Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-12-06
Correspondence.
"City or Town"

Much interest has been aroused and
discussion evoked by the movement OF
Judge Emery and others to obtain from
the next legislature Of Maine permission
to change our local form Of government
from city to town. if the citizens shall so
desire,
Local pride has been touched to the
quick, and this in connection with many
weighty reasons that might be advanced
for the continuance Of the city form OF
government will, in my opinion, deter
mine the issue against the change. How
ever, it seems TO me that the proposed pc
tition and Judge Emery's able article in
connection Herewith are both to be
welcomed by the taxpayers of Ellsworth
a. tending to stimulate not only public
sentiment, but, as Rev. Mr.. Yale has re-
Gently so well described, public sentiment
in action, in favor OF more careful and
economical administration OF municipal
affairs
Personally, am opposed TO the change;
il seems a step backward. 1t is an ad-
mission either that Ellsworth has not
within its borders citizens OF sufficient
+ hpiIAAS Jug EAoptAiS ~ taAoA''eN
its affairs successfully under a city form
/ of government, or that such citizens can
not be induced to take the response billty.
As to the first admission it needs only to
be stated to be rejected; II there IS any
force in the second the evil lies in the
general apathy and indifference of our
citizens in local municipal affairs,
and not in the form of our municipal
government; in other words the public
sentiment which exists in every com
munity in favor of good government has
not with Us been aroused into action.
Neither Go admit that existing evils
can be remedied more expeditiously under
town than under city form Of govern
ment Town meetings are often I'M
wieldly and ungovernable bodies par
tlcularly 30 hen sectional interests clash.
The conditions existing in Pennington,
Brunswick and Skowheean are entirely
different from those in Ellsworth. They
are compact communities, and each lnhab
liant derives direct benefit from all pub
lie improvements; our population is
scattered over large area, and an i'm
provement necessary or beneficial to cit
liens residing or owning property within
a radius of onehalf mile from post-office
square might not be of the slightest ben
eft to citizens outside this radius.
Without having the exact figures at
hand, venture the assertion that nearly
hree-fourths of the total tax levied in
our city for the current year Is assessed
upon taxpayers residing or owning
property within a radius Of one mile
from the post office. Would it be right
to have the wishes OF these taxpayers de-
feated by the large number of voters out
side this radius, with small taxa bic inter
ests but exceedingly Jealous in asserting
their rights? Yet such with Us might,
and probably would, be the result of he
town system and the good cid town
meeting wherein the extravaganza ~
OF maintaining water works, electric
lights, public Libraries and high schools
would be a never-faiing source OF in
spirat ion for attacks by orators from the
rural districts,
I There are many outlying districts in
the town OF Eden, but Bar Harbor is he
centre, furnishes nearly all OF the in
! ing livelihood, and is therefore per
mitted to dictate the policy OF he whole
town, which, so far | know, is salts
factory. Peculiar conditions exist there,
however, and Eden's prosperity under
the town system furnishes no sound
reason for the same system in Ellsworth.
am told that the change from town to
city was advocated not because of made
quate accommodations for town meet ngs
but because the last town meeting held
in Ellsworth was an unmanagea BILE mob,
disgusting to the better class Of citizens
" no determined to prevent such disgrace
full proceedings thereafter by procuring
a city charter
| recall meeting of citizens held in
Hancock hall, several years ago, TO con-
slider he proposed introduction OF water
works into this city, Although the pre-
siding officer Was an aged and eminently
respected citizen, one chosen many times
as mayor, he was hooted down, pande-
monium reigned, and the meeting Was
dominated by men honest doubtless. in
their convictions, but so thoroughly de-
termined to prevent action that their
sense OF fairness and decency gave Way TO
recklessnes- and abuse. If this be the
kind Of sentiment developed by the
good old town meeting" let Us have no
more OF it.
believe that the municipal affairs OF
Ellsworth can be more fairly, expedi-
tiously and economically administered
under the city form Of government, pro-
selves, consult for the common good. be I
careful il the selection OF their represen-
tatives, and strict in demanding an ac-
count of their stewardship. To accom- |
plish this will REQUIRE some sacrifice on /
the part OF those who are selected to con-
duct municipal affairs, but the conscious
ness of work we'll done, the knowledge |
10 hex, Cnr,rirntr 1 as IIDll |