The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-01-07

snd the courage OF his convictions. They
know him, too, to be "a clean man IN all
the relations of life. lie Is both II temper
ance aud temperate man He not only
breaches abstlt ence but he has pract'ced IT
all his lie
All Of these things have made tie G.A-
ernor exceedingly popu Al with the people
OF Maine. They do not, however, account
for the united and enthusiastic support
that he IL receiving among the farmers in
his present canvass. The reason for tins
is found In the fact that during his whole
oilicial life Governor Burlegh has been II
firm and uncompromising fiiend of the
Agricultural interests of the state. Never
was this more cl, arly shown than during
the last session of the Legislature OF Maine.
WAS in attendance once upon that session
as committee of this state Grange, APP
pointed to look after the interests OF the
farmers of this state. While we were un
able to accomplish all We had hoped to we
were enabled to ascertain very clearly who
were our friends and who were our foes.
From the start We found an earnest, CON
sst, ut, untiring friend IN Governor Bur
leigh. We had mt the start three distinct
objects in view. !. The appointment OF
state Board of Assessors to be elected
by the Legislature 2. Inc establishing
OF a permanent Agricultural Department
at the State House. 5. such change IN
our system of taxation as should relieve the
farmers of the state of their present un-
lust proportion of the public burden.
Governor Burl.igh showed his friend
ship for us from the start by strongly en-
dorsing in his inaugural all Of the PROPOSE
tons Through INN We were enabled to
prestige of an outspoken executive backing
Concerning TINT me; sage | wish to say just
one word. | have never III my life read
an ADLER one have never known of one
which was 80 universally commended by
the people of the state irrespective of party
lines. Ia its mastery grasp OF pubic
questions; in its frank and fearless adyo-
cacy Of needed reforms; i'll its high moral
tone and purpose; III its directness and
clearpesss; in its singular terseness and
yigor of expression, 1t must always rank
Ms one of the abest state papers over writ
ten In Maine. 1t gave It's author perma'
nent place in the ranks of the strongest,
clearest aud most comprehensive thinkers
in Maine | cannot describe with what
feelings my associates and myself listened
to its reading. Our cause never looked
brighter to us than 1t did AZ that noluent
when the chief executive of the state ably
and eloquently presented 1t to the Legs-
lature of Maine. AT the close of the read
ing, | was one of delt CATION of farmt r.,
headed by the late Rufus Prince, who
went to Governor Burleigh and thanked
him in the name of the farmers OF Maine
for the strong words that he had spoken IN
our behalf We felt that he was II friend
| indeed because he had shown himself IA
friend when we needed one. My winter s
experience showed me that lots of men who
had been given to extrayagant expressions
of friendship for the farmers before the
session convened were found missing, or
in the camps of the enemy, when the time
for action arrived.
Governor Bureigh was not one of that
kind. He not only took ground with us,
but he held it with us. From the first day
of the session until its close he helped us
fight our battles. 1t was largely due to
his influence in our behalf that we were
able to secure, aside from the tax questi IN,
all the legis alton that we desired.
In our efforts to secure an equ table adj
iustment of the public burdens now rest
ing with undue weight upon the farming
interests of the state. We met with pow
erful and sn organized opposition.
| i
which was recommended by Governor
Burleigh In his inaugural address, was APP
pointed by Speaker of the House and
| President Of the Senate, and its members
addressed themselves to their duties with
commendable zeal, and with an evident
determination to devise some plan for the
equalization of public burdens. The ma
| i0rity of them deserve the praise OF all
| Fpr hai out tt,,rt To n ha
half of Justice. They submitted q mess
ure to tho Legislature which though by no
means II perfect one, would nevertheless
have gone far towards relieving the agri.
| cultural interests of their burdens But 1t
was evident that it would not be given a
passage. A powerful lobby under the
skilful direction of certain well known
| politicians was enlisted against and sue
| cepded in deferring it TO the last hours of
the session and then referring the whole
| matter to the State Board of Assessors
with instruction to report to the Legis-
lature of 1893 on the list day of the ses-
sion. Against this disposition of the tax
question Governor burleigh had taken a
strong ground in his inaugural address in
the following language:
at has been quite common experience
smong the various states of the Union,
that movements for tax reform have been
exceedingly slow in arriving ut definite re
sults. One Legislature despairing of
reaching satisfactory solution of these
perplexIng problems has passed them oy-
or to its SUCCESSOR. and thus the desired
relief has, oitentimes, been long postpon-
ed. With you there will be no occasion
for such course The report Of this
Special Commission furnishes you at the
start with the groundwork for legislation
of this character, Ii will be your duty to
examine into the whole system of taxa
iion TO ascertain what new sources of re
venue are available, and whether any class
of property is bearing less than its fair
share of the public burdens, and, if SO, to
apply whatever remedy may, in your
judgement appear best These were
strong words timely spoken, but they did
not avail to avert the very fate to tax re-
form against which lie warned the Legs
lature. When it became evident that the
opposition were determined to postpone
the consideration Of the tax question,
Governor Bur,eigh exerted his influence to
the utmost to secure action upon 1t, but
the session Lad nearly drawn to a close
when the Committee made its final report,
the members were beginning to grow rest
less, the opposition WAS powerful and well
org nized and succeeded in carrying its
point.
In endeavoring to secure some measure
of tax reform the Governor was ably sec
onded by the KeDnebec journal which re-
peatedly aud vigorously urged the import
auce and the need of such action upon the
Legislature. On March "a it reminded
the members that "the fact must not be
lost sight of that very general feeling
exists over the state that the present dis
tribution Of the burdens of taxation is far
from equitable. The farmers III paticular
feel that they are called upon to bear an
undue proportion of the public burdens.
They have come to the present Legislature
asking relief from existing inequalities
and they will not feel satisfied if some nc.
ton to that end is not taken. The Legis-
lature should certainly deal with this mat
ter before adjournment" This was good
and timely advice and would have result
ed In great relief to the farming interests
bad it been followed.
Again on March 26 under the caption
"The One Thing Remaining" the Journa
urged our cause in the following language:
1.-THE most weighty and important mat
ter now awaiting action by the Legislature
IL that of taxation. The session Is near
ing its close but time enough remains to
deal with this great measure fairly and
justly and il must be done. A mountain
Of petitions from the farmers of Maine
have poured Into the Legislature the past
winter praying for m equalization of the