Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-07
Maine LEGISLATURE
CONTINUED from Page Nine)

the land in them; and they would have
been yalueless anyway, the State itself
not having proper title.
He had paid $4,000 for a bundle of
deeds of no more value than white pa
per-
Then began his fight to have this
money returned-a fight prosecuted be-
fore one Legislature after another. un-
til the case has become. as famous
lawyer once stated and as Judge Wing
repeated with approval: "A blot upon
the escutcheon of the State"
I'm 1905, when the resolve for Mr..
Keyes was first presented" said Judge
Wing, ut was laughed at as the out
come of gold brick transaction. Then
the truth began, to be realized that it
was the State which had dealt in the
gold bricks-which was great deal
more discreditable to the State than to
Mr.. Keyes.
"In 1907. opponents of the resolve
said that the whole transaction had
been a gamble-and that Keyes, being
a gambler, should have no standing be-
fore a legislative tribunal. But once
again the truth began to be realized; if
Keyes had indeed been a gambler, the
State had sat upon the opposite side
of the table and played with loaded
dice.
"A viciously false statement, recent
" circulated, is that Reyes has sold
his claim to certain attorneys, and that
reimbursement will so, not to him but
to them. And only this morning our
representative from Auburn came to
me and said he understood that keycs
was dead. 1t is not any justice on the
part of the States case with which we
have to contend-it is these false and
subtly circulated rumors."
We'll" said Chairman Davies, IF he
isn't dead, it shouldn't be very difficult
to establish the fact'-whereupon even
Mr.. Reyes. who sat beside his coun-
sci, joined in the laughter which swept
over the chamber.
Summarizing his case, Judge Wing
repeated that the State had advertised
the land in question; how kcyes, then
hardly more than boy. working in
small bank, had seen one Of these ad-
vertisements; and how he came to
Maine, paying $4,000 for 316 deeds.
Examine these deeds,' said Judge
Wing, holding them out to the commit
tee. Examine them. and you won't find
one in the lot that hasn't been uproot-
ca and torn down and dragged out by
the supreme court of this State,
Il have not a dollars worth of per-
sonal interest in this case; but ] have
been interested in DeForost Kcyes
from the very first. | appear as his
attorney-true: but / also appear for
the honor of the State of Maine, and
/ want the exact facts-not rumors
and vicious falsehoods but the exact
facts-spread broadcast"
Then he had Mr.. keyes stand up.
Have YOU" he asked, sold your
claim against the State of Maine to
anybody"
Il have not" was the prompt re-
Spouse.
"You purchased the deeds as the re-
suit Of an advertisement sent out by
the State treasurer"
al did"
Your money has never been re-
turned?"
NO"
and YOU have been to every legis
lative session since 1905 and asked for
it?"
II have"
and paid your own expenses"
YES"
BY this time the committee room was
filled to overlooking. The spectators.
who included many women. next heard
a bit of impassioned oratory by Charles
J. Staples of Buffalo, who came here as
keyes' personal attorney.
Time and again" he declared, you've
heard the old story of DeForest Keyes
the story of how he lost his money by
| trusting the State of Maine. Is it not
| time for definite, straightforward So
luton of this very easy problem? For
- years Mr.. keyes has presented sim
pie truths-yet for Is years he has fail
ed to get simple justice. Is it not time
| for this great commonwealth to show
before the world that it means to be ON
| the square,"
! Mr.. Staples reviewed the case-such
as Judge Wing had done, but with more
oratorical Notwithstanding there
was no issue of either fact or law.
There is really nothing to seriously
| argue about" said he because it SIM
mers down to a question of just ordi-
nary honesty. ! have heard it said that
the State has a right to keep my clients
money; but let me call your attention
| to the distinction between the right to
keep it and the power to keep it
Maine has the power to defeat the
plain and simple ends of justice. Ger
many had the power to cross Belgium
but did it have the right? ] say to you.
with all the solemn earncstness OF
which | am capable. that no state III
the Union has ever taken and held the
money of a citizen. without right rea-
son, argument, or warrant of fact. as
I the State of Maine has taken and held
the money of Mr.. Keyes And I say that
the State of Maine has no right to long
er retain in its treasury the money that
was the patrimony of my client"
Nobody appeared in opposition.
Mercantile Affairs-lnsurance
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