Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-01-17
EAST SUMNER, Jan. @, 1893,

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Editor DemOcrdt:
With regard To the proposed change
OF location of the county buildings a
careful and quite thorough canvass Of
the town Of Sumner, shows that with
three exceptions, every taxpayer that
had the opportunity to sign the protest
against the removal did so freely and
without much, II any, urging.
The good people Of old Sumner,
always loyal aud true to any needed
reform or noble and just aspirations,
firmly believe that the change proposed
IL not called for at the present time. The
action Of our citizens Il not the result of
prejudice against the good citizens of
South Paris or Norway, or any locality,
or Indifference to the pardonable pride
OF having county buildings that may be
an honor to the county, nor the pent up
forces Of old fogyism.
L. Il not honorable to the loyal aud
intelligent citizens of Oxford County,
when tainted with the condition OF our
buildings, to retort with the fact that
we are free of debt and think 1t manly
and wise to keep so until the demand IL
more urgent, than now to burden our
selves with debt that may be aver.edg
Old Sumner has dllspldated struct-
ure, untouched by lightning or the
weary tramp, called town house. In
II, the fire of loyalty and fealty to the
best interests of our county still CLEANS;
In IL have our fathers cOunseled wisdom
and discretion, and when heavily In debt
engendered by the war, devised meas
ures to liquidate the same. In It have
emanated those high and noble asplra-
tiOns that have made the name of old
Sumner glorious In the annals Of our
war history, and our record as loyal aud
true citizens, unprecedented.
still the old, unpretenti0us wreck
stands, not for fame or memorial, but
simply because her honest, struggling,
industrious sons would rather bear the
SCOTS and jeers Of dudes and bond.hold-
ers than the weight Of needless mort
cages and taxation. No peOrle would
appreciate and rejoice In an elegant and
commodious ediflce more than they.
hut many, (and not too many prefer to
live In n humble, unpretentiOus cottage
which they can call their Orn rather
than In an elegant edihce hopelessly
mortgaged to the unfeellng capitalist.
Are not our county buildings rs CON-
Portable for few days semi-occasion-
Nally, IA the majority Of our citizens
homes for the whole Year, Are not our
records AS safe az the money and private
papers of our citizens at their honest
One of the powerful ~ arguments 10
favor Of the proposed change IL. that
our citizens when summoned to the
county seat at South Paris can 90 direct
by raj. So they can. But here Is an
Item OF expense not to be ignored. Let's
see, from Sumner to Mechanic Falls the
fare one way Il 80 cents. We cannot
state positively the rate from there to
South Paris, but supposing 1t to be the
same, the railroad fares would amount
to $500 for the trip, aud under the
present arrangements OF the railway
companys one could stop only very
short time aud return the same day, and
consequently would, rs rule be Obliged
to stop over at q probable expense OF
Sl.50. This, added to the fares, would
aggregate the sum Of $40 and use up
two days time.
Now, In the majority of cases our old
farmers could take their own teams and,
by an early start, could spend nearly the
entire day at the county seat, returning
to their homes 10 the evening at prob
able cash expense not exceeding one dol
lar. IL not the difference worth consld-
erationy IL II to be considered enlgmst-
ical Tor as 0rrlson would say, hereli-
tary) that our citizens do not favor the
ideai Better keep out Of debt and also
retain our present county llmits ~ long
AZ possible.
We might cite other good and sub
stantial reasons for letting well enough
alone" but have not space nor time 70