The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-25
THE PR ESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, JAN. e5, 1879
The Legislature "Watched."


When our Lawmakers were about to con-
vene at Augusta, we warned the people OF the |
State to swatch the Legislature" This need |
ful admonition has since been construed by |
members of that body and by others as an in
timation that there was about to be develop
ed disposition to plumber. This was not
exactly our meaning Foreseeing that the
lobby would be stronger this winter than ever
before, we feared that the Legislature might
yield to its corrupting influence, and that
Maine would become, like SO many of its sis
ter States, the PROSTATE victim of monopo-
lists. 1t has been the pride and glory of
Maine hitherto that it has kept its honor UNI
furnished, while all around it, larger, more
populous and more wealthy States, have be-
come a reproach to democratic government at
home and abroad. 1t is certainly worth
while to preserve this good repute, especially
when it is demonstrable that the course OF
events in communities that have lost their
reputation for integrity tends greatly to the
disadvantage of the masses, loading them
with taxes and with all the annoying and dis
graceful burdens incident to the rule Of cor
rupt plutocracy. es 's-,.,i 6..e tigs5d
From some quarters the admonition
''Watch the Legislature brought the prompt
response, ave have confidence in our repre-
sentatives. They need no watching" 1t is
easy to estimate the value of such endorse
ments. They come principally from those
who are urging upon the Legislature some
unworthy measure. 1t is not likely that the
railroad manager or his agent will come be-
fore the body to which his solicitations are
about to be addressed with any but honeyed
words on his lips. But we can tell honorable
members that our own frank expression of
apprehension, coupled with willingness to
give them prompt, cheerful and enthusiastic
praise for whatever good they do or whatever
evil they resist, is far more creditable to them
than the reckless anticipatory endorsement of
those who wish to make use of them. And
when their work for the winter is done, let
them see to it that their defenders are found
among the people, and not among the au-
thors of their fall and the sharers of their in
fanny. VI aat-.J af a-aae 81. l.aJ
To those who have watched" the Legisla-
ture there has not yet seemed to be anything
that would justify the charge of corruption.
But there have certain things happened that
are inexplcabe. The unanimity of the rail
road committee in agreeing to report a bill
which the best lawyers in the State declare
will operate as a ratification of consolidation,
came like thunderbolt on the people, nine
tenths of whom, at the lowest estimate, are
unalterably opposed to that policy. The ex-
cuses made for the committee would be ludi-
crous, if the whole affair were not so exasper-
ating. s'There was nobody there to oppose
it" is the sole explanation of this scandalous
betrayal of the State into the hands of cor
poration that has already defied its laws! On
the one hand, there was Judge Rice, backed
by one of the most powerful Hobbies that ever
was marshaled against legislative independ-
ence; on the other hand,-nobody. But in
the distance, eagerly watching the result,
were the sovereign people. The railroad
managers had an immediate, overwhelming
pecuniary interest in the bill. They could af-
ford to hang about the State House, week af-
ter week. They could afford to pay for the
time and labor Of able men, who go to the
State capital, board at the Augusta House at
So day and work for consolidation. They,
with nice little property worth thirteen mil
lions, could do all that was calculated to give
flexibility to the legislative backbone. On
the other hand, it was nobody's immediate,
overwhelming interest to oppose the outrage.
The poor men who constitute the large ma
oft "a 80 80
not afford to leave their business, 60 to Au-
gusta and lobby against the measure. They
trusted that theirrepresentatives were their at
torneys; but they were mistaken. herailroad
committee said by its action: ''We decide in
favor of the largest lobby. If there are two
lobbies we divide, giving due preponder-
ance in favor of the largest. We are not an
independent self acting force, but mere au-
tomaton, moving in the direction of the least
resistance" Indeed the narrow escape from
defeat of that eminently just measure, the
Lewiston & Auburn charter, although it had
very able advocates on the ground, taken in
connection with the unanimity on the Maine
Central bill, seems to establish these general
laws: ff7 t-.al ~ ii ltar q
With no lobby, you get not even minori-
ty report in favor of the most correct princi-
pie. uH To iti1 .a l tfir l.,-fF @ii3
With two lobbies of equal power, the right
measure narrowly escapes defeat n-'A 7'
With two lobbies of unequal power, no adj
vantage accrues to the weaker side by reason
Of being right.
In short, the lobby is everything; princi-
pie, nothing.
We are unwilling to charge this strange
yielding to outside influences to anything but
weakness. The members of the committee
must have been among those simple folks
who, according to a newspaper correspondent,
cried out when Judge Rice had finished his
argument in favor of the bill: ''Well, CONSOLE
dation doesn't seem so very criminal after
ALP They were in the same condition as
the famous juryman, who was thoroughly
convinced by the counsel on both sides, would
have been if the defendants attorney had not
replied to his opponent. One would wish to
believe it was crowd of gaping rustics from
the backwoods who were ready to exclaim,
"Just so, Square, you're right" when great
railroad king was able to talk glibly and pau-
sibly of his scheme while nobody is there to
say him nay. But it was the members of the
most important Legislative committee ever
formed in this State, who covered down be-
fore the Napoleon of this brilliant coup
detdt. '
If any one is disposed to complain of the
severity of this Judgment, he will perceive on
reflection that it is the mildest one possible
under the circumstances. Any other hypo-
thesis is worse for the committee For in
stance, it cannot be said that all the members
were original consolidationists, for then would
the presiding officers of the two houses have
been guilty of packing the committee in the
most infamous manner, contrary alike to JUS
tice and to their personal pledges. This no
ton we summarily reject. 1t only remains
then to conclude that majority of the COM
mittee-for we are willing to presume that
there may be such a phenomenon as an hon
orable man of vigorous intellect who sincere
ly believes that the bill ought to pass-were
either bribed or yielded through sheer weak
ness, or inability to say mo- to great man.
We have no reason whatever to suppose that
it is necessary to accept the former alterna-
tive. We therefore are placed to accept the
latter But the plant nature of these gen.
I,osx :. 1.axI