Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-04-04

on Christmas morning waiting to see
what Santa has brought. uaughter.)
And the boys are just waiting to see
what Bill will do when he gets 1t.
Well. here it is-a watch-a slight token
We thought perhaps, as you gazed at
its face in future years, you would try
to remember ours. From the boys on
the floor to our pal in the Chair, Bill
Bonney, the Speaker.
cat this point, the House arose and
heartily applauced)
The SPEAKER: Con receiving the
watch) Well, this being a watch. it can
certainly be reminder, of the fact that
I have been able to call the session to
order on time every morning. l have
been able to call the boys to order on
time. although I have not always been
able to dismiss the House just as soon
as have wanted to, for that was up
to you. You have been so very nice to
me-you have been so good in every
way-you have made my work so pleas
anti is a little bit hard to wait un-
til the last week and have you do
something for me that makes it hard
for me to try tc operate. G.aughter)
have tried to be fair. I have tried
to exercise the duties Of this office ac-
cording to the principles of the square
deal-I have tried to do that 1 have
tried to be fair to the members of the
minority party. and I could not help it
anyway because there are so many very
good fellows in the bunch. have al
ways had belief that if you tried to
perform, your duties according to the
dictates Of the square deal, there was
something in the heart of every man
that would come back in exactly like
measure. and I have found that thing
proven right here this winter. AS say.
l have tried 10 perform my duty &C
cording to the principles of the square
deal and you have all come back at me
in exactly the same way, in every single
case. Every member on the floor has
had the most kindly regard for me. and
YOU have always tried to do the right
thing. l do not make any exceptions.
and I want to take this occasion to
correct misunderstanding as long as
we are on that subject.
There was slight newspaper refer
ence week ago Sunday to some things
in the House. and one man was singled
out. and it was mentioned that that
man sometimes liked to make the
Speaker look like the proverbial thirty
cents l want to say that that is not
true. I want to say that the candidate
for Speaker whom I had the honor to
defeat, has always been fair and courte-
Gus, fine and gentlemanly, and l refer to
Mr.. Baxter of Portland. (Applause) 1
am glad to pay that tribute to him right
here and now.
Now YOU give me this watch. made
out of gold, which is the standard Of
purity and of which our money is
made and typical, l think, of the
friendship which will always exist be
SWeen the members of this House and
myself. ] see "XII" on it. and ] sup
pose that is typical of the II weeks in
which we would have finished our bus
mess if we had not had the war scare
and had not been cluttered up with the
Budget little and things of that sort
The two hands. when | look at them,
indicate to me that there are $50 of you
members and l multiply them by two
and then by two again and again until
the two hands represent the hands Of
every individual member of this House
l wish that Il were capable of standing
here and thanking you and expressing my
appreciation as l should be. but l can
only say that / thank you. / have sail
all along that / would rather be Speaker
of the House than be Governor. l never
expect to be Governor. nor do l expect
ever to be Speaker again. But this is the
first thing that l ever got in my life that
it did not deserve so far as l know. Cap
plause.)
The SPEAKER: 1t is little hard now
to bring ourselves back to the prosac
order of business. The question before
the House is the motion of the gentleman
from Portland. Mr.. Baxter, that the
House adhere to its position in the adop-
ton of House Amendment A.
Cor debate see Legislative Record)