Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-25

we have not only the unbroken pre-
cedent of the past, but we have the
absolute precedent of this Legisla-
ture, and further than that we have
what I consider to be the highest au-
thority in this Legislature. the dis
tinguished-I am not going to, call
him venerable, as his friend did yes
terday, but the distinguished and
able gentleman from South Portland,
Mr.. Hinckley. who made the motion.
I consider him a high authority, and
I want to quote his remarks made
upon March 9th of this year. Now
it does not make any difference upon
/ which foot the shoe pinches. The
principles are just the same, and
speaking on the Auburn matter from
his place on the floor of this House.
on the 9th day of March, he said, and
1 quote, and that there may be no
mistake, if the members of this
House will take their Legislative
records and turn to Page 429, they
will see that the gentleman from
South Portland Mr.. Hinckley said:
1T makes very little difference to
the members of this House JUS what
form of government the city of Au-
burn operates under; it makes no
material difference to- me what form
of government the city of Auburn
operates Under; but it does make q
difference to me; and 1t does make q
difference to this legislature what
action they take upon this, matter
this morning, because l say to you.
&C. do, toll
osition, and il is for you members of
the legislature to say whether or not
the people of q community shall have
the right to determine just what their
form of government is, or whether
this legislature shall do it for them.
Now that is the question in a nut
she'll"
And in order that there may not
be any mistake in his position upon
the question, on page 431 of the
Legislative Record for that same
day he said:
yesterday. the judiciary commit
tee voted unanimously to allow the
citizens of Gardiner to vote on a
proposition whether or not they will
change their charter. and there are
two bills here, two different charters
before this Legislature for the city
of Portland; and l hope and believe
that the Legislature in its good judg-
ment will allow the citizens of Port
land to decide that matter Now
say to you, Mr.. Chairman. with all
due respect to my committee, that
we have not been consistent. There
IS no reason why q handful of men
should come down here from Gardi-
ner, a handful of men from Bangor,
handful of men from Portland,
with charter changes, and you send
it back to the people, and then 1900
come here from Auburn, 500 more
than the total vote that changed the
charter there four years ago, and
say to Auburn, you cannot vote on
it, it is not AmeriCaniSm. Now that
is the situation, gentlemen, in a nut
shell, and if you wish to so back on
this fundamental principle and do
for Bangor and do for Portland and
do for Gardiner, with practically no
evidence of how the people feel on
it in those cities, with the tremen-
dOus evidence of how they feel on
it in Auburn, then [ say that you are
inconsistent, unfair, and you are
workinsa contrary to the fundamen-
tai theories of this government, as /
understand them.
Mr.. Speaker and Gcntlcmc7 of the
House, I disagree emphatically with
the position of the gentleman who
has just preceded me, and | deny
! that support of the amendment Of
fered by the gentleman from Lewis
/ ton, Mr.. l.arrabee, is a reputation
of the action of the committee upon
which [ served. 1t is nothing of the
sort. That committee recommend
ed the passage of that bill, as they
had a right to do, and attached to
that proposition that it shall be
submitted to the voters of the towns
and cities affected, and that does
not in any way overturn or repu-
diatc the action of that committee,
unless that action ought to be over
turned and repudiated, because after
al this is still a government of, for
and by the people. (Applause.)
Mr.. HINCKLEY: Mr.. Speaker,
the remarks of the last gentleman
(Mr. Maher), have been very illumi-
mating and educational, particularly
that part of his remarks which were
read from the record. / enjoy a re-
view of the remarks made early in
March / felt very profoundly on
the matter at that time; l believed
| was right, but after making, as the
distinguished gentleman from Au-
gusta, has seen fit to tell you, a most
able argument, this Legislature in it's
wisdom said that l was wrong, that
] had made a mistake, and the prin-
ciplcs laid down by me were not the
principles that this Legislature be-
lieved were the correct ones; and
having the highest regard for the
wisdom of these men who have
been elected from the several towns
/ have given the matter very serious
consideration since that time, and
! haveb cen wondering since the Sth
day of March if perhaps the great
wisdom which I believed I had at
that time was not simply i'll my own
mind and was not real, and that the
Legislature was right and I was
wrong, and for that reason shall be
! very anxious to have this House vote
upon this question so that I will
know at this time whether or not
, during the last month they have
come to the conclusion that my wis
dom was great or whether or not
they still feel that they were right
and I was wrong. l shall await the
decision of the House with interest.