The Portland daily press., 1878-02-21

SENATOR MOODY of York made an able
and timely speech Tuesday on the act to de-
fine tie qualifications of town officers. This
is what he said:
l ask for the passage of this act that the
shame and scandal connected with the facts de-
veloped by recent senatorial Investigations may
be removed. Thousands like myself supposed
that all town officials would necessarily be so
far removed from barbarlsm as to be able to
write, or at least TO sign their names, but when
| came to examine the Senatorial returns from
the famed 14th district, found to nv surprise
that some eight or ten towns and plantations
have municipal officers unable even 10 write
their names-this fact Is sufficient fn my judg-
ment to call for limit to ignorance in such
cases. L have taken the trouble again to look
over part of the returns and find that in the
town of Frenchville, of 1851 inhabitants,
large and important town on the st. John river,
all three Of the seectmen make their mark.
The town of Madawaska, with population of
over 1000, has this year two selectmen who in-
dicate their signatures by an X-worse still,
Wallagrass sends its certificate of votes to this
capitol with all its municipal officers and 10 ad-
dition thereto the plantation clerks, attest with
an X, making upon each return the shameful
acknowledgment that all four of said officials
are unable to write even their names. Further
yet, the chairman Of said board of assessors,
one Charles Michaud, is also one of the super
intending school ommittee. All these returns
are witnessed by one A. G. Fenalson. The
town treasurer is also in like condition of
nescieIce, and draws money from our state.
The plantation of S.. John has two assessors,
Cyr two, Eagle Lake two, and Van Buren one,
all to the shame of their respective municipal
ties put themselves among the ignoramuses
who should be forthwith retired to private life.
You ask, Mr. President why are these things
so; every body wonders. That there are men
of more intelligence in these towns and plan
tatons is not denied. Why then are they not
selected for these positions? The answer is,
that these men know sometimes too much.
am informed that the priests and manipulating
m EN- in these towns and plantations do not
care to have officers they canuot centrol.
Emergencies occur when few votes would be
very convenient for them to have, and if the
town officials are so ignorant as to be unable to
detect any change in the record of balloting,
the said priests and managing men can easily
supply any def ,iency. This may or may not
be true in all cases, but as priests and manag-
ing politicians are made up in these days, l
most certainly am in favor of removing all
temptations in this direction. 1t must be clear
TO all as to the necessity of reform, and an
act of this character. Of the propriety aud
legality of the act am also satisfied. As a
general statement, our statutes do not define
the qualification of town offl ,ers, but it may be
seen that chap. 3, sec. 10 OF the Revised Stat
utes impose restrictions upon both town treas
urers and collectors, making them ineligible as
selectmen and assessors in towns of certain
size. If oar laws now define the qualifica-
tions of treasurers and collectors for pecuniary
reasons, how much more is it desirable that we
pass this act, making it incumbent upon such
officials that they be able to read and write.