The Portland daily press., 1889-02-23

should be worthy Of the purposes for which
Is designed II Is the place where the Gov
ernor and his Council perform the high
9utles OF the executive office; where the leg
lslature assemblies to shape the laws Of our
state; where the principal offices Of the civil
and the military administration OF the State
are established, and 1t ought to be worthy Of
them; It ought TO be of size and capacity,
adequate to meet all these demands, and be
arranged and planned as to meet all the pur-
poses OF the public business. 1t not only
ought TO be Of suitable arrangement. Size and
capacity, 50 that the comfort and conven-
be promoted, but 1t ought also to be Of a styIe
OF architecture which will satisfy the ludg-
ment and taste OF the people Of the State and
OF strangers when they come here TO see 1t;
proach the capitol with a feeling Of salts
Iactl0n and Eride that IL Is the State House,
the Seat OF Government, the Capitol building
OF his own State. do not believe that these
are things In respect to which we are In great
danger OF falling into wastefulness or ex-
trayagance, or into abuses In the expenditure
OF public funds. Confne public expenditures
strictly 70 these legitimate purposes TO the
great lines OF public use and public benefit,
winch our Constitution and laws establish
ior Ine expenditure OF public money, and we
snail not thereby do any wr0Eg.
have beard 1t intimated that the sum
stated as the proper amount for this pro-
posed capitol was very small sum, only the
opening wedge for larger amount to be used
an anu nave heard people speak Of millions to
pe S1pended In the erection OF capitol
building Now 1t seems to me the sum
stated Is very large amount, and so far as
can Judge OF 1t, more than ought to be ex-
RSnusa Tha saat t9s saen capitol as Is required.
diture OF millions In such building as that.
you necessarily imply that there Is dis
nOnest and improper use Of the public
moneys, and the legislature of this state
VIII never allow anything Of that sort TO take
place, With the good judgment, ability and
experience that will be exercised In this mat
ter by the committees of this legislature, a
full, adequate and satisfactory on the score
OF usefulness, satisfactory result, satisfae-
tory on the score OF taste and architecture.
can be arriged.at without spending dollar
more than what has been stated, and lit does
seem TO me 1t ought to be arrived at with
out spending so much.
shall occupy your time but few minutes
more. Having said that there Is a substan-
tlal unity Of sentiment in favor of new
state house that there Is a large concurrence
OF sentiment In favor Of having rew build.
ing, even 1t were 20 be erected in Augusta.
ratner than any reconstruction Of this hay
IN ing SAD What have to indicate my Judgment
tnat the state can afford. and ought, to have
II now, II you should concur with me In the
results which have reached thus far, then
the question Is: Where shall the capitol be
erectedE what Is to be In the. future until
De mad, the capital Of this State?
Let me say single word In regard to the
principle upon which, as 1t seems to me, that
should be determined. 1t is simply a ques-
Ilon Of the general good, Of what the general
interests OF the people OF this State require.
IL is merely question Of what the people
desire In regard to it. and local or partial In
terests must be subordinated in the determi-
nation Of the question: What does the gen
eral good demandP
Years ago when xvas mara dtraotl,, ana
Intimately acquainted with different parts Of
Ine state than am at present, and had more
frequent opportunities to become familiar
Win Win the people, l know that settled con-
vlctlon impressed itself upon my mind, by
casual conversation with gentlemen In diff
ferent portions Of the State that the feeling
was really In favor Of having Portland for
tne capital l know in different parts Of the
otate as nave met legislators returning from
the sessions Of the legislature, or going home
during vacation, having In my mind no in
terest or motive in regard to 1t, was struck
Dy what seemed to me to be very wide
anu general feeling prevailing through the
State that the capital ought to be In Portland.
And that impression has remained fixed
want.
Now. gentlemen this is why am here to-
nlgnt. would not be here to advocate this If
ala not entertain that belief l would not
come here and attempt to manufacture any
sentiment In regard to this.I would not come
here and undertake to persuade reluctant or
hostile men Of the desirability of having the
capiIai cap .s removed % Portland; because do
tnink 1t is thing that should be determined
Dy the actual feeling and judgment of this
StaIe, and believe l am right when / say
ina mat the s real feeling and jugment Of the peO
pie OF Maine, speaking generally and apart
from all local and immediate Interests, Is In
the city OF Portland.
On tine score of accessibility claim that
the advantages are in favor Of Portland 1t
Is lm az the starting point, or meeting point Of
lt is the point to which they converge. Such
q point Is better than anyone place on single
line. The most central point, in our day, Is
tne point OF easiest accessibility by railroad
ana ana steamboat; Take the western part of
the state, and Portland is clearly the most
accessible, and we must bear in mind that
the western and southern parts OF the State
are the most p0pulous portions, comparative
ly. we should also bear In mind that the
people OF the eastern part Of Maine have
more occasion to come to the west than we
nave TO go to the east, You In the east fire.
quently go to Boston, New York, Washing
ton, and to different points over the country,
ana this brings you to the western part Of
the state. We have very little occasion to
go down to the east for the purpose Of going
beyond, to the Provinces. The current of
travel Is not naturally that way. Portland
plainly s fortunate in having larger facili-
Ses TO offer you than any other city in the
State. The summer travel is increasing
there. The whole vicinity of Portland is
getting TO be watering place, and all the
time the hotels are enlarging their
facilities 70 accommodate summer travel.
Those hotels filed In the summer will be
much less crowded in winter, affording ad-
ditional facilities to the legislature. Now
In addition to that we offer you site for
this capitol which is, In our judgment, the
most beautiful spot within the limits Of the
pifv Of Portland VVffhOnf QvaQnffnn n
is there on our Western promenade, which Is
the pride OF all our public grounds, looking
off to the mountains of New Hampshire,
"blue with loftiness and distance" as Theo-
d0re Parker said OF the mountains of Vir-
ginia, or white in the snow and sunlight;
looking down upon the harbor; looking off
upon the open sea, over the city, down on
our historic and beautiful park, the Deering's
oaks. IL there is any spot within the limits
Of the city Of Portland which is beautiful for
situation, It IS the spot which we have
selected and offer TO you as the site for this
capitol: 1t Is not only beautiful. but il is
accessible. 1t Is right up the hill from the
Union station, where all the trains come
part Of the city. 1t is proposed to have such
an arrangement OF streets about this site as
the State may desire. The travelled path on
the western promenade could be swung out
to the brow OF the hill, and add or 3 acres
II don't know how much land-directly to
this site which we propose to offer. II Is all
public ground to the south and west.
Now there Is beautiful site, accessible
and convenient for all, and the citizens OF
Portland propose TO offer, 1t to yoa
free Of all expense They propose
to offer you every hospitality Of the
the city, both public and private. And in
addition TO that our merchants and other
men propose to see that you have a sufficient
guaranty for another hundred thousand dol
lars. Now l am not going to detain you
further; but II am right-and submit Ii 10
you, because there are gentlemen here who
know whether am fright or motif | am
right in my estimate as to the real Judgment
and feeling Of the people Of this State on this
matter, and II the city Of Portland Is ready
to offer reasonable terms, and lis going fnr.
ther than that and even Offering generous
terms to you, why should not this thing be
done now? Is there any better time than
now to do a thing which is demanded by the
general good and which Is In accordance
with the general will? The city Of Portland
Is the old capital of the State. 1t Is where
the Constitution Of this State was framed.
Jhe causes for removal were accidental and
temporary, have passed away. The city Of
Portland suffered IFS departure, but the re-
gret for 1t has always fingered with the peo-
pie Of the city, and fingers there today. And
while wehave made no complaint about 1t,
still we have always believed that the time