The Portland daily press., 1889-03-06
ARE THEY AFRAID OF THE PEOPLE ?
Kennebec and Penobscot Suddenly
Take Back Tracks.
The Senate Votes Legislation Inex-
pedIent on the Capital Removal.
Mr.. LIbby's Forcibie Reply to the
Speech by Mr.. Heath.
,special to the Press

nobscot took back tracks on their avowed
policy of ..waiting for the voice of the peo-
ple." They were in very great hurry MOTTO
wait today, and the larger part of the Senate
| humorsd their haste. The debate opened
when Senator Libby first called up the ma
| jority and minority reports on the removal
OF the State Capital. Senator Ryder tried to
| get the resolve for the Bangor Insane Hospi-
tai in ahead, but did not succeed. Mr.. Ryder
did not seem pleased at this, but could not
help it. The capital question had the right
Of way.
Senator Simpson then moved that the mi
| nority report, which recommended no legis-
lation, be substituted for the majority.
The two reports were read.
| Senator Heath then began speech in fa-
vor of Senator Simpsons motion. He said
the origin of this question was remarkable.
1t started by letter from veteran legisla-
| tor and statesman, who wrote letter to the
| Portland PRESS recommending the removal
of the Capital to Portland. This failed to
make any impression, and the subject was
then taken up as a newspaper sensation by
| the Portland PRESS. And, without the aid
OF any other newspaper, the question was
brought to the point where special com
mittee was raised by the legislature to exam
inc the expediency of removal of the seat
OF government. The next move was an ex-
cursion of this committee--whose impartiali-
ty Mr.. Heath eulogized at length, If not
with sincerity-to Portland, where they
were generously and royalty entertained.
Then lhearing was allowed to the people.
But the people of Portland took the House
and monopolized the hearing, crowding out
the people interested. Another beasing was
then assigned. AT that hearing the House
OF Representatives was filled by great and
wonderfully spontaneous throng. Mr.. Heath
dwelt somewhat at length upon what seems
TO have been the discontinue OF the Angus
ia people when they arrived and found the
people from other parts Of the State In pos
session on the night of the second great
committee hearing
The first question which met the commit
tee was one of cost.
But the Portland p. ople presented no plans
carefully made, but simply sketches. This
they backed up by the testimony Of Mr.. Fas-
sett, an eminent architect, but who admitted
that he had not made careful estimates.
Against this the people of Augusta present
ed the testimony of an eminent Boston ar
chitect who said from Mr.. Fassett's own
plans the cost OF new capitol would be
about 100000.
This was not the first time that Portland
had knocked at the door asking for the Cap
itol. She had come before, in the dark days
OF the civil war, but was denied.
Senator Heath then went on to review the
experiences of other States in building State
Houses, claiming that these cases showed
that State House could not be built in
Maine for less than million and a half of
dollars.
Mr.. Heath said it had been refreshing
within the last three days to see that the
columns of the Portland PRESS have been
preaching economy to the legislature of this
state. Yet In Mr.. Heath's opinion the sums
Tor the Capitol could never be raised but by
taxation. The committee had suggested
that the direct tax money be used but the
direct tax bill was a will o the wisp,
and even II the money should ever come TO
Maine 1t should go to pay the war debt.
This obligation should not be violated to sat
isfy the praisworthy ambition of the CITY of
Portland. But even If the direct tax money
should be used, 1t would, with all Portland
could give, De lar below the actual cost Of
new State House.
Mr.. Heath objected to referring the ques-
tion to the next legislature. No one could
question the honesty, the sincerity, and the
public spirit of the people of Portland.
But the people OF the State were concerned,
and If they wished a removal they would
work upon the next legislature without
having the matter referred from this.
Senator Libby replied to Mr.. Heath's argu-
ment. The Senator from Kennebec, he said,
a particular locality, and had spoken of it as
started by newspaper. The Senator from
Kennebec had certainly paid high tribute
to the influence of the press when he attri-
buted so large and important movement to
the influence of a single newspaper. Mr..
Libby said his acquaintance with this State
House went back twenty years. Discomfort
for all that time had been shown with the
poor, the inadequate and even unhealthy
character OF the accommodations furnished
by the present State House. And the fact
that an unofficial inquiry by a newspaper
correspondent showed so much discomfort,
when the members spoke their minds freely,
spoke volumes for the discomfort Of the peo-
pie with this Capitol. And our friends from
Augusta must remember also that time and
again they have asked for repairs to this
State House, thereby acknowledging its in
convenience and its defects. Yet our friends
in Augusta had seemed to think that this
State House was sacred place not to be dis
turbed, whenever anything had been said
about new Capitol. They had talked about
the old associations and about vested rights.
The Senator from kennebec had sought to
discredit the committee who had made the
report; though it was a well defined princi-
ple OF parliamentary law that committee
should always be constituted favorable to
the object for which it Is raised.
The committee had made their report, the
expression of their opinion, and it was prop
er to have it go on record in that report that
the city Of Portland, the most beautiful and
accessible city in the State, had offered free
of cost an elegant site, aud, moreover that
the citizens of Portland had offered con
tributon OF 100000 with which to begin
the building of new State House.
The great bugbear always raised when a
new Capitol was considered, was that of ex-
pense. The Senator from Kennebec had
raised 1t this morning. and had told how the
Capitol Of the State of Nebraska had cost
that Nebraska State House, and had been
through It: 1t was an elegant and commod-
lous building such as would befit State like
Maine. And the cost of 1t showed that
Maine could have suitable Capitol without
any OF the extravagant expenses prophesied
by the gentleman from Augusta. Could
not State House be built in Maine for a
reasonable cost? Did corruption so reign in
Maine that contracts have no binding force
on those who undertake to carry them out?
Why, the city building Of Portland, mag
nifcent building. cost only little over $780,
600 from foundation to dome. To show that
a capitol would be built within the es-
timated cost, Mr.. Libby read
letter sent to the committee by wealthy
and responsible contractor of Portland. In
this letter from Mr.. James Cunning
ham, who built the railroad shops
at Waterville and the Union
station at Portland, Mr.. Cunningham stated
tudt nc WOuiu ouiiu CdpitVl On biLner Lle
plans of MIR. Fassett or Mr.. Stevens, and
would give bonds of $4,000 that it should
not cost over the estimates made by the ar
chitects at the hearing at Augusta.
Senator Heath asked if this included the
heating or the furnishings.
Mr.. Libby said he could not tell this. He
merely read the letter to offset the fancifnl
reports that the building of a now canitol
would involve tremendous expense.
Was the offer of Portland feasible offar9
Was II one that the State could accent with
out risk? The Senators should consider the
source of this offer, and who made it. II
was the City of Portland, which pavs one-
eighth Of the State tax, backed by Cnmher-
land county, which pays over on6-ouarter of
the tax and backed by the sentiment ~
more than one-half Of the people of the
State who could be better conyenienced in
Portland than anywhere else. -
The people OF Portland had made n gener-
| Gus, even magnificent offer, and 1t wo1ld he
unjust for this legislature to substitnte q re'
| mort that repulses that offer.
So far as the question of taxation was con-
| cerned, Mr.. Libby said that the agricnItnral
| regions of the State were not SO mncb in
| terested in that because many of those local
| ities received back in school monev mora
| than they paid out In taxes. This was NOT so
| of the city Of Portland, whose tax monev
went partly to give educational adyantaees
| TO the people of the agricultural regions
The Senator from Kennebec had said that
! the CITY of Augusta was not In the anction
business. Very likely, 1t was hardly
| courteous that such a taunt should be thrown
against any city that came up in good faith
and offered its assistance to the State. Rnt
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