Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-28

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snsvef TO all questions. and il be has no
presented true and full iist, or does no
answer the questions, he 10 liable to thi
ine and penalty. This defeats absolutei,
the operation not only Of the Law which
Is intended 10 amend. but the Law which i
on the stx;nte books to day. The Rres
difficulty row Is that the assessors d.
not ascertain the personal property
Of the state to be taxed and under thil
: viii they do any more? Il 10 not sooS
common sense to suppose for . minute tha,
they viii do any such thing. There ha.
been . widespread opposition to this meas.
ure from all parts Of the State on the
ground that it was going to destroy the in.
dustries and drive the capital OUT Of the
State. Il is my desire not to pass single
act that shall ipjure the interests Of The
State Of Maine, and IL believed tha. there
were law pending before this body Of tha,
rAture l should vote against it, but l do no,
believe tha. = measure which simply asks
every man TO stand upon an equal footing
with bis neighbo, is unjust or wrong, or
that it will drive property out of the
State. do net believe that q law which
simply Gays that every man shall bear his
| jus, burden Of tsxstion is wrong or burden
some or that anybody can reasonably .fed
fault with il, and the bill have presented
here, IS amended. simply requires that and
nothing more, ard the amendment Of the
senator from kennebec requires that and
nothing more.
Mr.. Ssanscn Of Sagsdshoc-The bill pre-
sented by the senator from Kennebec,
which is called the ''iisting system" is ev-
identity pet scheme with him, ss he has
spent an hour at least il instructing us in
regard te it few days ago. and as it did
not meet the approval Of the Senate he a.
tacks the bill which was seconded by me.
which 10 simply listing system in another
form. Ii is not his listing system, and
therefore he is opposed to it. oppose his
listing system because, as / stated, the
practical working Of it would not be a. be
anticipated or expected. The present law
is listing system in itself and the sme nd
| ments which the senator from Aroostook
proposed we're proposed without consults-
ton with me, but it was . point which
had IN miod to present instead of the report
which signed as Legislation inexpedieut"
oa tha part of the committee, and am
heartily in sympathy with his amend ment,
and hope the substitute OF the gentleman
| from Aroostc0k will prevail.
Mr. Libby Of Androscoggin-I feel that
the attack which has been made upon
the seoators on this floor by certain
senators from Kennebec upon the honesty
and int gfity of the senator's assembled
here charging that we are Influenced in
| wbate yer We do by packed lobby OF CAP
itslists, demands something more than
casual notice. The chairman of the COM
mission is a Kennebec county man. This
matter, so far AS the isting system is con.
! eerned, has been advocated here by the
genllsman from ksnnebec. l want to
state, for one, that l came here with the
conscious desire and determination to do
hat III ought and believed for the interest
of my constituency and the people of this
State. If they want the tax laws revised,
l am in favor Of the revision. If they want
listing system, | am in favor Of il,
but have never been approached by n
capitals; in this matter that know of. i
know Of no reason why every man should
not pay his just part of taxation in this
State. But that it is desirable that we
should pass bill TO give some gentleman
or some eoterie of gentlemen the honor of
having ADVISED and devised something, it
seems TO me is not 20 necessary or desirable
at this time a, it i. TO do some level headed.
practical legislation. l do not know
what the occasion may be, bu. I
think. whsn We have inflicted upon
us these two hours speeches from the
gentleman from Kennehec that there is
some stress Of circumstance here, and es-
pecisliy do think so when we review The
history of this matter AID see where it
orjeinated There is some reason behind
il, and when we are informed iha. there
ere as many candidates for Congress in
Kenuehec county as there are voters, lack
ing one or two, We may see some reason
why these rne or two are Influenced
10 come in aud back up some fellow
to give him plurality of votes. When
this thing i. pressed with 90 mnch pertiosc-
ity it is evidence there is some reason be-
hind this buucombe. do not believe that
the honest ye0manry Of Maine need any
such kipd OF speeches here to make them
know and understand what is their duty,
and what they want in matters Of this kind
While am not opposed to any legislation
that locks TO AZ equal distribution of the
burdens of taxation will say that have
not received from my constituency this
overwhelming cal, which the gentlemen
from ke2netec claim they have
received from thsirs. | have had
various communications from members of
my party and one letter from very dear
friend OF mine wh1 asked ME to support
some kind Of a listing bill l have had
some communications from others, but not
a single one either capitalist or money lend
er, bus cur small trades people, farmers
| ard grsngsrs, protesting agsins. the listing
bill that the gentleman from Ksnnebec
brought here as the boiled oug wisdom of
this committee on taxation TO which were
delegated power and authority to bring in
some sort Of level headed, fair kidd
Of bill looking in this direction. Two
months after the session began there was
placed on our desks bill headed "The
Listing System" That bill hsd not teeD
daylight from the hsnds of tbst committee
forty eight hours before there came from
every corner of this State such hubbub
sn1 tcrnoil from all kinds, cigs.es ard
| conditions OF society that the senator from
kAnnebec, when he presented it, asked to
ii Ike out AID substitute something else for
it, and he very next moment after he bad
| asked TO strike out almost everything there
was in the bill and substitute another he
was telling Us that We must admit this
or go 10 the dogs. / do lot believe in
| ,uch baaiy and i'll judged boyi,h kind of
play as tha.. | believe proposition OF
such magnitude ought to be subHitted 10
;he sober and candid judgment of the
Sera.e and OF the people OF the State.
have 10 doubt the sIecisl tax committee
performed thei. duties conscientiousiy ard
with great labor, and / am saving noshioR
sgsinst the members of that COMMITTEES or
the bill they brought forward, but it is q
matter Of argument and opinion whether
we will Be benefited hv the transportation
Of the laws of Vermont into the
State nf Maine, or whether we eau last as
| well live under our institutions for time
longer. We hsd brought for~srd IN con
necii3n with this listing system BY the com
I mitsse this bill in two voiu mes, it being
! found too cumbersome to be put in one, and
| this is the savsnce series, The second
| contains % pages and 230 sections, and
| have, heard it stated by prominent lawyers
tNs' not less than seven or eisht constitu
/ uonsl objections existed which would be
| likely 10 make il nngs,o.y il passed. The
gent euan from Hennebec after he had
| argued for tro hours to empty seats
as he claimed against losing cause, found
! himself sso nightly surprised when the
vote stood II 10 IA that up TO this day he
hs- never dared TO say word about it for
fear he would get ma jority IN favor Of it
| This 9S- page document ~hieh understand
il tc come along in good reason I under-
stand wss amended in the House, or that it
was undertaken to amend it by striking ou.
| everything after the enacting clause sud
putting in fee or tix secrions In lieu
| Of the 230. 1 have not had an oppor-
tuni'y to look over this bill in the
shape in which it ha, been left BY the sen