Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-03-18

nm which such CONCLUSIONS are DSseu, ate :"
some instances, not only unwarranted IN As
sumption but unfounded in fact.
Now submit to the members OF tins
House that the Governor of State who in
his public inaugural, advertises or even inti-
mates 10 the world that the State over which
he has the honor to preside is hot-bed of
oppression and injustice. takes very delicate
step. inasmuch as such q statement, coming
from so high q source, necessarily Injuries
and belittles that State, both in the eyes OF
its citizens and in the eyes of the civilized
world. And when a deep-seated impression
once takes root that the citizens Ofthe old Pine
State are fleeing from her borders because OF
oppression, and because of unwaolesome
laws, then I submit that the future of our
State is dark indeed. If these complaints
and these criticisms are well founded in fact.
then it is the duty Of the Executive, painful
though it NAV be, to tell us the causes
of the disease. that the proper remedy may
be applied. But the greatest care should be
taken to kaoc that all such statements are well
founded in fact lest seeds of discomfort are
thereby sown among fairly prosper
Gus and contented people. Yes. gentle
men. ! will go one step farther land
in this I will admit that the Governor
of the State of Maine represented this
exactly as he believed it, I will admit
all that, am only criticising the truth
Of the statements in this minority report,)
but will go one step farther. and | will say
that ,caaf of care in a document like that,
the not making certain that the statements
therein contained are well founded in fact,
amounts almost to criminal neglect, mas
much as il is a direct stab at our prosperity
in cold blood in the light of day. True, it is.
that many Of the people of this State have
gone from our midst TO people other States;
and to-day the sons of Maine are scattered
from the Atlantic to the Pacific slope: and
wherever found they are no dishonor to their
native State. Applause. True it is, too,
in my judgment, that As rule those who
have gone from our midst have not been
those who were GROUND down by poverty.
who were unable to obtain a livelihood at
home, have not been those who were fleeing
from UNIV holesome laws and from the bur-
dens of taxation. but rather they have been our
intelligent, ambitious, capable men who re-
allied the advantages which only new
State can offer, and who went from our
midst, not because of oppression at home. as
is represented by this minority report, but
because of brighter allurements abroad. And
SO when this report on page % says, ''thou-
sands of our citizens have left the State dur
ing the decade to escape their burdens of
debt and taxation | say my blood quickens
at what believe TO be an unjust criticism
upon my native State.
As matter of fact Maine does protect her
poor and her laboring men better than the
majority of the States in this Union. And
submit to members of this House of both
parties that the States are few where the
arms of the law are thrown so often, so sum-
marly and so effectually between the poor
man and his hungry creditor. And that be
ing the fact. believe such statement from
this minority committee as have just read and
on that l take issue with the gentleman from
Van Buren)-I believe that such statements
do tend to create bitterness i'll the hearts of
the labOring men: and in my judgment any
statement which tends to engender dis
cord between the classes is disastrous
and worse than cruel. In this land, thank
God. the poor cannot get along without the
rich neither can the rich get along without
the poor. What is for the interest of one is
for the interests Of both. The two should go
hand in hand. And it is worse than cruel to
scatter the seeds of discomfort where content
ment might and ought to reign. And in my
judgment, gentlemen, those who do. are too
often mere political knares, who care not for
the truth, who are guided and governed by
blind and selfish ignorance and interests. and
who are entitled to the respect of no human
being on the face of Gods earth. Applause |
Now. at the risk of very little repetition
as to what was said this afternoon. wish
ONE more to call your attention to the Ian
guage of this minority report which reads as
follows:
Zone of the most efficient causes tending
to drive citizens from the State, is the law
of Imprisonment for debt. as all must admit
who know anything of its operation.
This law is made the means of great
oppression. Demands are cut up into
small amounts, ten or fifteen dollar
notes given, execution taken out upon each.
and the debtor is pursued, harassed and OPP
pressed until he is forced to leave the State
to preserve his personal liberty"
What picture of oppression. Such state
ments as those, fall upon the ears of the I'M
fortunate with sweet and welcome sound.
unless, perchance, their manliness and their
thoughtful candor, exceed their poverty
Such statements, in my opinion, act like fire.
brands to force the unfortunate and the un-
thinking into discord and discomfort 1t
seems to me that they breed disaster in every
syllable, and encourage walls of discomfort
from every putrid lip of hate. cannot look
upon it otherwise. believe, too, that thev
are unfounded in fact in the face of existing
law. And will read the law. and its Ian
guage is my excuse for the language use in
relation to this question. 1t is as follows.
and found in chapter l2l of the public laws
of 1876: ''When a plaintiff brings divers
suits at the same term of a court against
the same party, which might have
been joined in one, or divides
an account that might all have been sued for
in one action, and commences successive
suits upon parts of the same, or brings more
than one suit on joint and several contract,
he shall recover costs in only one of them,
and on only one of the judgments shall execu-
ton run against the body of the same defend
ant unless the court after notice to the de
PENDANT, and hearing. certifies that there was
good cause for commencing them
Now / say that instead of depressing, the
law directly interferes to protect poor man
in the State of Maine. And thank God that
it is so; for l am in keen sympathy with the
labOring man myself. 1t has not been nv
lot to wear away the hours in detestable
laziness. am thankful that in the State of
Maine. a man who earns his living is re-
spected that man is not measured nv his
wealth, but by his ability. his integrity. his
character and his goodness applause1. And
l say, that such statement as that coming
from this minority committee, in nv judg-
ment would not be Endorsed by the thinking.
lsboring men Of the State of Maine to-day.
But let me call your attention Just once
more to the language of this minority report
on page % 1t is "a fellows.