The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-14

take the trouble to consider the matter and
examine their surroundings, the comforts
| they enjoy, the luxurles, the every day ne
| cessities, how few If traced to the fountain
mead could be marked to. the credit Of any
other source than that Of the husbandmaD."
Would 1t not be just as true and just as
fair to say that all the crime. misery and
sqlalor In the world, the resul Of intemper-
ance, Is chargeable to the same source. be-
cause the husbandman Is the fountain head?
Seeing and hearing are natural blessings
common to all" says the citizen. But judged
by his article he should be classed among
those who having eyes see not, and having
ears hear not. Or Is he only assembling?
Take for example his effort to make his
readers believe that certain scurril0uS mat
ter dubbed poetry, on the water issue, is the
product of one side only. What has so blinded
those natural blessings" In himself that he
has not heard of the little printing press on
the hill that has been turning this stuff out
for the anti-water side, even making bust
ness Of it by selling 1t at five cents copy?
Pardon me for inquiring whether Citizen
was not present at the anti-water meeting In
this town few evenings ago, where one OF
5ss s3 GPSs 1 PC Ss 81 Tesa Sans
replied to Citizens article in kind, he not
deigning to discuss the real Issue, the water
question, on its merits.
Now, In defence of the farming section on
this question, the PRESS says editorially,
OF the taxes; that they have no protection
from fire; that their schools are inferior and
their roads are poor. As to the paying OF
taxes and the question of roads the two may
be considered together. III the farmer has
poor roads 1t Is his own fault. Does he not
make and repair them himself with money
that ho votes himself for that purpose? Yea,
and ha even receives this same money back
again for work on the highway. wherewith
he offsets his taxes, in some cases having
cash balance to his credit. 1t may be asked.
then, IL the average farmer pays any tax at
all, since he Is permitted to render doubt
ful equivalent in labor on the roads.
The man who owns house and lot, or he
who rents holding Of this kind, Is the more
honest and direct taxpayer OF the two. The
latter has no opportunity, II he would, to
work out his taxes" He may be saYlor,
fisherman, or employed as a mechanic or cay
laborer. 1t takes all his hard earnings U
pay his landlord and support his family. He
Is sneered at by the Ignorant and unthinking
as "poll-tax payer" when In fact he Is the
only honest and direct taxpayer In the COM
munity.
The farmers best protection from fire is
his isolated position. He also has the insur-
ance privileges that others have.
1t Is only villages and cities, for obvious
reasons, that require facilities for extinguish-
ing fires. IL the schools in the rural districts
OF Cape Elizabeth are inferior now, how will
they be improved by dividing the town, as
the PRESS suggests, for then the populous
sections would all be grouped In one part,
q remedy could only make the schools In the
farming sections poorer than now.
The real question at issue, Sebago water,
or no Sebago, will, 1t Is hoped, be decided be-
fore the going down Of the sun today.
SQUARE AND FAIR.