Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-31

motto of "Dirigo" lead all the other
states.
1t Is a progressive measure, Mr..
President; also a somewhat novel one.
But we should not be alarmed at mere
novelty. The world moves: times
change, and we change with the
times. What today is radical and
revolutionary. is conservative and
commonplace tomorrow. At the last
session of the Legislature. for in
stance. I labored nearly all winter
with the committee to give a favor
able report to my proposed consti-
tutional resolve in regard to absent
voting. But the committee was OBJ
durate: in their minds the PROPOSE
ton was altogether too radical and
dangerous for Maine. This session it
goes through the Legislature without
word of opposition. 1 may be par
doned perhaps If I enjoy quiet smile
now and then when I overhear some
who opposed it SO vigorously two
years ago. now busily stating to SYM
pathetic listeners that the absent vot-
ing measure is the only progressive
Legislation passed so far this year
Yes. Mr.. President. the world moves;
and this amendment will come just
as surely as comes the spring each
year. The only question is, Will it
come early or late? Let us pass this
resolve this year, and thus help to
refute the widely published assertion
made by former member of this
body just before the beginning of this
session. This is n progressive meas
ure; and l for my part believe that
this Legislature is progressive.
Mr.. GII.IIN of Penobscot: Mr..
President, and honorable members
of the Senate: I do not propose to
waste moment of your time. The
learned Senator has gone into this
at some length. am one of TIE sign
ers Of the majority report who think
that such legislation at the present
time is incXpedient am also of the
opinion that the drafters of our con-
stitution would think it a strange
amendment to tack onto it, how per-
sons should use their private prop
efty and place signboards thereon.
The gentleman has spoken of the
beauty and the grandeur of your
State. There was time, gentlemen,
when it's sea dashed coast and it's
granite hills and its splendid rivers
and its matchless area had no bill
boards or signs stuck up upon them
that any one could find fault with.
but that was a time when the area of
your State was entirely in the pos
~ ho T,,I;
gentlemen, is marching forward, and
l think that people riding along the
beautiful roads of the State of Maine
can find no fault with the business
interests of this State if they adyer-
tise on their own property what they
nave for sale. If you go down
through the streets of Augusta here
YOU will find signs hanging out all
the way, and I do not know of any
place in the State of Maine that I
have ever ridden through, and doubt
if there is any distinguished Senator
here who has seen any billboards that
would brighten horse or take away
from him for moment the sense of
the surrounding beauties. the aroma
of the air. the matchless splendor
of the bills and tho sparkling of the
waters just because there was a bill
board.
The gentleman has said that Eu-
rope is ahead of us in these things.
] will admit if. ] will guarantee there
isn't single board in Russia They
are shot to pieces. And there are
very few business men there that
could put up such things.
l do not feel, Mr.. President and
gentlemen of the Senate, that at this
time it is necessary to send out to
the people a billboard resolution to
amend the constitution of the people
of the State of Maine, and 7 do not
believe it is progressive legislation in
any sense of the word. The territory
of the State of Maine has 31,5OO
square miles 1t only lacks 1856
miles of being as large as all the 9TH
err New England States together. You,
gentlemen. riding along the marshes
OF Your coast. where there is no beau
tiful scenery, if YOU happen to see a
signboard that tells you where to go
to n garage to get oil for your auto
MOBILE do not want a constitutional
amendment to prevent those people
using their private property for that
purpose. And | believe submitting it
to you as [ ought, not expecting it
would come up this morning, gentle
men, that the trainers of your consti-
tuition never dreamed that an amend
ment to the constitution which they
drafted would come up for the peonle
To vote upon to prohibit billboards on
the wavside. And ! do not think if
is legislation that at the present time
ought to be engrafted on your stat
ute books. | think by an eXamina-
ton of the law pertaining 20 these
things that you will find YOU have
got all the law now tina: you ought to
have. l have no interest in the mat
ter other than to attempt to sustain
the majority report of the commit
tee, and l move, Mr.. President, that
the majority report of the commit
tee, If it is in order have passage
and not the minority.
The PRESIDENT: There are two
reports majority report, ought
not to pass. and the minority report,
ought to pass. The Senator from An
droscoggin, Senator Garcelon. moves
that the minority report, ought to
pass, be accepted
A viva voce vote being doubted.
Mr.. Garcelon of Androscoggin called
for division and the same was had.
Eight voting in the affirmative and
IS in opposition, the motion was lost.
Mr.. GILLIN: Mr.. President, I now
move that the majority report of the