Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-13

~AS "AACu every Iu6u mas q moral COu"
v1cton. If had my way would have
an Australian ballot here where each
man could go into a booth and mark
| his ballot for every officer and then
come out and deposit it in that box,
and II he believed the Democratic can
didate would make a better officer
than the Republican he would have a
chance to vote for the Democrat, and
II he believed the Progressive ticket
was the best ticket there then he, re-
CARELESS OF party affiliations, could
vote that ticket untramelled and I'M
| hampered, no matter to what party a
| man may belong. or for what officer
he may be voting. We have taken our
oaths to carry out our duties here.
| and believe it is wrong and unjust
to put any man under suspicion and
| have 1t go out all over our State that
| this body has not independence and
| manhood enough to stand behind their
| legal rights and vote as they have the
| right to do.
Gentlemen. do not believe this motion
should pass.I trust that every man, re-
gardess OF his party or his affiliations
| Will stand up and assert his rights. We
! are not resorting to ward caucus politics;
we are the great State of Maine doing
| business with all the dignity that should
surround US, and doing it openly, hon.
estly and fairly. There is plenty Of law
| upon this subject to show that this thing
Is not only unworthy OF moral support
but 1t is illegal. And the gentleman
from South Portland (Mr. Sanborn)
has the law. and I yield to him if he
desires to speak at this time. (Applause.)
Mr.. SANBORN Of South Portland:
| Mr.. Chairman. I sincerely regret the
situation which seems to make a dis
cussion of the motion necessary. I, at
this time, fully recognize my own in
| ability to discuss it intelligently or in
manner that shall enlighten this body.
but the peculiar conditions surrounding US
seem to make it desirable that some
| statement should be made in support of
the views Of those who oppose the motion
which is now before the convention;
and, gentlemen. it may seem necessary to
discuss it at some length. l will en-
deaVor, however, not to trespass upon
your time further than seems fairly war
ranted by the nature and seriousness of
the question. and before entering upon
a discussion Of the matter. I want GER
tainly to make perfectly plain to you
the standpoint. the viewpoint from
which, I approach the matter
branch OF the government of the State
Of Maine. one Of the three independent
| branches, each accountable only to it
! self, constitutional body. and We ought
! always to keep in mind that We are
such body; We ought not to forget
that we rank with the executive and
with the judicial, and We ought always,
II we have due regard to the obliga-
| ton of our oaths which We have taken.
| 10 approach the discharge OF our duties
in the same spirit which we expect and
demand and invariably receive from our
Supreme Court 1t has been a matter Of
great humiliation to me personally, and
to many of US who have viewed the
situation as / do, that legislatures in
times past have forgotten that fact, par
ticularly the legislature Of two years ago
when they descended from the pedestal
on which the constitution had placed
them and resorted to practices and passed
votes which were the subject OF criti-
cism from a source which, it seems to
me, ought to make ii plain to US that
We need a reform.
That eX-1urlSt than whom no man in
Maine stands higher in the esteem of the
people as regards knowledge of law and
his motives, that a man who has been so
sienal!y honored not only in our State but
by the great university in Connecticut
having been called there to lectureship-
il you take the trouble to read his Storr' S
Lectures as they have been published
and are now being read not only by the
legal fraternity but very widely by lay
readers. You Will find there not from the
standpoint Of partisanship nut from the
standpoint OF the law itself the criticisms
OF the acts OF legislatures over this coun-
Try as he has noted them, and among
them he has taken occasion to cite in
stances from our own body. wherein
for partisan purposes we have adopted
methods which were not contempla ted by
the constitution and which were in d.
rect violation of our oaths of Office.
Now, remembering that the responsible
ity is placed upon Us. and remembering.
too. that We are the sole judges of our
own conduct. what higher guaranty should
the people Of the State have that we will
perform our duties in the light OF this
situation?
l feel strongly. gentlemen, that we
should not approach this question from,
| the standpoint of the present issue. bu,
from the standpoint of our duty as legis-
lators charged with the task of perform.
ing our work in accordance with the pro.
visions Of the constitution and laws OF
our State. The action that We take here
Will be judged by the people of the State
and the respect Of the people of the State
Il don't mean the respect which the
people may have for the honorable sen.
ator from Lincoln (Mr. Boynton) or for
| this or that representative. but 1 mean
the respect which the people of the State
shall have for this body as body which
can be trusted to perform its duties
that respect il OF far more vital i'm
portance to US than the mere question OF
what candidate for Office shall be elected
or what party or faction shall win a
temporary and passing triumph.
| Now, having attempted to explain the
standpoint from which I approach the
discussion won't object to the umita-
tons imposed upon me, TO make clear, if
| possible. to you just what as I appre.
bend 1t, is the legal situation before US
The constitution provides in article five,
section two. as follows: THE council.