Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-12

the best Constitutional lawyers that
the tines produced, . man Of dis.
| tinguiehed capacity, 4 man who not
only served as counsel in the
Dartmouth College case and as q
member OF the Convention. but Mr..
Holmes OF Alfred was the first Unit
4 ed States Senator from Maine. He
was. after that. associated in q num-
Der of the largest cases that were
tried before the Supreme Court of
! the United States. He was the as
| socidte, the contemporary. the poll
| teal opponent OF Hannibal Hamlin.
| John Holmes was one Of the most
| distinguished minds that northern
| New England ever produced. and he
| stands as one OF the ablest men
Maine can boast. lie came from the
Supreme Court of the United States.
where he had just lost the Dartmouth
College case. and. as against in
situations such as are the basis of
argument today. he moved the
adoption OF that very section ] have
read to you at the beginning Of this
branch of my argument Into the
Maine Constitution. providing that
unless. at the time Of making such
| endowment. the, Legislature Of the
Estate shall have the right 70 grant
any. further powers to alter, limit.
or restrain any OF the powers vested
in. any such literary institution be-
cause he wanted 1t said-uneauivo-
cally said-that for all time any in
stitution-private. religious, sectarian
or Observation-Disclosures public
money under the Constitution Of this
State at that same time came under
the control Of the State.
say. Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen
Of this House, that both the amend
ment suggested by the gentleman from
Bangor tMr. Barwise). and the amend.
mcnt suggested by the minority of the
judiciary committee. are absolutely
unnecessary. because you have there
the controlling law
Now | may say further that 1t is
unnecessary for another reason, and
will be extremely brief. gentlemen.
I know you will pardon me for feel
that this is an important subject. The
Legislature Of the State of Maine
gard to taxes or in regard to appro-
priation. 1t can only appropriate
from year to year for each two years.
The LEGISLATURE OF the state OF Maine
can only appropriate for two years
and the next LEGISLATURE has the full
power to change that policy. TO re-
J fuse q continuation Of any grant.
Further than that. If you ran con-
ceive any time that our public school
system will be imperlled.--and may
state there parentheticaily that I
myself even though of the religious
persuasion which have said. ] am
a public school graduate. ! was horn
in this city end first went
to a private school which was
decidedly non-sectarian. 1t had six
pupils upon the same street where
lived and run by two ladies
: who have since passed on--the Misses
Eaton-and It was in no sense a
| religious institution. From there I
, passed into our local schools. and
/ have gone through those schools. !
have four children and claim that
I have had some personal experience
in the matter of education.
My oldest child has attended
the French parochial school. and with
success. From there she went to our
high school. And my own view of
these matters is go tolerant that ] sent
her to the parochaI school IN Sand
Hill. and from there to Cony High
school and then to very conspicuous
Catholic College. IS miles up the river
j.. Colby! Uaughter) My other chill
dren are ct present in the public
schools of Augusta. They've have
been in the parochial school. So !
: cannot be said to have any very per-
sonal animus in the matter. Eut | say
this that If any man suggests that
there is going to come day when
the 100000 non Catholics in Maine,
and I think have stated it approxi-
mately-are ever afraid that the
100000 Catholics inx the State Of
Maine are, going to fomisnte them.
and by some mysterious leeerdemai in
Z n rn tn nj TAI cnf rnl nf hot n hr,an hoo
of tie Legislature and the Governor
of this State and set up parochial
school system in opposition to our
public school system, taking away
from you gentlemen your God given
iiberties.-if that condition ever does
come. do not forget that we have
proposition in our Constitution
called the initiative and referendum,
and all you have to do is to get ton
thousand Signers and submit that to
the Secretary of State and they can
note vote you away. You will be pro-
tected for ninety days. 1t will then
go to q vote. and there must certain
ly be something the matter il you
cannot convince your own majority
of 100000 to 10000. Those are not
voters, of course, but l presume the
voters will run relatively the same.
Constitutions are made not to protect
!
protection; it is minorities that need
protection. N
The gentleman read from James
Madison. Let us see what another
man said for a moment: and | as
Republican like to have recourse now
and then to some of the opposite per-
sIasion Let's see what Thomas JEFF
! ferson said: "All will have in mind
its sacred principle. that though the
Will of the majority is in all cases to
prevail. that will to be rightful must
be reasonable; that the minority
possess equal rights and to violate
them would be oppression
Now for one hundred years since
1820-one hundred and three years
we have gone along under this
amendment and gone along pretty
satisfactorily. and there has been no
real need of anybody becoming
alarmed. | have here compiled as
well as I could vail the grants of
money to institutions of higher
learning, other than common schools
I since Maine became a State. 1t is very
interesting to note that Bowdoin COL
lege first got 1896 acres Of land.
Now mind you. these are non sectar-
ian institutions today. You all know.
however. that in these institutions.
these colleges and academies at the
outset that the primary proposition
was the honor and glory of God and
that they worked for the honor and
glory of God through bringing out the
best there was in the youth of Maine.
And these institutions of Maine.
Protestant that they are. have
zenship that the 10000 mi
| pOritV of (,nfhp1icc in Nfoip bou, RI