Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-02
An Officer of the Reform Admins
tratiOn Arraigned - Shameless
Prostitution of IL High Office.

utu
Prostitution of II High Office.
For the first time i'll the history of the State
we have the spectacle of high State official
prostituting his office TO the basest partisan
uses An officer, too, ofan administration hich
claims to have been elevated to power in
answer to demand of the people for reform
and which arrogatcs to itself the title of n re-
form administration How far the members
of this administration, as II whole, have been
consistent with their professions, it is not our
purpose to discuss; we simply wish to hold
an individual member Of it up to the public
view, and to allow the people to pass judg-
ment upon his conduct.
The editor of the Maine Standard, Ga vio-
lent partisan papcr) who is stumping the
State in the interest of the democratic party,
has prepared political campaign speech in
which he reviews to some length the admins
tration of State affairs by the republican par
ty. The records of the State, upon which he
claims to draw largely for the material for
his speech, are made by the grossest perver-
sion, Justification and concealment, to do par
tisan service. This speech, eliminated of
some of its most palpable mis-statcments,
which are so grossly false as to carry their
own refutat:on, has been published as a
campaign document, and in order to give it
the sembance of authority the Secretary Of
State is made to stand sponsor for it in his
official capacity, The Secretary of State is
required to furnish certified copies of the
records of his office when called upon so to
do But he must first carefully examine and
compare every such document with the orig
nal to satisfy himself that it is true and
faithful copy of the same. To do any more
gard of official honor, and fragrant violation
of the high trust confided to him. And yet,
appended to this mess of garbled and distort-
ed extracts from various public records,
sandwiched in with the political clap-trapand
comments of Ebcn F. Pillsbury, is the follow
ing remarkable writing.
81 knOw these foregoing statements to mare
been CAREFULLY PREPARED from the RECORDS
OF THIS OFFICE and that upon Investigation
they wiH be .fouad SUBSTANTIALLY CORRECT.
+. H. COVE, SECRETARY OF STATE"
The Secretary Of State actually eerifes to
a campaign speech Of a political demagogUe :
Could more shameless prostitution of high
office, or for baser purposes, be imagined !?
Without further comment npon this extraor
binary act of Secretary Cove, (it carries its
own comment) and without attempting any
discussion of Pilsburys remarkable speech,
which has been disproved in every essential
statement let us examine the reckless char
acter of the statements to which Secretary
Cove thus basely gives his official sanction.
First, in the matter of the sale of islands in
1876. Pillsbury says the whole cost to the
State of exploring and selling the islands, was
50, l59.7i, a sum larger by 81 ,0j0.99 than the
whole amount received. What do the records
show? Here are the official figures
Cash received from sale of islands Land Agt's Rep
$40, p Is, and 81, p.7) Si,l97 is
Deduct amt refunded by act of Legislature, 53s Il
sG5s IS
Expense on account of islands Land Agent Report
1875, p. 49, S,tll 20
Now compare the figures:
Pilsburys whole cost 1907 actual cost 1OlI 20
Pilsburys excess OF cost over receipts : ,05O.yg
Actual excess $i52 p
And yet it is substantially correct" is it
Mr.. Cove?
Again, Pillsbury says the total amount
received from the sale of islands in 1877, was
$500, and the total expense between 500
and $500.
Here are the official figures:
Received from sale Of islands (Iand Agents Report
1917, p. 10, and 1875, p. ~, $!7i so
Expense Of sale of islands (Rep u. p. 10,
and rs. 1891 G5
- Substantially eoyrect,' again, is it Mr.
Cove?
Pillsbury says. "the exact cost cannot be
ascertained, because charges for councillors
fees are included with other matters and not
itemized." You know better Mr.. Cove For
ereay item of expense connected with the sale
of the islands there is a separate bill with an
accompanying voucher on file in youy office.
Pillsbury compares the State debt of 1856
with that of 1873, and says in regard to the
debt reported Dec. 81, 1873 (S4,Sl5, 9O5) ,
"RepuDlicans claim that this increase of debt
Is due to the war, but such is not the fact =
Are there any records IN your office which
show that the Republicans make such claim
And do they not show that "such is not the
fact?" But there are records which show that
such is the fact, and that every single dollar
of the debt was created for war purposes, as
you will learn to your advantage by referring
TO page IL of the State Treasurer's report of
1873.
As to the reckless story about the Trust
Funds, for which you are made to stand spon-
sor, and which has been so thoroughly ex-
ploded, have only to ask you if you did not
know, when you certified to that statement
that every word of it was false, and that new
er single dollar Of the trust funds has been
diverted or misapplied; and more, that the
policy that has been pursued in regard TO
them is the same that was inaugurated by the
democratic party, and pursued by them so
long as they were in power? If you did not,