Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-02-03


Brewer. and also to build Marine Railway;
an act to make valid the doings of the pew
holders of the Freewill Baptist Meeting House
in Richmond; an act to amend an act to moor
porate the Barring Bridge an act to lncorpor-
ate the Riverside Echo Publishing ASSOCIATION.
Mr.. BARKER presented bill an act to su-
thorize the town of Stets0n to aid the Stetson
Manufacturing Company. Referred TO the
Committee on the Judiciary
Resolve for the purpose "t carrying INTO
effect chap. $50 of the resolves of 1864. in
favor of the Maine Wesleyan Seminary and
Female College, came up by special assign
ment the question being on its passage TO be
cngrosscd.
Mr. IIrMF said when this matter was tabled
by him he did not intend 10 discuss it, but he
had inquired into it somewhat since then and
found that it was his duty to oppose it upon
grounds of principle.
He was opposed to the voting of any more
money hy the State of Maine To sectarian and
private institutions and he called upon those
gentlemen who in the early part of the session
and of late had talked so much of retrcnch-
mcnt and reform to stand by him now.
He was not opposed to the resolve because
it is Methodist Institution for he would al
low no man To excel him in admiration of that
mighty sect--the Methodist Church. He
y
the right. Wherever the demands of loyalty
called. there was found the Methodist Church,
and no more sclf-saerifcng men in the world
can be found than the ministers of this sect.
He did not oppose the resolve in opposition
to the Methodist Church as sect. but be-
cause it is in favor Of sectarian institution
because it is class legislation. The time has
gone by for such legislation, and he thought
ii the duty of the legislature to do everything
possible for the common schools. He was
not willing to vote thousands Of dollars for
these sectarian institutions when the school
houses in his own county were rotting down,
and the children uneducated for the want of
money. He was for giving millions for the
common schools but not one dollar for sec
tarianism.
What is the logical result of voting money
to these sectarian institutions The Methodists
ask money for their institutions, and the Uni
versalists. Episcopals, Baptists and Catholics
will in turn ask for money for their institu-
tons. The Catholics not only ask that the
Bible be driven from the common schools of
this country, but they ask that their school
money may be set apart from the others.
This is the logical result of voting money to
sectarian institutions. and our common school
system, the very bulwark of our liberties, will
go to the wall.
He found by the statement of facts that this
institution is not in need of money. He fouxd
that ii is out Of debt and has in funds nearly
500, 000 and they have the audacity to come
up here for aid after having been granted
timber lands without stint by the State. lie
asked gentlemen to remember that every dol
lar voted to this institution comes by direct
taxation, and the poor children of the back
districts must suffer while these Institutions
are growing richer and richer. These insti |
tutions have been endowed until they have
taken all of our public lands He had no
doubt that they had done well in their time,
but the day of usefulness of private inst;.u
tons has gone by, and the common schools
have taken their place. To these we must
turn our attention
Gentlemen may urge that Westbrook Semi |
nary and Bates College have been treated
different from what is proposed to treat this
one, but two wrongs cannot make right. |
He did not think this Legislature should hold
itself responsible for what past Legislatures
have done. Because Westbrook Seminary
and Bates College have been voted money by
past Legislatures, it is no sign that we are
obliged to do the same for this institution,
when by its own statement of facts, it is not
in want of money.
Having come recently from the schools
himself he knew very well how they are
and what class of students can at
tend them. They are not the children of the
poor but Of the rich that can attend them.
Therefore he was for allowing the rich to put
their hands into their pockets and donating to
this institution the sum they ask for. and not
come here and ask it of the State. Pass this
resolve and you open the flood gates of APP |
| am told that there are very |
large number of petitions that are awaiting |
the fate of this resolve. And stand here to
protest in the name of the poor men of Maine
against these appropriations. The people are
already crushed to the earth by taxation,
National, State, county, and town. They
have been drawn almost far as their pa
thence and endurance will allow. Gentlemen
may make their own record. But as for me,
/ will stand by the tax payer. l therefore
hope the resolve will not pass.
Mr. FARwELL said it was not his intention
to speak on this question at all, nor would he
now dctain the House long. This Resolve
was the result of very careful and deliberate
consideration of the Committee. 1t was not
reported because it was Il sectarlan or denom-
national institution, nor was such influence
in any manner sought to be brought to con-
troll the committee. 1t was the belief of the
Committee. as he made no doubt it was the
intention of the Legislature of 1864 to treat
with exact justice and with equal liberality,
these three leading State Institutions, repre-
senting as they do, the leading denominations,
to wits Pates College, Westbrook Seminary,
and the Maine Wesleyan Seminary and Fee
male College. The three resolves of 1864
were reported almost simultaneously and by
the same committee-they all passed, as the
record will show, quite unanimously; they all
provided that if they amounted to more than
two thousand dollars the half township, the
overplus should go to the State Treasury; the
proyisos were just alike. 1t was subsequent
ly ascertained that in all probability the
which seemed to be contemplated by
the resolves would not be realized. These
fears proved to be well founded In '67 two
of these Institutions came here for relief,
saying that the present condition of the mar
ket was such that land and timbers could not
be sold as to realize anything like the con-
amounts Westbrook $4,000,
Maine Wesleyan $4,000, Bates College $780,
900. After careful hearing that Legislature
passed resolves in favor of two of these in
the precise language of the resolve now under
consideration. Under them the Land Agent
sold the two townships set apart for Bates
College for Sl7 800, and the timber set apart
for Westbrook Seminary for $500. The
balance of s., 500 to Bates and the 400 to
Westbrook was paid from the Treasury.