Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-04

- - - ,ha r;vIs II must be in con-
,:.;a. - se, And ii cannot act in an enee-
=, al manner unless it is thor Sughly equipPee'
dscer,Iy clothed and properly armed. !nS
= one of the most potent reasons WY .uis
vesolve should receive passage ana .ne
militia of the State of Maine placed upon
respectable and enduring basis.
The committee do not deem tne app,o
priation excessive in amount We :.
carefully considered the actual neeas oi ule
several companies which compose tne .oiu Nv,
teer MALTA of the State Win 'ies p
off every unnecessary expense SO lar as VIC
copld and not cripple the service. we De,
l;sye we have accomplished this object ana
,b., the sum asked for is the lnimum
smount The committee asked for S2o,oV.
The Senate has reduced that by an amehu-
mont IN ais. 900. Now, if the State wants
compact and well organized body OF men on .,
whom it can depend in times Of pubic peril
il must not shrink from the burden winch
such an organization imposes. Our nahtia
should be composed of the best material In
tho State II should be formed of men VINO
knew their duty and who are fearless TO per
form il. And we cannot have such material II
the State pursues a narrow and illiberal poiicy.
Men who are engaged in the active pursuits
of life, who conduct business enterprises U"
their own account. will not cheerluhy re-
spond to the call of the State when the stare
refuses the meagre appropriation embraced
in this resolve. Why. sir. there are gentlemen
to-day in the volunteer service OF the STAR, ~, oi
Maine. who are sensitive on this point Ihey
feel aggrieyed. They say. and they say
truthfullv, that the State has not redeemed
its promises, that it has not fulfilled Its
| hedges. that il has not even c0mpiien
with its own law. This Is a
grave charge 10 prefer against a State
whose motto is DirigO. But 1t is
nevertheless true, and is susceptible OF the
clearest and most ample proof.
| Now I found the claims of the militia OF
our State upon good substantial ground
ground which l believe to be tenable.
place their claim upon the law of 1876. and
| for the information of the House l will read
that law Mr.. Goulding read the law bearing
upon the point.
| Now the State has agreed by this law to
furnish each enlisted man in the State OF
Maine with a coat, cap, overcoat, and pair
of pants every five years, dating from the year
1873. Has the State fulfilled its obligation!
The soldiers say it has not. The records of
legislative enactment say it has not. Then.
if it has not, you owe these soldiers f5O uni
forms to-day, and $50 uniforms at S25 per
uniform would amount to Ovef SIS 900. This
/ is what the State owes the militia of Maine.
Now, it is an honest debt, and in equity we
are bound to pay it. The gentleman from
Camden says he wants to pay the debts of the
State Here is chance for him to put in his
mite and pay these soldiers. 1t is an honest
debt which We owe them, and l tell you that
YOU cannot shield yourselves behind the in
solvency laws of the State and escape the
payment You cannot even repeal our mill
tia laws and in honor evade the payment of Il
debt which you have already contracted. Sc
you may take either horn of the dilemma you
choose. You may turn this way or you
may turn that way, and the militia will still
have YOU impaled upon those triangular bits
of steel called bayonets. And submit with
all respect to this House. that if we fail to dc
our duty, and fail to do justice to these sol.
diers, we ought to be so impaled.
Now we can do as the last legislature did
if we choose. We can ignore the just claims
of these soldiers. We can slam the doors of
legislation in their loyal faces. We can say
in substance to the militia of Maine, the
State is too poor to do you justice. She i:
too infirm to obey her laws. She is too dis
honest to meet her own obligations. But,
SIR, if you do this, if you turn
your backs upon these men and
thereby tarnish the honor of the
commonwealth by neglecting to do then
justice you will do it without my aid, and
in my humble opinion, in plain defiance o.
that moral principle which should govern
the action of every honest man.
On motion of Mr.. Goss of Auburn the yea,
and nays were ordered, and being taken, the
result was in the negative, as follows:
YEAs-Messrs. Dickey, Durham, Gdden, Hill o
Rowland, Howard of Westfed, Hunnewell, Hussey
Mclaughlin, Perry, Plaisted Stanley. waldron
Whpp!e-13.
NAYs-Messrs Abbott, Andrews Baker of Orripr
ton. Body, Bradstreet, Bragdon, Brigham of No
II Pl. Brooks. Butler, Clay. Colburn Cole of Cape
Elizabeth Cole of Smithfeld, Cook, Crane. Cutler
rell. Fennelly. French. Getchell. Gilman, Golf
GOss of Auburn, Goss of Bath Golding, GRAY
Hale Hall of Alfred. Hall of Nobleboro, Hanscom
Hartman of kennebunkport. Hartman of Read
field, Haskell. Hastings, Hatch, Heal, Hill of Exc
ter, Hilton of Embden, Horn, Hutchinson, ingalls,
yewett OF Richmond, Jewett of sangerville Jordan
Standish. Lering. Marble, Mason. McAllister. Nc
kusick. Menda Nash, Nickerson, Norton, Oliver
Parker Partridge, Payne, Porter, Purington Record
Redlon, Richards, Robbins, Rolfe, Roundy, Rowell
Simonton Smith of Buxton. Springer of Litchfeld
Springer of Yarmouth. sprouf, steward Stratton
Strout. Thomas of Durham, Thomas of Pennington
Ioothaker Trsffon. True Twitchell verril, Wales
Weeks, Willoughby Wilson of Columbia Falls
Wyman, YOung.-100.
So the House refused to indefinitely post
pone.
vi StdTkS. Rogers OF
Stetson and Smith of Vinalhaven by thei,
request, were excused from voting.
The resolve was then passed to he en-.
crossed.
The majority and minority reports of the
Committee on Education were taken IN. and
Mr.. SPRINGER moved to substitute the mi
nority report, which reduces the amour,
which towns may receive from the State from
s5o0to $3.50, for that ofthe majority which re.
ports bill suspending the operations of the
law for one year.
Mr.. DICKEY of Fl. Kent advocated the mi
nority report, although the bill did not exact.
ly meet with his approval. But it could be
amended if thought desirable
On motion of Mr.. HATcH of Bangor. the
reports were laid on the table. and assigned
| for to morrow at II o'clock
Bill an act relative to the management n,
the Maine Insane Hospital was taken from
the table on motion of Mr. BUTLER of Vassal.
boro', and on motion of Mr. Earox of Wilton
laid on the table, and assigned for Tomorrow
at ii o'clock.
Adjourned.
| READ AND ASSIGNED.
An act granting permission 10 s +
Bryant. Anthony Luques. J. A. Wheeler and
Others, to locate and construct railroad from
kennebunk to Kennebunkport in York coun.
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