The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-25
UNION NOMINATIONS.
THE WAITER QUEsr1oN-AaAIN.

The Advertiser OF yesterday, contalie'
leader which reflected somewhat sharply upon
the course Of the Argus, in relation 10 INC We
ter question, and other matters conn0s'0u
with the Improvement, prosperity anu nishese
interests OF the city, We copy paragraph GA
The 4rqus has been the consistent oppo-
,ont Of IN ',rodncinp water for the last fifteen
1sarsS-aarlv On the ground that it would in
yoive huge outlay Of city credit and Of pubic
debt. and ,atterly on the ground that the city
dabE had been enlarged to an extent RENDERING
the work of obtaining water fnexIedient.
Since the erection OF the New Cry HALL, q
great outlay and yet, what citizen does no.
feel proud of it, and what stranger sees with
out admiring it, as the most eloquent feature
OF all the city)--the AyVHS has uniformly pul
thai expenditure in opposition to not only ey-
cry proposed expenditure for water, but 10 eF-
cry other proposed scheme OF Guy improve
ment. LII is penny wise and pouilu looiisn
policy, which we had hoped to see the argus
outgrow, but which it probably VIII not, uiloh
circumstances alter cases. 81 III como
When it is desirable to oppose or defeat
measure OF public interest, the argument based
on the expense and increased taxation is
yery convenient one, but not always torcible
except with those whose largest nerves all cel,
special privileges and Improvements were
necessarily attended with cost Ii costs money
to have good streets and sidewalks Gas is an
expensive luxury, or, rather, a necessity, but
who, to cut down his annual expenses a few
dollars, will consent to grope in the darkness
of taIlow candles, or even in the penumbraSo,
kerosene? s,t
A great deal OF money might be saved;
some may argue by dispensing with oul
schools. Why notcut them down, at least to the
simple rudiments of education, orso as simply
to prepare our children for the ordinary BUSH
ness of lie? Why increase the public burden
by teaching in our pubic schools, such expen-
sive branches as mathematics, natural sci enee
the languages and music? How much could
: be saved BIZ coming down from algebra to the
@Single Rule Of Three,r and from Botany,
Philosophy and Physiology to simple Reading
Writing and Spelling?
Then, too, how the people are Impoverished
by building fine houses, planting flower gar
dens, purchasing pictures, and by other outlay !,
designed, it is said, to make home attractiv~
Why not pull up every rose-bush and dahlia
and plant potatoes and carrots in their place.
Then the expense for moral and reIigicuf
trainingl How much is squandered z on
churches and ministersl Why not hold meet
ings in barns and employ only aheart preach
ers,' who take no thought what they shall say,
and spurn the idea Of preaching for luere
Why not sell the precious ointment for three
hundred pence and give the proceeds to the
poor instead of wasting it upon the feet Of
the Redeemer? Why 50 great waste? These
questions were asked more than eighteen
hundred years ago-by Jados-and are they
not equally pertinent now? ee
We have been accustomed to suppose that
privilege is property; that education is wealth
that moral improvement is better than gold
that light is worth paying for, and that all our
blessings are appreciated in proportion to then
cost. ass
1t is certain that Portland, up to the pres
ent time, has got along without pure water
So she did get along without gas Of railroads
till few years since. We admit that she may
continue to go without water supply, but can
she afford to do it? Suppose it eeiH increase
the taxes, win not an ample equivalent be re-
turned for this increase? Can the cit1 IN
crease in its small manufacturing interests
while this great need is unproyided for? vii
men put up steam engines all over the city
front, to do the work of thousands Of pairs oil
human hands and other thousands of horses,
when it is impossible to secure the necessary
soft water from which to generate steam? Is
not this a question that touches the interest
and material prosperity of the city in a vital
pointP We insist that neglect Of this matter
is expensive, and that the city cannot afford to
rest content with the order of things now ex-
listing.
But the sanitary aspects Of this question are
of infinite Importance. Who needs Informing
that much-a large proportion--of the water
procured from wells in this city is utterly unfit
for ordinary domestic purposes? I'll neither
fit to drink nor for culinary uses. Gentlemen
have told us that the health of their families
suffered till they provided supply of filtered
rain water; and a great many families in the
city, living in houses provided with shard and
soft water''-well and cistern-iwore the for
mer entirely, on sanitary grounds, and use the
latter frequently impure and unpalatable
from falling on smoky wooden roofs, or being
caught in open cisterns ;-often of wood Oh
without filtering arrangements. Such mer
feel that no price is cxtravagant when the
health if not life of their children is at stake
As they value all that is dear to them in theil
family circles, they cannot afford to rest easy
under the present order of things. To- such
;- fo-<
the idea of an increase of taxes as an objec-
ton to the introduction of pure soft water, il
worse than an absurdity sit shows a criminal
disregard of the health and life Of the city. =
The supply of such water is so small in the
city and so precarious-being cut off by every
severe drought--that bathing houses are al
most unknown in our midst, and bath, even
in the dusty and perspiring season ofdog-days,
is aIuxury in which many are forbidden to in
dulre. II cleanliness Is not goodness, it Is, at
any rate. nearly related to it, and is a virtue in
which there is great gain. Heaven itself would
be Invested of its attractions were it regarded
as filthy place, filed with the odor of tainted
perspiration and the disagreeable efauvia
which comes of disregard OF frequent ablu-
tions in the commonest and freest CLEMENT
pure air alone excepted-w1ieh the Creator
has provided for the comfort and health Of his
creatures. ssf1 p0
We have made the foregoing remarks with
out disputing the position Of the Aryas, that
the introduction ofwater will increase the bur
den OF taxation. But we do dispute this prop
osition. Introduce pure water. and like ,oas
and street railroads, it viii be soon fonnd a
selfsustaining if not paying institution h We
are so well satisfied with the reasop;n,, 81 q, '
Advertiser on this point, that we prefer 10
conY rather than give the reader an,r -. ~