Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-12-16
the Next LEGISLATURE.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

Editor D,aSscH
The Legislature will soon meet, and
from present appearances, u Viii be
very busy session. several very In
por,ant matter. will come before IL, for
II. action, II great Importance Ca the
i-ople Of the state. Ia thi. connection
several things srr desirable.
4. The senate AMI House elected by
III. people. should lcsi.l,ts, and not the
Third House" .ent there by corpora
tIou. ani Interested parties. Lsgi.l,tlng
for priyat. Interests, anil not for the
pabllc good, h,. of late year. b-come
quite too common In our own gooi old
stats IL Maine. our Legislation. mc-,-
log Ia session but once In two years, In
onlsr io make the session. as short q.
po..IbI-. have entrusted important mat
ter. too much to INSCRIPTIONS, unprin-
,lplc,i lobbyists, aud nkrn their r-prc-
.entati0ns, Instead ~ investigating pro-
po.ei measure. for thcm selves.
z. Inexperienc-'i m.mhcrs ss a gen
rr.I rule arr too much Inclined to follow
''leai.r., to vote q. they vote, iguor-
Ing their ovn Judgment ani depending
uI,oa the opinion 10 Others, Instead II
having an opinion ~ their osn. Lad
cr.. hove,vr honest, arr NO, alsays
right. Men Who aspire "a become mem
t~r. % the i.sgi.laturr, arv prc.umri Ia
have sufficient business capacity Ia OIL
th. position. they seek, without lo.lng
tit-ir personality.
Z. The pcople ~ Maine have had
''logrolllngH legislation enough within
IA. last f-w years "a last them fcr the
newt half century. Especially !. this
charge true IL Ga. last Legislature,
which In many Respects VA. on" of ths
most prohlg ate Legislatures thit.,.r dl.-
,rsc.si III. state. What va. known AZ
ia. ''combln.," emboiyins the old .ay-
Ing, "yOu scratch my back aud ! vii
tickle your slbow," Vas an agreement "a
..Ilne drives" and plunder th. state
treasury 81 siJO,OD Ia repair the old
state House, slDo,Upo "a put an addition
al wing Ia the Insane hospital al Au-
su.ia, which already had seven head.
and ten horns" ssO,OcJ for a lite Tor q
new Insane hospital At Bangor, sjo,OSl
to purchase back Aroo.took Lands, sni
paw doable what the state reviewed Tor
them, after the proprietor. had stripped
them ~ their timber. aud s.D,0D Tor q
hospital al Lewiston. These measures
wcrr .eycnlly put through, excepting
the lewiston appropriation, which,
after helping all ia. others, IA. In
sloriou.ly left out In the cold. Til.
sick.d combine va. engineered by Z
powerful lobby, Who, With blank 20,
llilcsl appointments la their pockets, aud
other appliance. too numerou. to men
ton, event through" the State treasury
Ia the tune Of tAres AsAsir,'i iAosslHd dot
lars.
1. Thi. combine wa. entirely In the
Interest ~ the middle aud eastern sec
ton. of the state, With headquarters al
Augusta and Bangor. IL WAS ring
trade Ia oyer.lsugh Portland aud the en-
tire western portion 81 the state. Tbs
magnificent off.r of Portland Ia make 4
Gift Ia the State of sspo,Op toward. th'
erection of a new State House was boot
e,i at. scoies of members, Who Ia th'
early part Of the session, voluntarily
expressed them .elyc. In favor ~ q new
state capitol at Portland turned com
plete .omer.ault and were found truig
Ing along following In the wake Of tn
| Augusta rlng-a most slckenlng sight Il
every citizen who has the least rrgsrt
for the reputation or honor OF his state
8. The people IL Msioe have suffers
enough from extrayag ,nce In legi.la
ton, Ia call a halt. The last Legisla
ture run the State la debt q cool hal
million. II rai.e.i salaries of otiicer'
about si3,0)D. Men Who are electe'
To ofiice with an implied promise To serve
for the then existing salary, M soone'
get Into these public positions, than the,
90 Ia the Legislature for an Increase
The humillating thing about this sense
less clsmor for increased pay IL the fac
that the applicants generally get wha
they demsn Any Que Who will TAX
the trouble 90 look over the "Acts an'
Resolves" Of the Maine Legislature 10
the last ten years will he astouniiri n
the continusl increase At every session
Of the pay Of Officers on a regular salary
q. The people, especially the farmers
with good reason complain of thei
taxes, aud the general cry IL for re
duction. Why not ''lay the axe At tb'
root Of tho tree" ani stop exirsvagtnc
In legislstions As thlngs have been go
Ing 90, taxes vill have Ia BE- Increased
Instead nj belng reduced.
Z. And now u IL we'll enough for th
people 10 understand that new plots an
schemcs are being laLi for new raids up
on the State treasury at the cominl
session 81 the Legislature. The old Au
gusts ring. Who played ''boss" over Oh
last Legislature about ne they pleased
will put In claim for another $1,000
To rzl.e the dome of the ola State House
cover it With tInseled gold, and other
wlse adorn the old part, To make IL "a
they say) compare with the new. Tn
success of thls formidable junto Ia de
plotting the treasury Of sguarr u a miI
iioa of dollars, two years slnce, 10 be ex
pended In Augusta, will make II boil
and audscious In its demands on Oh
next Legislature.
The air IL full Of other plots agains
the trcasury,--Dew hospitals, new "a
formstories, new normal schools. 10
crease Of salaries, AMI sauiry other 'pu
up Jobs" will 30 prsei upon the lncom
Ing Legislature. ltwili do no harm. "a
tie proj,ie "a keep thclr eycs on thel
representatives. "Pocwsruet-rors
armed" u . grand old motto. whethe
.a1r