Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-28

wears p3lN al flest tAxtes krSAWN pNt-
tor Of which are expended in lie upper part
of the town, and are going to continue 20 to
do if the town 10 undivided. should be OBJ
hged, when they want this solitary single
improvement, to rura round and pay for the
whole of it, and tnen pay two-thirds of all
the improvements on the other side. tbs
unjust and it does not commend itself to the
American sense of fair play. l submit that
ii won't be countenarced by this committee
or endorsed by any legislature, because il
conflicts with that deep se-se Of justice
which believe we all possess in common.
This improvement, of water is onl, type
of all other improvements needed. They must
have other improvements. They asked for
fire engine, but failed 10 get it. After get
ting an engine they were obliged TO run it by
private subscription. As one of the wit
nesses pithiiy remarked: The whole vii
lage of the Hsrbor has been supported and
run in every line of Improvement by private
subscription, and at the same time they have
been paying two-thirds of the taxes of all the
rest of the town. Isn't ii time the line were
drawn and these people were free to pay for
their own Improvements. and not the bills of
every body else?
Now the counsel says the new town cannot
afford to pay for these Improvements; that
he does not think it judicious. and he has got
| some bee in his bonnet in relation to land
| boom that every once in v lille he hurls at
the committee. | don't know what that has
| to do with this case. But he saws they can
not afford this. The petitioners only ask
that they may be allowed to judge for them
selves as to that. They do not ask counsel
of the distinguished attorney from Rockland
upon that point. 1t is their own property
and they ask to be permitted to judge for
| themselves.
The future has its demands upon that place
as well as the past. You have now town
that does not grow. Why, the counsel says
that the only wish of these remon strants here
is TO be able to die in the old town. Well, |
don't know whether the counsel meant TO say
that that was really the solitary ambition
that they had that they never expected, if
the town was to be kept together. that they.
could do anything bur die in il Blu, if tina,
was his suggestion, why, the committee will
not forget that the cemetery and the hearsc
house are in the old town, 50 that every ap
purtenance is there for tina purpos.
| Laughter Gentlemen, our prayer is
little different. We do not come here asking
SIMPLY 10 be allowed 10 die in our town, but
We ask 10 be allowed TO hive in il, and to
thrive with it, and to help build il up, and
while We are building il up, To build
up the industries d the capital and the
resources aud the growth of Maine. That is
what the petitioners are here for, and they
do no, want To be handicapped in their race
for life much lolgcr. And the counsel SAYS
with reference 10 these things, that the town
was carrying out the advice in certain CIR
ular which he seemed To he very fond of
and the heading of which he kept constantly
reiteratng,-"L before you leap" not
I So, l..
the remoastrants have slightly misappreheni-
ed the real force of that. 1t WAS look be
fore you leap, and not, keep looking, but
never leap" Now the remonstrants here
have been looking two years but they have
never leapt. We want a town where they
will look before they leap, but after they
have got done looking they will some time
leap. And we ask the committee to assist
the petitioners by giving them that opportu-
nlty. The future is before them Bound
hand and foot as they are not by any mali
ciousness on the part of the other inhab
tants who are good citizens, but simply by
this ineradicable diversity of interest grow
ing more with every year-tied up and bound
as they are by that clashing of interests. SO
long as the town of Boothbay renal in its
present artificial borders, the reason for
!, which has long since passed away, il will re-
main AS II now Is, retrogresslye, shrinking
lwindiiag village and town, which cannot
: offer that inducement 10 capital which ii must
if they woul buli themselves up. But once
div breed, and there Is removed from
these two sections the only thing that has ever
divided them, these great que stons Of public
policy. the two towns will both 20 forward
rhe new town will spring to the front with
no uncertain bound Il will bring in new
industries. build up the hot, |, develop AMI
build d. its land t, a certain extent. And
: with tina, growth What will happen 10 he old
> town: They wIllhr stimulate 10 rivalry, and
at ai,y rate they will thrive by having near
"r a"d better market for their produce, and
til. two will go forward consistently together
h m'v seem the language of prorhesy hut
rghtiy Jagged ii is simply the echo of expc-
l rience AMI appeal To you gentlemen, if
you do not know instances where by he di-
vorcement of these antagonistic interests
each town has lelped forward in the step of
progress. We believe tina; to deny the pray
er of this petition would be 10 do injustice to
: the petitioners would be to keep two people
tied together who have ceased to he united
by unity of interest; wuild be 10 vote
: against prosp' rity and to vote to dismiss ev-
: cry article founded or hope and growth and
progress And if you take that view, gen
} tiemen of the committee. you will reach your
own conclusions as to what you ought to do
: and divide this tow ! al such point and by
J such line AZ Won think tit and proper.