Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-01


We should set ourselves up higher than
the judges who heard this case and
say we should not pay man what
rightfully belongs to him.
We have other cases in point: State V.
Robinson, 40 Maine, 2S5, decided in 1862.
State V. Blackwell, Is Maine, 556, in
1876. State V. Intoxicating Liquors, 50
Maine. 524. in 1875
If the law was not right, they have
made it right since then, and the man
could not do as he did now, but at that
time they have not tinkered the Maine
law enough. They have not at the pres
ent day. They are still tinkering it, and
| expect that as long as it is on the
statute books they will tinker it, from
now until eternity.
The SPEAKER: The Chair wishes
to lay before the House, to make it
perhaps clearer, the two reports Ma
jority Report and Minority Report, the
former signed by Messrs. Packard,
Snow. Googin, Chick, Rounds, Clifford
and Mellon. the latter signed by
Messrs. Frost and c. NJ. Holt, and the
question is on the adoption of the ma
jority report
Mr.. LONGLEY of Sidney: Mr..
Speaker, as was we'll stated here, there
is but a small amount of first hand
knowledge; but L am one Of the first
hand fellows that was in Augusta
nearly every day when this Mike Burns
affair was going on. I probably know
as much about it as any man here be-
cause l know all the stages of the
game and more than that l was the
only man that appeared before the
committee against this claim Of Mi
chael Burns and I want to say right
here and put myself on record that 1
did appear against that claim and
am here this morning to fight against
1t and l will show you why. Should I
go into the liquor business in the
state of Maine in the conditions as
they now exist l would take my own
chances. Michael Burns came into a
prohlb1tlon state and started in SELL
ing rum. Nobody denies that he did
sell It, He sold 1t in original package
and he got by and the court to some
extent let him by. Now l won't go on.
however. gentlemen. and tell you what
evaporated that liquor. I am very glad
to say that I did not get any of il. but
l think some of it did evaporate.
think 1t did. I think quite a lot OF II
evaporated somewhere in the city of
augusta. l do not question that at all.
NOW Mr.. Burns comes up at this late
day. and he asks the State of Maine
to reimburse him. Gentlemen. what
will be the result? Suppose you reim-
burse Michael Burns, You have got
hundreds Of just such cases in the
State of Maine that will come I'D at
once. 1 tell you. gentlemen, you are
going to be in pretty deep water IL YOU
reimburse Michael Burns. Today public
sentiment Is further along, l am glad
to say than it was in 1886 and 'S7 when
this thing occurred. I can remember
that very clearly of course Public
sentiment is in a different state and
we are all very glad 1t is. II 1t had
not been in different state, gentlemen,
you could not have elected this House
OF Representatives.; l can tell you that
now. This House of Representatives
could never have been elected with the
conditions that existed In those DAYS:
you would not have been here. Radical
temperance men did not get any Jobs
then; we know that. But public senti-
ment we are glad to say. is changing.
1t has been done carefully and correct
ly and today the State Of Maine stands
for something more than it did when
Michael Burns was selling rum in
Maine. The court stands for more than
1t did then, 1 will tell you that, and II
will take smarter men to get by today
than 1T did in 1886 and 81. We are glad
1t is so. Now, gentlemen. as a men,
Der of the House Of Representatives 1
shall protest against and fight this
thing to the bitter end.
The SPEAKER: The question is on
the motion Of the gentleman from Port
land, Mr.. Rounds, that the House ac-
cept the majority report
viva voce vote being doubted.
Mr.. Rounds called for the yeas and
nays.
Twenty-eigbt members having arisen.
being less than one-nfth Of those pres
ent. the yeas and nays were not ordered,
The pending question being on the
acceptance of either report,
On motion by Mr. Long.ey of Sidney.
that the minority report Ought not to
pass" be accepted.
A viva voce vote being taken,
Inc motion was agreed to and the re-
port was read and accepted and sent I'D
for concurrence.
The SPEAKER: The Chair lays before
the House, House Document No. 1852, bill,
An Act to permit savings banks to in
vest in certain railroad bonds. The pend
ing question is the passage to be en-
crossed. The gentleman from Mechanic
Falls, Mr.. Purington.