Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-15

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and be fair about the thing and let ev-
eryone have a chance to see what IL Is
you are going to vote on.
Mr.. BARNES of Houlton: Mr.. Speak
er. if we only had time, we should get
the opinion of the entire Democratic
party so far as it is represented IN this
Legislature.
Mr.. MURRAY OF Bangor: That is
| what we want
Mr.. BARNES: Continuing We have
had the fair. straight and honest state
ment of member of the Democratic
party, whom we are beginning to respect
highly that the Democratic party is in
favor of it. We have his statement for
it that some Democrats are trying to
knife it in the back. We have the state
ment of another Democrat, whom | re-
spect that he does not dare to vote on
it on the 21st day of February and
meet his wife on the next day when
she comes down here to the Governors
reception. daughter and APPLAUSE. !
sympathize with the gentleman from
Waterville (Mr. Berry, and after what
we have been listening to for the past
hour, does it not occur TO the gentlemen
of this House that we nave business
to attend to at this session! After sit
ting here for seven weeks, does it oc-
cur to any member of the House that
we have been exercising undue haste?
We have before us a program only in
part formulated; we have an earnest
desire to get back to our homes and our
businesses the first weeks IN April and
we are asked now to delay Tor two
weeks in a consideration of this mat
ter which. might say, nearly the
whole program of the Legislature or
Maine, has awaited this announcement
of the Budget or this report OF our d.
rectors as to our resources, coupled
with recommendations as to our eXpen-
ditures Now il SO few are in favor of
woman suffrage. what is the harm in
referring the matter? If so verv fAw
in Maine wilt vote for woman suffrage
why do we delay now and take up days
of time when that question is to be re-
ferrcd to the people of Maine either this
year or next wear or some year in the
very near future. With view that we
may aid the business of the session. l
sincerely hope that the second reading
of this bill by its title by the clerk can
be allowed to take place tomorrow, even
though some one or two of us may. for
our own private business reasons. have
to be absent and neglect that very inn
portant function. If we delay two weeks
on this step and two weeks on the
next step and two weeks a little later,
the arguments will be just as good for
it then as they are now. Gentlemen. |
appeal to you. Let us now, in the lat
ter part of the seventh week Of this
session Of the Legislature, get down to
business
Mr.. GURNEY of Portland: Mr.. Speak
err l am sure that Representative Muir
ray does not address to unkind or I'M
willing ears his disposition and desire
to postpone this matter for court en-
gagements. | am confident. also, that /
am giving the gentleman no informa-
ton in which all the lawyers of the
House will not bear me out. when I say
that the Supreme Court OF Maine makes
it an invarahle rule to continue
any cases pending for trial upon a
request hy any member in actual at
tendance at the I.egisla ture Now. if
Representative Murray has so import
ant an engagement it seems to me that
mere message to Mr.. Justice King.
who is holding that court would re-
suit in the treatment that | received
from a letter to him urging my attend
cause pending in that court should be
continued. | merely mention this as
showing the precedent. for Justice
King wrote back Immediately that the
ground for a continuance was accept
able to him and Immediately postponed
the case. | am confident, therefore, that
we shall be denying to Mr.. Murray no
right. nor infringing in any way upon
Inf ~,
t with this very important question, and
| | am confident that even he will admit
' the justice of proceeding along as
quickly as we can with so important
a measure, while forcing to the front
. lines are some of the most weighty
: problems that the State of Maine has
t ever been called upon to deal with. |
sincerely hope we shall take the next
i. step tomorrow
, The SPEAKER: The Chair wishes
to call attention to a point of parla-
mentary law that a motion to post
, pone to day certain, while debatable.
does no involve the merits of the main
question. We are not here to discuss
woman suffrage today but simply to
assign time for the second reading of
the resolve.
: Speaker, may | make an inquiry? Do
| understand YOU are passing upon the
, second reading of the bill and not the
assignment of the time?
The SPEAKER: We are passing
, upon the assignment of the time for
the second reading. The pending mo-
ton is the motion Of the gentleman
from Portland, Mr.. Allan, as amended
, by the gentleman from Portland, Mr..
Baxter. that this resolve have its sec
ond reading tomorrow morning.
Mr.. BERRY: And does not carry
with it the assignment for debate?
The SPEAKER: The motion to
postpone to a day certain is debatable,
and the gentleman has the floor to de-
bate that question.
Mr.. BERRY: Mr.. Speaker am eX-
tremely sorry that the words Demo
cratic friends" and Democrats have
been dragged into this | think that We
are all aware that we are here for the
best interests of the state and that we
are here for the purpose of enacting
just and equitable laws. ] am aware
that there are some of us in this House
of Republican nerSuaSiOn and some of