thing after we
have done it at a cost of thousands and
thousands of dollars.
We are not afraid Of the result. We
are afraid of the cost, and the effort. and
the work If we have to do it again.
snail myself present a petition to the
gentleman and see how nue.. he will
give toward helping the campaign along.
ask in justice that he have a chance
TO improve our condition Haven't we a
right to come down with a solid Penob
scot delegation-and / say solid, and it
was solid until a week ago last Tues
day. every man on it-and 1 don't wish
to discuss that. because there has been
put one change since.
There couldn't have been a man elected
IN Bangor unless he was committed to
this. IN either party. and l will tell Won
now that the party that defeats this
measure-and it is liable to be defeated
when 1t gets back to the House, because
they dread this expense-I wouldn't want
10 attack this if l had any political as
pirations or love for the people.
Gentlemen. l appeal to you again to
vote to let us have this charter, which
Is nobody's business but ours.
MIR. SCAMMON Of Hancock: Mr. Presi-
dent. am extremely sorry that in the
last hour or two. as 1 apprehended, of
the Senate's doings that a matter of
general discussion should come up. T
supposed that this matter was decided.
1 first want to call your attention to
two or three things pertinent to the oues-
ton. This matter Of whether the peo-
pie OF Bangor want or do not want this
is largely matter of personal opinion,
and possibly of prejudice. 1 have been
doing some business in Bangor for years,
have met the people and from my stand
point they do want this by large ma
jority.
I want to call your attention to the
class of people asking for this charter,
some one hundred and fifty magnificent
specimens of humanity. young men, the
men who are doing something for Ban
gor, and want to do more il they can
do it under favorable circumstances.
They appeared before the committee.
They were heads of departments. travel