Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-15

/ W. A.aay Drug ssor. VA
many have been paid. Even the Wit
nesses who have been here were MT
against The granting of the referendum
as most of them had signed petitions
praying for the same
; Who then are the remCnstrants and
from whence comes the urgent appeal
for this investigation?
AS again the eleven thousand six
hundred and sixty cdd petitioners ask
| ing for right to vote upon the pro-
posed one man commission. how many
and whom are those who oppose the
right Who had dared appeared in di
rect opposition to the granting of
referendum. Search the records, and
the answer is, no one appears except
the attorney for the State
With no one opposing after an the
agitation in this matter, will the Coy
crnCr of his own motion, being the
sole oeciding authority" rule that
petitions bearing the names of AS:
legal voters he cast into the discard,
simply on account Of technical errors
not of the petitioners, INNOCENT If
fraud and entirely blamcless. but
through the fault of clerks and through
entirely Innocent mistakes. If this be
the decision, than from the date ther"-
Of, from this State House will ring the
death knell of the referendum. Even
lille our sister State of Massachusetts
is placing the initiative and releren-
oum into the Constitution Of that
great Commonwealth, shall Maine con-
trary to all her grolious history
|, ,f
the people, serve notice that even
though on the face of the petitions
nearly .o)0 names appear. more than
the Constitution requires, there shall
be no referendum. because Of legal
techniCalities. Can YOU Justify YOUR
self III 50 doinc%
The judges of our supreme bench
have formulated certain rules which
YOU may follow in making ynnr de-
cision. 1t is safe 70 SAY THAI, IL View
If the light that has been cast upon
Various questions passed upon by cur
court that many of those rules might
G r.cdified and changed should this
matter again be passed upon by that
tribunal.
"At the time Of making itS decis-
lcn, the court did not III any way
seek to bind you u hard ana fast
rules, but rather put the decision
squarely up to the governor as to
whether there are 10000 legal names
signed tc the referendum PETITION. In
the absence of fraud Won Werr re-
quired to compare the names nn the
various city and town check lists.
which have been questioned. with the
rames upon re petitions ana 30 re-
fuse to count H''N and all names that
do not appear upon the check lists.
"No clerks CT justices. can amend
their certificate after lie ~ day
4 IL riOd fixed in the ConFtitutiaiA has
expired. Any and all attempts to- 20
do during this hearing cannot he re-
earded by YOU or considered as eli
dence.
Does it appear to yen that less
thar 10000 voters honestly. openly
end with good intent signed their
names to the petitionssnow under aon-
sidcration? List after list. petition af
ter petition has been examined. and
what was discovered. a few names
here and there that crepf into the pc
ttions by mistake and rot by fraud.
Less than POO names in all out Of H.
Goo signatures. Some could not be de-
oiphered, at this stage. others We're
citizens of Maine but lived in towns
other than the petitions showed. A
few by mistake signed two petitions.
A number We're legal voters but for
some reason their names were missing
"u the check lists. Eleven thousan /
four hundred and sixty names arc left
after deGucting these Now what is
the contention? With 1850 names
more than required we have to face
all the technicalities that trained law
yers can bring TO bear. 50 that the
names can be reduced to below the
REQUIRED number.
We have met this mass Of technicali-
ties as best we could, without notice of
what the State expected to prove. and
without 4 list of the names in ques-
ton, and in the preparation of this
argument. 7 have been hampered and
hindered by reason of not having the
full stenographic report Of all the evil
dence ir the case for which I repeated
IS made courteous demand but to no
avail. but | am willing now to submit
to you for final determination all the
L issues involved, expecting that as gov
ernor you will give the petitioners The
benefit of all doubts you may have as
to the various matters that have come
to vour attention.
should he loathe to believe that
|r3ry Governor will care to make deci-
sion that . referendum cannot be
granted owing to mistake, that in the
herea fter in order to get a referendum.
trained lawyers will have to be con-
suited by the petitioners and each
retiticrer must seek to qualify a. an
attorney if he dares 70 attempt to
rien such petitions. or his signature
on same will be Of no avail.
The constitutional rights of the peo-
rlo are not to be taken from them
lightly. The right of the people 70
vntition should be most jealousy