Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-07
The New City Building.
Editors Kennebec Journal:

| Editors kennebec journal:
PcrmiJ me to lay that the matter of a
now city building is not question OF
CLANS or caterpillars; but of what IS best
for the city of Augusta It seems to me
that the subject should he approached in a
spirit of courtesy and candor. Disparage-
ment or flippancy should have no part in
its consideration. No mau should be
abused for his opinion; neither need he
DO ashamed Of it--providcd it is an honest
! one. Le5 me say, therefore at the start.
| that believe no fair minded citizen will;
| seriously question the disinterestedness of
| tho gentlemen who stand ready to furnish
| our fair city with beautiful public build
| ing, in every way appropriate 80 its needs.
| No candid man will deny that the terms
up N which they propose to do this are
more than liberal There is not au in
| telligent man in this community who
| does not know full well that any one of
the gentlemen behind this movement can
invest his money where it will bring him
far greater returns, than will come to him
from city building. This fact alone
should convince anyone that the gen
| tlenen behind the proposed city build
ing are actuated by an honest purpose TO
5 rive the city of Augusta, and to keep it
S 'mewhere near abreast of the other
municipalities of the State in progressive
enterprise Who are these gentlemen?
Arc they invaders from some foreign
shore seeking by insidious methods to
| undermine the prosperity OF our city? Not
at all. They are resident taxpayers of
Augusta. They are gentlemen who have
done more in the past, and are doing more,
today, to promote the industrial welfare
| of our city, than any similar number of
men in the community They have shown
their devotion to the best interests of Au-
gusta too often for any man to seriously
question it now To assert that these
gentlemen would unite In committing our
city to any policy that would be to its
disadvantage, is the merest folly. They
are level headed Augusta business men.
they are Augusta taxpayers, they are
gentlemen who are annually adding in
their own name thousands of dollars worth
of taxable property to the valuation Of our
city they are furnishing employment for
"a large number OF our citizens; they have
given tangible and visible proof of their
devotion to the best interests of our city
over and over again.
We have no desire to cast any aspersions
upon Mayor Milliken. We believe that he
is entirely honest in the position he has
taken. He has convictions and the cour-
age of them. However much we may
differ from his conclusions, we must re-
spect his courage and give him credit for
sincerity of purpose Opposed to the
mayor is a unanimous city government
Is it not fair to suppose that the united
opinion of tho gentlemen composing the
common council and board of aldermen
representing every ward in our clty-is
quite as likely to be right, as the opinion
| of the mayor Is it not entitled to full as
much weight? Certainly the members of
the city government have had quite as
much opportunity to investigate this mat
ter as the mayor, and it is but fair TO as
same that they have had an equally honest
desire to serve the best interests of the
| city.
The talk OF those opposed to this build
| ing has an old, familiar ring. We have
heard it in years past opposing every pro
gressive move that has ever been made in
our city. We were assured that the build
| ing of decent bridge across the kennc-
bee would send 0Ur fair city TO the dcmni-
! tiOn bow vows. Well, the bridge was
built and our city has survived it in very
handsome shape. 1t looks natural, how
ever, TO see the gentlemen who chung to
the reeking odor5 OF the old structure with
such fervor of devotion, making the
same old timeworn objections to Il new
city building There are men who delight
| to picture our fair city as pauper, but
thank God it is nothing Of the sort The
payment of q few hundred dollars q year
| for structure that will be q credit to our
city will never break municipality with
IS, 600, 600 worth Of property, and no cti-
zen will ever be seriously burdened by the
| five or six cents year--if he is large
taxpayer-that 1t will add to his indebted
ness to the city.
There are class of men, too, who want
their descendants to have all the good
things of life. They are only too glad to
get along without improvements them
selves In the vague hope that their grand
children-or their great grandchildren
may enjoy them at some indefinite time
In the dim future Others are inclined to
be more selfish. They like to see and en-
JOY little progress in their own day and
generation. They appreciate the fact that
they have only one little life to live and
that the future will probably be able to
take care of itself. Right here let me
venture a prediction, in the face of the
fact that the gentlemen who are opposing
the new city building offer absolutely no
counter proposition:
IF THE NEW CITY BUILDING
SHOULD BE DEFEATED, TO-DAY,
NO PERSON WHO READS THIS
ARTICLE WILL LIVE TO SEE SUCH
a STRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF
AUGUSTA.
The opportunity is now with us. To
refuse to accept it will he to condemn our
city to old fogyism for an indefinite time
to come Let the progressive people of
our city speak, today, as the polls, with
an emphasis that will not be misuDder-
stood TAXPAYER
+. Q. Bailey & Co of Portland, have