Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-13

committee of this body to investigate
bers. and ! deem that it is the duty
Of this committee, after they have at
tended TO the duties which belong to
il, to report back for tho adyiscment
of this body their findings upon such
things as have been brought to their
attention. 1t is my purpose at this
time TO simply lay before the MEM
bcrs of this Senate the facts, 50 far
rs recall them, and very briefly the
conclusions which the committee
drew from those facts. for the pur-
pose of advising you as to what
transplred in the matter Of the In
vestigation Of the election which
this committee has had under adj
visement. want at this time simply
to transmit. If | may, the findings or
the acts that transpircd before the
committee on elections. This morn
ing this Senate is sitting as a COM
mittee Of the whole to accept or re-
ject first the committee report, but
moro than that to determine for
themselves not merely the rights Of
the parties that are interested by the
committee report. but that this Sen
ate shall determine those rights upon
the evidence that is presented to
them and this committee is the
means or instrument provided by
custom for that purpose.
Now, Senators, | think it is pccu-
liar in this. fl,at .af
this late day in the sesSion-and
many Of us hope that VIC have
reached the halfway mark in tho
session that VIC should just at this
time hc considering this matter. I per-
>onall% believe. and | think that you
will agree with me. that matters Of
this kind should he taken care of as
rXpeditiOusly as possible. Every man
who appears here in obedience TO the
summons OF the Governor and par
ticipates in the organization of this
Senate should know forthwith wheth-
er or no his rights to sit and remain
here are questioned. and if they are
he should have at the earliest pos
siblc moment complete vindication
or il should lie made known to him
that this body considers that he has
no further rights here. But this seems
to bc an excuse possibly for some
delay in arriving at the point at
which we are today. The matter
which we are to consider has been
before the Courts of the State of
Maine, and this legislative committee
fo'nd Immediately upon starting their
i,,x- iry.,t
hearing upon the petition was as
signed, that certain ballots and other
evidence that the parties seemed cS-
Sential to proper presentation Of their
case were in the hands OF the Sl-
prrne Judicial Court in the county of
AndrCScogein. and they protested to
the committee that it would not be
fair to them for the committee to ask
III n t. proceed without some means
Of procuring this evidence. The COM
nlittcc acquiesced in that view and
to assist them asked the Supreme
Court if they would not provide for
the use of the committee such bal
lots and other evidence relating to
certain elections as were then in their
custody and possession.
1t took some few days in order to
get this matter properly before the
court. and after the court had ac-
coded to our request it was still a
few DAYS longer before this evidence
reached the secretary Of States Of
fec. Having accomplished this the
committee proceeded TO hearing at
which the parties appeared by cOun-
SCI upon either side, and the COM
nlittcc. realizing that perhaps it's full
duty in this matter was a careful
canvass of the entire vote that was
cast in Androscoggin county. or the
Fourth Senatorial District. urged up
on counsel for contestant and con-
tcstco the Importance OF agreeing. if
possible. upon so many Of those votes
as it. were possible to do-this with
the idea of cXpcditing the hearing.
lessening the labor Of the committee,
and of arriving at the true conclu-
sion.
nd | want to say here. fellow Sen
ators. that counsel upon the one side
and the other very chccrfully grant
cd the request Of the committee in
this respect and spent a great deal
of time and great deal Of hard
work upon the matter Of wasting
the returns and the ballots in this
Fourth Senatorial District. So that
after this had been accomplished they
were able to come back and report
TO the committee that they had
agreed that in all of the county of