The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-31
THE sIxTY-sIxTH LEGISLATURE.

Inc SlxJy-SlXLn legislature OF MdlHe
has made on the whole a creditable
record. 1t has passed some laws that
we believe are unyise and it has failed
to pass some that we believe would have
been beneficial to the community. Yet
on the whole it's record has been fairly
satisfactory. The work of legislature
is necessarily difficult and perplexing.
There are wide differences of opinion be-
tween different sections of the state as
to what legislation is needed, there are
many and conflicting interests to be rec
onciled, and there are many schemes of
private ACKNOWLEDGMENT speciously dis
guised to catch the unwary. Consider
ing all the difficulties which beset our
legislature it is really remarkable that
the results secured are as good as they
are. A great deal of all legislation is
necessarily compromise of differing
and frequently widely differing opinions
and therefore not fully satisfactory to
anyone. But this must always be the
case where so many diverse interests are
represented as in the legislature of large
state like ours. The agricultural popu-
lation must yield something, SO must the
mercantile and the Industrial. Each can
not get just what it wants or all it wants.
1t is undoubtedly true that our legisla-
ton would be better if there could be
eliminated from the attention of the leg
islature the great number of private mat
tiers which occupy SO much of its atten-
ton, because there would then be more
time for the consideration of matters of
public moment. and they would receive
more careful attention and deliberation,
and this is the direction in which efforts
to improve our legislation can be most
proftably exerted. In one respect at
least the legislature that has just adj
journed has made very creditable
record. 1t has scanned the appropria-
lions with unusual care, and has been
guilty of making none that can fairly be
called extravagant. 1t has recognized
the demand of the people for an economi-
cal administration of public affairs and
has responded to it. At the same time
no public interest has been permitted to
suffer for lack of sufficient funds, and no
State institution has been crippled SO as
to be obliged to curtail its legitimate
work.
The worst sin of commission of which
tho legislature has been guilty is the pas
sage of the discriminating savings bank
tax law, not that that measure is likely
to do much damage because we think its
effect will be slight, but because it gives
the sanction Of the state to wrong prin-
ciple. Its worst sin of omission is it's
failure to submit to the people the con-
stitutional amendment forbldding appro-
priations to sectarian schools or to
schools under sectarian control This
measure we believe was simple matter
of justice to the whole people. The
money spent by the state for educational
purposes should go to schools which are
under the control of the state, and not
to schools That are under the manage
ment of religious sects. To assess
Catholic for the support Of a Baptist
seminary or Universalist academy or
vice uersa is unjust. It is in violation of
the principle on which our government
is founded and should come to an end.