Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-19

sta.eSAei take, ana Wnlcn Is the easiest
position in the world to take, a position
of virtuous Indignation. 1t is easy 10
rise here and express burning Indignation
that anybody should possibly think of
any such a thing that there were any
trades or dickers made in this Legisla-
ture. l never should contend for a mo-
ment that my friend from Waterville
tMr. Philbrook) was insincere in his mo-
tive. believe him to be a thoroughly
honest man. and l believe it is well recog-
nized in the State of Maine that any man
who has aught to do with Waterville
politics must of necessity have preserved
the guileless innocence of youth. Laugh
ter and applause). He says that this resolve
is carefully worded to mean the compile
ton of the hospital. The resolve of 1885
uses the word complete and yet it has
been quoted here from the words of Il
gentleman who stands high in the opn-
ion of the people of this State, that no
man supposed that the last appropriation
was to complete accommodations for the
insane. Now. what good does it do to
have the same thing in this resolve in
from now will be told that nobody sup
posed You were going to complete any
thing with that s275,O0O.
do not think that the gentleman from
Waterville intended in any way to insult
the State of Maine; but when he stated
that the State of Maine stood lowest of
any New England state in the percentage
of insane cared for, l believe that it was
which in his sober moments few months
from now when he looks over his printed
speech he will be glad to recall. My
friend is not only a lawyer and an orator
but he has developed a new attribute,
he stands before you in the attitude of
mind reader and he tells you that when
Mr.. Campbell said that no damage would
ensue to those buildings if the work was
stopped. that it was not in Mr.. Campbels
mind what condition the buildings Were
in. That was the most remarkable thing
l ever heard in my life. When l ask ed
him that question I was requested to
Write il out. l did so, he took the paper
and read it and he allowed me to write
the answer. and he read the answer
Then the question was put to him and he
answered 1t, and yet my friend says that
after all the elaboration it was not in
his mind that l was talking about Ban
gor hospital. That seems almost too
ridiculous to discuss. He talked about
stampeding the House. 1t seems to me
that when gentlemen say to the members
of this House that the danger point was
reached when there was an attempt made
to stampede this House by exciting their
prejudices. by appealing to their lowest
successfully this House must be made up
of strange set of men. When man
says to the members: You can be STAN
peded, your votes can be gotten by APP
pealing to your lowest prejudices. |
think he says that which in the calmness
of the future when he looks over his
remarks he will regret and will consider
uncalled for. l am not able. If l desire d,
to excite the prejudices of anybody so far
as l know. | have confidence that your
verdict in this matter will be such that
the people of the State will be proud of
1t. i ask you to view this proposition as
you would any other business proposition,
casting aside any personal reasons You
may have and voting honestly, and your
vote will be right. (Applause).
Mr.. Walton of Skowhegan: On the I'd
of February ! made a motion that tits
matter be indefinitely postponed. | con-
graduate this House that the sum of
S25 600 at least has ben saved to the State
of Maine. | have investigated this matter
still more and | am still as firm in the
belief that his appropriation is uncalled
for rs l can be satisfied with anything.
! am not advocating the turning down of
the commissioners. l am not advocating
the abandonment of the hospital at Ban
gor: but | say that if we pass this resolve
in time of peace. we go back to our
constituents as the most eXtravagant
Legislature that ever sat in the State Of
Maine. Since this matter was up before
| have talked with one of the trustees of
the hospital at Augusta, and / asked him
about the crowded condition of that hos
pital. He said: 1T would be more con-
venent If we did not have so many pa
tients there. but we make them all COM
Portable He said that he had been
around through the corridors several
times and he found them all comfortable.
This House has already passed measures
which exceed the amount expended last
year. My friend from Rockland (AIr.
Fogler) in reference to my remark on
February %. spoke of me as delivering a
Populistic speech. Judging from the let
tiers which | have received. if he would
leave off the last two syllables of that
word it would be correct, even the letters
and messages which | have received from
the solid business men of Bangor | tell
you that this is matter which should be
ra considered before this
sum of money. 1t is a matter which the
people of Maine are watching. The press
of the State are urging us to economy.
The papers of the State represent the
consider what they say to us. ] will read
a word from the Lewiston Journal which
has an extensive circulation in the State
of Maine.
I'VE beg to call the attention of the
members OF the Maine Legislature to the
fact that the producers, or the great mass
of voters of Maine. are highly disturbed
over the threats of abnormally high leg
islative appropriations. The assumption
that large appropriations represent the
wishes of the farmers and artisans of
Maine, seems to us to be without good
foundation. We venture this opinion
from the big inpour of protests which are
now coming into the Journal office. We
regret to hear there are gentlemen who
think the press is impertinent in urging
real economy in appropriations as distin-
imbedded in party platforms. Such we'll
meaning gentlemen must bear in mind
that a newspaper. like the Journal, which
reaches upwards of 100000 people in
Maine. is in particularly happy posi-
ton to keep in touch with public senti-
ment. Some days as high as 200O letters
come into the journal office, and almost
every day the number is in the hundreds,
and it ought to go without saying that
an advantage of positions is worth some
thing as a matter of Interpretation, If not
as matter of Judgment.
I believe that this appropriation should
be carried over for two years. The gen.
tleman from Waterville suggests that the
assessors books show that we are gain
ing in wealth every year. The gentle
man might recall the fact that the as
SCISSORS of the State year by year are get
ting at more and more of the property
which has escaped taxation. A few
months ago, the gentleman from Water
vile from the stump argued that his
party should be put in power because the
other party had driven us to such a de-
pressed financial condition. Are you 60
ing to vote for this appropriation. or are
you going to say that we are satisfied
that there as no actual condition which
calls for such an appropriation at the
present time? | hope that the motion to
indefinitely postpone will prevail.
Mr.. Smith of Presque Isle: | have been
searching for facts and figures to justify
men in voting for this enormous appro-
priation to complete this hospital. l had