Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-02-28

! 0f hfprfseptatirls:
/ did hot desire to speak upon this matte =
| az a'l. hil" 10 personal interest in IT, liv-
/ ing = DO ~ tq0al distance to Skowhegan
and N"iri31 1ewock, i will not a feet me either
way. personally. bni twenty seven hundred
! petitioners cf iny county have petitioned to
have this r,atter referrt 4 to TIE people Of that
county. al. feel that | should he remiss in
my duty. should fail TO give expression here
10 NY views on the question now before the
House. II Is one which is of such vital in
tere>t TO the people of my county; vital in.
terest, IN more respects than any person liv-
ing outside Of Somerset county can by any
possibility of means, fully understand But
any person living in the county knows all
ABOUT thousand matters, gentlemen, some of
| them OF more importance and some of less :;
but thousand matters that bear materially
upon this question, and which no man living
outside can by investigation, become thorough
ly acquainted with, without living inside Of
the county, and thereby becoming part and
parcel of its entire machinery of mana agement
of it's financial affairs, roads, travel, keeping
OF Its records, court matters, and every other
thing, that bears materially upon this ques-
| tion. Now appeal to your good sense, and
| to your fairness and honesty of purpose. and
| ask you to refer this matter back to those
to whom IL Justly belongs, the people of Som
erset county. Am | asking too much? Do
you feel, who live in the other counties in
the State, that we are asking too much? Are
you OF the other counties unwilling that our
county shall be on a level with other counties
in this respect? There is Cumberland, Ken.
nebec, York, Aroostook, and so on through
the whole list, enjoying this privilege, DO
! ycur counties have controlling power set up
over you outside? And do you not regard
nf Z
equal intelligence, public spirit, and as safely
to be trusted with the management of her own
affairs, as other counties. Why make Som
erset an exception? Please, gentlemen. take
tlis right home to yourselves, to your own
counties. If you ever have any question
arse IN your own counties ss to your shire
town, do you feel as though you would be
asking too much to ask US outside to consia-
er you as knowing better about your roads,
and your business Of the county, and the fu-
ture prospects of your coun'y and its business
in all particulars, than we can possibly know?
And as to the future development Of rail-
roads, water powers, manufactures, ell OF
which tend TO entirely change the centre of
business and conveniences, the one way or
the ether: And as you answer these qnes-
tions, 80, gentlemen, should your vote be
here. II is simply upon the broad principle
OF the peoples rights? Their rights to de-
eide where they will have the shire town: and
to decide also all questions, old or new, con-
nected with it; to decide whether they will
accept gift of some rich man, and take with
It as a condition, all that is obnoxions. Ifa
rich man, who has made millions Of money no
there in Somerset, has offered q gift of court
buildings, except the jail, to our county, on
condition that they will heave away 2 perfect
set of county buildings, including jail, which
he does not offer to give; and on condition
they will yield many other thing dear to their
interest, viii you not vote TO give the people
of that county an opportunity to accept that
gift if they wish at the polls: or decline it,
if they feel that its conditions are burdensome
and obnoxious: And the conditions are GER
tainiy burdensome; for that county will have
to throw away their Jail and build a new. But
do they say we don't need q jail? And do
they say 1t don't cost much to build iail?
How much did the Jail cost in this city? And
what is il built for if none is needed: But
what we ask is that the people of that county
settle these questions. They are their oues.
lions, and know, gentlemen Of the House,
that Sou will not vote that gift down the
throa,s Of the people Of Somerset, without
your ever knowing, and without anybody's
ever knowing, whether they accent il or not
Will You allow them to accept that gift by
voting upon it, if they want it or to vote that
they do not accept it, if they don't want it:
and at the same time Let them do as their sister
counties in the State have the privilege of do
ing, decide for themselves all these questions
relating to their own affairs? In all instances
in this State where it has teen claimed. or
asked for, it has been granted. 1t was so in
York, Sagadahoc and Knox counties. WHY
Why make Somerset an exception? The
people OF Somerset, that old county, are
farming community largely working people.
hard working yeomanry. They have not mil
hons of money with which TO concentrate an
influence and gain points. But they are
hard working people and do not feel able to
build Jail. while oppressed with high taxes
and hard times, war debts, railroad debts,
and the very serious mistortunes incident 10
the farmers Of last year, damaging many, very
many of them from 5000 to $500 each. that
one year. Yet they are intelligent people,
public spirited, generous, and a church going
and reading community "a community OF
Sabbath schools, perhaps a full average of the
other portions of the State that have ben
long settled, and we DO feel as il we wisl =,
meet on tn leSei cur sister counties in AL
the before L',nil"aea particulars. Shall We
be thrust ui' >,l@ as not among our sister
counties H. 49,. r,spects? Now are not such
coniiauait.,> competent? Don't they know
and the property OF The county, simply be-
cause they DO not live in a large place, an,!
because they live in rural districts aud have
not thousands rs possession, shall it be said
that they don't know enough and will YOU
bv your vote, deny each one the privilege of
counting one in managing affairs that are
theirs, whether he ia worth one thousand dol
lars or million! | 90 net believe YOU will
do any such thing.
The gentleman from Skowhegan is careful
to tell us that he would not deceive nor mis-
represent nor state anything untruthful for
his very existence, in this or any other mat
ter; but notice all the way through his whole
remarks, he notices everything that looks
even like shadow Of deception, and even
what does not amount to shadow. on the
part OF those who are for referring this mat.
ter The people; but he doesn't say anything
10 us about the decepiions or misrepresenta-
tions of their side ofthe case. lie forgets to
mention, or does not wish to mention, any
thing OF that kind; and any one would think
himself and they were all perfect, and not
subject to any of the fraities of human ma.
ture. In fact, every time he speaks at all, he
tells US that he would not state anything I'M
true, on any account. And, notwithstanding
all this, he would have us understand that all
Is calm now, up there in Somerset, and peace
able aad quiet-uo disturbing element up