Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-16

tic Senator from Georgia, Mr.. Hoke
Smith, in his far-seeing wisdom in at
tempting to benefit the poor State of
Maine and the rest of the northern,
partially tax-paying states. stood
sponsor for this measure; and anoth-
er little thing bearing upon this, and
I do not know whether I am speak
ing to the point or not, but a delega-
ton attended the Republican. Ma
tional Convention at Chicago and en-
deavored to write inland this is no
new matter, but he who runs may
read-a delegation favoring this prin-
ciple of the Smith Towner BILL at
tended the Republican Convention at
Chicago, and attempted to write in
10 that platform endorsement thereof.
A Senator whose independence and
sterling Americanism will make him
long remembered, Senator Borah,
would have Acme of it, and the Re-
publican National Convention would
have none of it, and 1t was not writ
ten in, either directly. or inferentially,
into the Republican National plat
journeyed westward and reached San
Francisco, and they endeavored there
to have a memorial written into the
Democratic platform, and the Demo-
cratic National convention-and it is
matter of record-refused to have
anything TO do with it; and there was
a special committee appointed upon
which, as we are informed by the
newspaper accounts. was a very dis
tingulshed citizen of our own State
who happened to be there as dele
gate or as Il member, and there was
a very slight, a very modest, just a
seeming endorsement of the princi-
pies of bureaucracy and Federal con-
troll and Capitalization. to take and
control the educational impulses of
the next generations in this country.
Now, l do not know what commit
tee it is best to- send this matter to.
L do not know how the. educational
committee feel. The only gentleman
who has spoken here on the floor, and
may be mistaken, he may not be a
member of this particular commit
tee, but the gentleman from Bangor,
MI. BarWise, has indicated a very
strong preference for the measure
The gentleman from Gardiner, Mr.
Gardiner, a member of the judiciary
committee has indicated inferentially
a. support of the measure. Certainly.
the gentleman from Belfast, Mr.. Buz-
zell. has indicated a support. for the
measure, and those two gentlemen,
are members of the Judiciary commit
tee.
Now I say to you. Mr.. Speaker and
gentlemen of the House, that there
will be no measure before this Legis-
lature that will more vitality concern
government as we know it and as we
love it. than this measure and your
principles of representative govern
ment are not imperiled by outside ag-
gression but the difficulty with our
form of government is that it is de-
stroyed from within; it is the "borer''
not "Borah"--but the borer of the
variety of the corn borer and the Of
flee borer and the education borer
and the borer in the shape of labor
organizations that are making for the
I. w. WIS and centralized Prussian-
ism instead OF Americanism; and. the
Smith-Towner bin deserves intelli-
gent consideration. l do not tell you
at this time whether / am for it or
iagainstyit and if / were to amend or
to suggest any proposition such as
that emanating from the gentleman
/ from Perham. Mr.. Bragdon. it would
be that this Legislature move along
in its appointed course to consider
the matters of the people of the State
OF Maine. and not to waste time in
advertising or hearing in this way
any committee or committees; but for
myself | feel that we should proceed
to move along the lines of economy,
the lines of progress, the lines of &C
ton; and l believe that the wise
thing to do now that this matter has
laid on the table a long time. from
the ninth day of March to this the
18th day of March, with an interven-
ing period of two days or three days,
and ] think it was about the last
item tabled last week-I would say
the proper thing to do at this time
would be to move for the indefinite
postponement Of this measure. /
won't do it. lest il would be misinter-
preted that I was opposed to the bill,
but 1 certainly hope that the motion
of the gentleman from Perham, Mr..
Bragdop. will prevail. and that if we
arc going to have hearing upon
his ell DO [,,I
frank, free and regular hearing. and
let the members all attend. and let
every man become informed and then
vote, (Applause)
Mr.. BCZZELL: Mr. Speaker, it is
always very cheering to me to listen
to tho distinguished gentleman from
Augusta, Mr. Maher. Lest there may
be mystery about how I stand up
on this proposition. I wish to say
from where ] approach this measure
at this time. | am in favor OF it. That
ought to be good enough. / realize
what organizations in this State, such
as the County Teachers Association.
the State Teachers Association and
various other organizations, women's
clubs, business and professional clubs
III this State that are in favor of this
bill Now, ] will say that | have not
followed its course III Congress mi
nuteiY. / have. not fully informed
myself as to the positions Of the gen
tionen in Congress who have been
for and against this BILL I have not
worked by day and by night to dis
cover some niger in the wood pile,
OF anything of that sort; but as I'M
dPrSt and Il tlic