The Portland daily press., 1879-08-25
State Issues.
MR.. PILLsBURY's MIsREPRESENTA-
TIONS.
Ex-Governor Dingley Exposes Them and
Shows the Truth.


Lewiston ,Oufnal.i
The Gazette publishes stenographic report
of the speech which Il. F. Pilsbury, Esq, Is
making in various parts of the State we
could hardly believe, until we read this verba-
tim report that any man of standing would be
willing to make so unjust and in several cases
so reckless statements and insinuations, even
for partisan purposes, as we find here attribu-
ted to Mr. Pillsbury. The fact that Mr.. Pills.
bury deems it necessary to raise mock issue at
this late day, in order to divert attention from
the real issues which he himself raised in the
resolutions reported by him to the late Demo-
cratic State Convention, is very significant.
Mr.. Pillsbury opens his address with crafty
allusion to the losses of Maine since 1860 and
leaves his hearers to infer that this is the re-
suit of Republican policy, and not the conse-
ouence of war brought us by the Southern
wing of the Democratic party.
WASTE OF PUBLIC LANDS.
Every solitary acre of land gone for little moth
ing under Republican State administration, says MIR.
Pillsbury.
Most of the State land, and that the BEST
went under Democratic State administrations
| previous to 1857; and went for prices, too,
much lower than similar land was sold subse-
! ouently. The grant to the European & North
| American r. r. Co., ON condition that they
would build q railroad into our northern re-
| gions, was favored by nearly all the Democrats
| in the Legislature, at the head OF whom was
Mr. Dickey of Fort Kent, one of the fusion lead
ers last winter.
THOSE ISLANDS.
In 1876 the State sold sixty-six islands, and 1t
| cost $50 more to get rid of them than they
brought, says MIR. Z.
These islands were small and barren, and not
| considered of any value. Part OF them were
| occupied by poor fishermen, and many of them
were anxious to get a title. The Legislature
| unanimously authorized Gov. Connor and
| council to examine into their condition and
| ownership, and to sell such of them as the
| State owned, at public auction-not as matter
| of profit, but simply as a favor to deserving
| citizens, A committee of the council visited
the islands to examine them, and counsel was
| sent to Massachusetts, to obtain information as
| to disputed titles The islands were sold by
| public auction and brought all anybody would
| pay for them.
| THE STATE PRISON.
1t will take $50 900 to IN Ike up the deficiency in
| the State Prison appraisal, says Mr.. Pillsbury.
That is, a commission recently appointed,
| appraises the State Prison property $4,000 less
than an appraisal made under Republican
| rule. Supposing they do? Appraisals at diff
ferent periods are very likely to vary, es-
pecally in such times as these through which
we have passed-particularly when it is de-
srable for new warden to make good show
| ing. Mr.. Pillsbury does not charge that War
| den Rice has improperly taken any property OF
| the State. 1t is all there. 1t is only three or
four years ago that the Legislature appointed
| Hon. j. G. Talbot prominent Democrat, to
| investigate Il State Prison affairs, and he re-
ported them all right
| rur
| In 1876 Gov Connor and staff were voted $4,000
to attend the Centennial, and we do not know what
| became of the money, half ofwhich ought to have
| suficed-says Mr.. Pillsbury.
Over $500 was returned to the State Treas
| urv. and was credited in the Treasurer's re-
port. Nearly every State in the Union ex-
pended proportionally much more to secure an
! official representation, and Democratic Con-
| nectcut ten times as much.
PAY OF COUNCILLORS.
| Councillors have received pay for more days than
| they have served-says Mr.. Pillsbury.
| So they always have, reckoning their COM
pensation at SO per day The law gives Coun-
cillors $50 for the Legislative session, Just as
| it does Senators and Representatives, without
regard to length of session or number of days
| present All that is required is to keep quo
rum during the Legislative session. Under
| the old Democratic rule, when the Legislative
received 5000 for doing just the same as they
| do now for $780,
J THE ''MIssING" TRUST FNNDs
"a little over 100000 trust funds are missing
from the State Treasury" charges Mr.. Pillsbury.
This is serious charge, and is false in infer
ence and spirit. If the fact that the so-called
school and Indian trust funds have been used
from year to year for State expenses, as they
were paid into the Treasury, is evidence that
they are missing in the sense of being stolen
| or improperly diverted and unaccounted for,
as Mr. Pillsbury leaves his hearers to infer
| then the great sinners in this matter were the
Democratic administrations previous to 1857,
| which received and used up large proportion
| of these trust funds. Hon. Isaac Read, Demo-
cratic State Treasurer in 1856, reported over
100000 of such trust funds but every dollar
| was even then smissing."
| The fact is that these missing school and
| Indian trust funds were the proceeds mainly
| of sales of land in past years. which proceeds
were always both under Democratic and Re-
publican administrations, paid into the Treas
ury and paid out for current expenses as re-
ceived; and the Treasurers report for each
| wear has always shown precisely the amount
| paid, and accounted for it as receipts for the
| current year-just the same as any other reve-
| nue.. And this policy of using the so-called
trust funds, and then paying the interest on
them to the Indians and to towns 10 aid COM
| mon schools, was one originated by the Demo-
cratic party! Not a single dollar Of this fund
has erer been lost, but every cent has been al'-
piled TO expenses Of state anQ duty dccounteo
| for. 4nd dtarge part has been so applied under
| Democratic administrations.
STATE EXPENSES.
Deducting all expenditures growing out of the
from the total expenditures OF 81 ,43O,632 for
1873 it leaves S94S 262 for the ordinary expenses
against only S2S9, ,035 in 1865-says MIR. Pillsbury
This is a gross perversion of the facts. The
I cof
273,376; and in order to get his figures Mr..
Pillsbury has actually added S157 ,526, which
was cash on hand. A more reckless perversion
of figures cannot be imagined, as any one may
see by consulting page seven OF the last report
of the State Treasurer. In deducting the ex-
penditures caused by war, Mr.. Pillsbury neg
lects to include the appropriation for the Sol
diers' Asylum, which makes the expenditures
for war purposes, S492 $40, and for other than
war purposes only S7S1 059; and of this sum
about $400, 600 is a disbursement for common
and free high schools, all but S3SSS7 coming
from the savings bank and mill tax, and re-
lieving towns from munelpal taxation Iof
| schools to that extent-whereat in 1856 only
SIT ,575 was paid by the State for this purpose.
| This leaves the ordinary State expenditures
for 1876 only 1881 ,059, and from this sum
should be deducted railroad tax refunded to
towns, increased Indian funds and county
taxes simply passing through the Treasury,
and the cost of Gov Kings statue--to the ex-
tent of about $4,000. This leaves the ordin-
airy expenses of 1878 about S367 900, instead OF
S94S, ,262.
The ordinary expenses in 1856, deducting
criminal costs and payment for common
schools, but including the expenses OF the iand
office, were about $40 OO0-an increase since
1856 of about $4,000. instead of S6i9,221, as
represented by Mr.. Pillsbury.
This growth of expenditures Is made up oil
about S27 900 increase for the support OF in
sane. caused by additional inmates of the hos
pital and transfer of their support in large
measure to the State; 49, 900 incre for educa-
tion of deaf, dumb and blind; S4,357 for sup
port of poor in unincorporated places; $4,000