The Portland daily press., 1867-08-17

would saw of suceess in open argument, nave
inaururated a f,rtive campaign, the like oil
which was never before seen or hearu vi. We
have already published one OF the siShderous
documents which the party managers are IN
dustriously preparing for private distributor.
That was a document designed to mislead the
people of Maine us TO the issue involved in the
gubernatorial canvass. eff you want Your
yoke made easy and your burden light" said
the anonymous author, "vote for Pittsburgh.
If you want a healthy stomach and an unim-
paired digestion, try our Democratic Pills!
We have just received another specimen of the
same kind of workmanship. 1t appears that
every county is to be canvassed in the same
clandestine manner. A friend in Scarboro'
sends us the following address: gan
TO THE TAX PAYERS of CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
We propose to furnish you with few facts,
and submit them without comment for your
reflection. Cumberland County is now, and
must be for years, heavily taxed for County
purposes The valuation of Portland is so much
reduced that more, relatively, than before IS
paid by the less wealthy towns. The farming
population are not in condition to have their
load of taxation increased. The burdens i'm
posed by the war are cheerfJlly borne and
paid without murmuring; but shall we submit
to be plundered and made paupers that the
County officers may live in luxury ON money
then never earned?
At the last Legislature, raid was made by
the Judge and Register of Probate, County
Attorney, and Clerk OF the Courts, for an in
crease of salary. 1t was referred to the
delegation from Cumberland County,
They, generous souls, kindly gave those dis
tressed officers what they asked fer-the mon
ey to do it to be taxed out Of their constituents
mot the fortunate holder OF government bonds
for he is exempt) but the man with a little
property in a farm perhaps, whose taxes are
quadrupled, and who is obliged to economize
in every way to save the scanty earnings of
years OF toll. Feb. q, 1867, our working Leg
isature" on the recommendation of the Cum
berland County delegation raised Judge Wa.
terman's salary to zone thousand dollars"
Feb; 70, 1867, the County Attorneys salary is
established at not $1,000, but stem hundred dol
lars, SO near to one thousand that the tax-pay-
ers can pay one about as easy as the other
Same day the working Legislature" "estab-
lshed the compensation Of Clerk of Courts"
the moderate sum Of three thou sand dollars,
including clerk hire. We hope Mr.. Fessenden
feels compensated" .s..-.i
March |, 1867, we find sandwiched in an act
ito provide for the restoration of records of
probate for Cumberland County, Sect. 10, that
the Judge shall be allowed $500 annually for
three years, making the Judges salary $4,000
ayear. This does not interfere with Judge
aterman's attending to his legal business.
In fact is so much clear to him. 81 > s4s. q
But Mr.. Holden, the Register is not forgot
ten I'D Sect. 19. In addition TO his present sal
airy, he is to receive $1500 q wear for three
years, making $3.50 year, besides perquisites
worth in his office $500 per year. County finds
rent, fuel, stationary, and everything but clerk
hire. The clerk hire may use up the perouis-
ltes and then the clerk will do three fourths of
the work The three years mentioned in the
ACT means foreyer Who ever knew salary to
be reducedY This was not submitted to the
people like the liquor law; when their pockets
are to be picked they are submitted, not the
law. tits said that Mr.. Holden knew more about
probate matters than any one else. 1t may be
SO, Tor when the voters OF the County elected
Mr. humphrey to succeed Mr.. Holden, he
lHoldeul gave him no information in regard
to the office, and it is fair to presume that it
was all retained, and that he walked the
time with his roaming noddIe stored with rec.
0rds OF probate. Mr.. Holden after MIR
Humphreys election thought that the Repub-
lican party had outlived its usefulness was in
favor OF new party-had some idea of fixing
over the old Democratic party; had a mild
touch Of sore head Aaron says that while in
this depressed state of mind he did not write
for the Argus; others say he did 1t is of "no
consequence" as Toots says, he never leaked
any OF his probate knowledge, but is willing to
sell it back to the County at $4,000 Der wear.
asl When Holden was Register, an index was
wanted to the records of Probate Holden ask
ed $1,000 The County Commissioners gave
hlm $5oo; He hired young man to do the
would not pay it. Finally paid $50. Now LET
us work this out by "rule of three, Holden
asks $l0OO--takes $500, and hires the Job done
for WOO Now If when you pay Aaron $500,
n you get $6O worth of work done, how niue Ii
will you get done when you pay him $4,000 IL
cannot pc said he relnqnishes his profession,
Tor as a lawyer, he is of no account whatever.
90 rms matter is to be submitted to YOU in Sep
temDer, when you will have the opportunity Of
voting tor or against one of those cowardIv
bummers, who are fastened like leeches ON tn e
2 public services, and care only for themselves
q not straw for the - 4 se4,e.l -~-7'- - -
,,.s..- f.s......s. ID; ,.,..t ..f.5. TAXPAYERS.
Ii is hardly fair that we should be obliged to
conduct both sides of this discussion. 1t is a
plain neglect of duty on the part of the Ar
gus, which compels us to publish such docu-
ments as this But as the Argus will not give
to the public the arguments by which-its
friends are trying to build up their party. there
is nothing for US to do 5aG 10 bring out the
Demoerssio reasons ourselves before attempt
ing reply. -, ,,5t i,..,.i,
The charges which this skulking circular
puts forth are two:-1 That the salaries of the
County Attorney, Clerk of the Courts and
Judge OF Probate, in this county, have been
raised by Republican Legislature. Q. That
the Judge OF Probate and Register of Probate
are to receive extra compensation for the extra
labor OF restoring the, records of probate, de-
stroyed last year by fire. We propose to con-
slderithese two charges separately. lT g
]. 1t is true that the salaries of the officers
named were raised last winter 1t is also true
that earlier than last winter, every merchant
IN this city had to raise the salaries of his
clerks, every man who had a building to put
up had to increase the pay of his workmen,
every man who wanted new coat had to nav
more to the tailor, every man who sent home
piece OF beef had to pay more to the butcher.
IN every direction prices and salaries were 90
ing up, and unless the salaries of these officers
were fixed at too high figure before the war,
they had certainly become quite inadequate
since. The business of the offices meanwhile
had gone on increasing, and the Legislature
simply did what was right and just in increas-
ing the compensation. What the people of
Maine want of the officers whom they elect, is
honest work for fair pay. What the dishonest
knaves who circulates these handbills think
the people of Maine want is good work for
poor pay They do not know the people OF
Maine. ,. .... "A
z. 1t is true that the Legislature has appro-
pnated $2OOO year for the restoration of the
records of probate in this county, $500 to 90 to
the Judge and $500 to the Register. These
records extend back over period of 1O6 years.
The wills upon which rest the most important
titles in this city and county were all destroyed
and must be restored from Office copies Not
book nor paper was saved. The records of
more than century were blotted out in q
single night, and must be restored as speedily
as possible. Can this labor be imposed upon
the Judge and Register in addition TO their
ordinary duties, without compensation? Did
the Legislature do right to provide for this
public necessity, or not? There can be but
one answer to these questions. The Legisa- |
ture did perfectly right. If the Democrats |
propose to cut off this appropriation, to pre- |
vent or delay the restoration of these records. |
they will not thereby commend themselves 70 l
the people of Cumberland county. We un-
derstand that two clerks are constantly en-
ployed by the Register ON the old records; it |
Is easy to estimate how much will be left of |
$500 after paying the salaries of two clerks |
The appropriation was imperatively demanded, |
and it is not excessive.
AS to the petty ISLANDERS aimed at Mr.. Hol- |
den, it is only necessary to say that there are |
batch of falsehOods. If Mr.. Holden had ever |
wavered In his allegiance to the Republican |
party, if he had ever been contributor to the
Argus, it would no doubt have been q great |