Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-03-06

ful, republican legislation, was in my judg-
ment most contemptible; equally insulting to
every republican member, and will some day
rebound upon his own aspiring head.
And here Mr.. President, beg the indul-
gence of the Senators, while give short
history of this county seat question. That
gentleman who appeared before the commit
tee ON this subject and was so deeply inter-
ested in the matter was a member ofthis body
in 1865. The project of change was then
presented to the legislature, and hearing
wa was had before the judiciary committee.
That gentleman invited Messrs. L. L. Lucas,
+. X. Webber and myself, among others, to
appear before the committee and state our
views upon the subjecr. Mr.. Lucas was in
favor of the change, so was Mr.. Webber, but
a little more guarded as to the expense. 1
stated that in my judgment the people of the
eastern part of the county would prefer to
nave the county seat at Skowhegan but
would not be willing to endure the expense.
1t was not however contemplated to enforce
the change without submission to the peo-
pie. A bill was granted for the change pro-
Vlded majority of the people voted in its fa-
vor, at the next September election. At that
election in the town Of St. Albans where that
gentleman asd myself reside, he came for
ward and asked to address the town upon the
subject, and made lengthy speech in favor
of the change, after which vote was taken
and the result was 65 in favor and $50 against.
All that gentleman's extravagant declarations
about monster posters, ETC., cannot be SUBJ
stanlated from any other source and must be
creature of his own imagination.
New upon the result of tha. county vote
SO overwhelmingly against the change only
$50 in favor and 50l2 against, our county
buildings were repaired and improved at con-
siderable expense to the county. The eues.
tion was supposed to be put at rest, and there
it slumbered so far az the masses of the peo.
pie were concerned Not so with that gen.
tleman and his band; they slept not, slnm.
bered net, and many Of the people who have
been caught in their willy folds can now look
back and see how the wires were pulled, and
how certain condolences have been made to
happen
Suffice it to say, that in the last Legislature
1t so happened, (whether by accident or de.
sign) that every member of the Somerset del.
egation, save one, favored the change. Now
Mr.. President, will not charge that there
were ways that are dark, or tricks that are
mean" resorted TO, to bring about such CO.
incidence, but this much will say, that the
movement was bnt little understood in the
county generally until hearing was had be.
fore the committee, that the excitement and
feeling among the people in the eastern sec-
ton of the county. after the act passed with
out reference to the people was intense. and
beng informed CT the introduction of an ad-
ditional act upon the subject, came to Au-
gusta, and made personal appeal to the two
members of this body from that county to
permit the question Of changing the county
seat to be referred to the people, and the in.
dignant reply was (not from the member from
Skowhegan.) ''do you think we are devilish
fools, we have been a. work here all winter
to secure this object, and now will we back
down ourselves" You may we'll think that
left that man 'alone in his glory" and as for
what was said at the hearing, about certain
resolution introduced into the Republican
County Convention last August, 10 instruct
our Senators TO vote for reference of the
subject to the people, as being voted down in
that convention-it seems the people at the
polls took up the subject, and so voted-and
had it not been .for Ex-Governor Coburn's
bend and the excitement of the Presidential
election, that vote would have been most
overwhelming.
Now, Mr.. President, come to point some
what personal to myself, quite unusual with
me, and would gladly have refrained from,
but for the extraordinary course pursued by
the prime movers in this scheme before the
committee; both calculated and designed to
bring me into reproach before this Legislature
and the community. 1t gives me no trouble
where both parties are well known. So far
as our orthodoxy in the republican Earty Is
concerned, | have to say joined the repub-
lican party in its ncipient stages and in 1856
that gentleman stood something in the light OF
children horn of marriages between the Is
raelltes and Ammonites; such children it
was said spoke partly the Israelitish and part
ly the Ammon:tish tongue. His vote present.
ed the political anomoy he now so much dep
recatcs one half the names on the ticket he
then cast were republicans and the other half
democrats, four each; and it so happened
yin his struggle Tor the new birth) that my
name was on that ticket as the republican
candidate for this body. Well time tray
elled onward and in 1850 the republicans
elected their lamented Lincoln, to the. Pres.
idency, and the war of the rebellion was in-
augurated, and we had what that gentleman
would now so derisively call ''copperhead"
postmaster, and upon consultation drew up
petition tor his removal, and that petition
was signed by PIC republican names, but that
gentleman protested against the removal, and
the appointment of republican, and by
some hocus pocus juggie got the ear
OF the authorities at Washington, and held
US up to that kind of rule for eight long years.
But upon making second move some three
or four years ago, compromise was effected
by accepting that postmasters beautiful
daughter in his stead. That is the kind Of
entertainment TO which the republicans of st.
Albans have been invited under that gentle
mans plastic sway, and as he has made some
additions to the firm, and proposes to enlarge
the sphere of his operations and take in the
whole County of Somerset, comes here to
ask your co operation 10 hold the people at
bay. Is it not clear that the people OF Som
eIset are the victims of a conspiracy which
came near being carried into effect BY last
winters legislation, through false rep es,ata-
tions, and with Governor Coburn's bOnd pre-
sented to the County Convention last summer,
calculated and designed to quiet some Of the
opposition as to the purpose Of that conspira.
cy, they expected TO triumph; yet, notwi.h-
standing the circumstance of the Presiden-
tial election greatly embarrassed the people,
the effect of the vote at the last September
meeting, was such as greatly to alarm the
They failed to defeat in that
election what they frequently declared they
meant to do, if they could, without any quail
ifcations. And when men say, they would
rather give $500 or 81 600 than have certain
individuals elected; it should carry the im-
preston that something was wrong there;
that they had something at stake they would
not have come to the light of day.
oh. k...x.r 49,