Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-12

every exertlon to nave II pufCHdSeu V1ch
and preserved. IL WAS sold by mistake.
hope TINT the vote will be reconsidereu.
and then snail move to strike out ne
word not In the report Of the commit
tee.
! The question being had on the motion
| 70 reconsider the report of the commit
tee. division was had and the motion
| The special assignment for this hour
was resolve In favor of the Society OF the
Sisters OF Charity hospital Of Lewiston.
On motion q Mr.. Hamilton q biade-
and assigned for further consideration
for Wednesday Of next week.
SOLDIERS HOME AT NEWPORT.
Resolve in favor OF the Soldiers Home
| In Maine.
Mr.. Rounds OF Paris. moved that the
resolve he Indefinitely postponed.
| Mr.. Philbrook of Watervlllc: This Is a
matter which am anxious to investigate
ana nave had no chance to do so. and !
move thai Il lie ON the table until
! Wednesday Of next week.
| Mr.. Winslow OF Portland ] want to
say that no matter has come before any
committee OF this Legislature which has
| received more careful attention and has
| been more thoroughly investigated than
| me resolve now before the House. was
| cautioned as q member OF that commits
zee, 10 go SLOW. and we have been SOiEr
| SLOW. we have considered the matter in
| executive session, and when the resolve
was referred to the committee on pen-
| ''i'iisf' We put IL HDt1cp III tUt piptFS tnilt
we would give a hearing. and the hearing
| LOOK place on the day and date specified.
| Ihefe were several gentlemen who APP
| peared before the committee and advo-
| eated TINS measure. and not single man
or woman Appeared against il. | have
| learned since this measure was reported
| 10 the House that members have been re-
cciEins letters from men. none prominent
| IN Grand Army circles, asking them To 10
| All they could to defeat ii. Now / sub
MT tnitt Is not fair and candid. Those
l hnk rad I...s
| tne committee. anu they should have
stated their reasons why this measure
ought not to pass. This measure IL not
| without precedent. ii Is not a new thing
| IN the history of the United States for
| The several states of the Union 10 have
| Soldlefs Homes. and at the present time
| there IN % states Soldiers Homes like
| the one which il is proposed TO build nj
| Newport. Is 1t reasonable to suppose that
| state after state would have established
| these homes IL IL was an unwise measure?
| 30 say that our action Is not without
\ Il precedent.
| Some may say. is Maine deserving OF
| lnis mas the State of Maine done any
| tningy What WIS her record In the warp
Leu me say to you that have been inves-
| tSatng. and | have found that the .n-
| hs'ments from the State of Maine dur-
| ing the war We're over 70.00o and that
| her percentage, according to her military
| reputation, as compared with the New
| England states. is about ~. a little
above that or Massachusetts. Certainly
/ q.
| Why; In the last Legislature and In
| thls have heard gentlemen stand up
mere ana wax eloquent as they pictur a
| out To us the forests of Maine. her in
land lakes and her streams coursng
| thcir way TO the sea. her rock-bound
| coasts. her picturesque lakes and hrr
nt,fIctlve features. ! indorse all this
| record OF Maine In the great struggle for
| national independence and life SO on
| inns basis say TO you that tho State OF
| Maine Is entitled TO this mere pittance of
| sia'ooV And let me say right here that
| we propose with this sum TO build n
| meme ana equip IL, and we do not pro-
| pose unless the necessities Of the ease
| demand II. to come here and ask for AN
| :tdditionai sum to complete this buitd-
| lnE; The pension committee not salts ,iad
| with what they could learn ut the he, r
ing, and after investigating whnt ,1d
J been done for homes of this .iescription
| made II visit to Newport We found nm
Old farm house and about IL acres OF
| iahd We found there several inmates of
| tue nome. ana we also found some rooms
| Ia thc home unoccupied. We asked why
| the rooms We're not occupied. The ans
| wer was We have not the means we
| are dong al We can. and this home has
been supported from it's very ineeptinu
by the voluntary offerings of it,; friends.
| ana what We want now is ample accom-
| mod'!ti lions tor those who are knocking nj
our doors. is there any one knocking
| Tor admiitance2 The triiSs ees of thht
nome. who are AS honorable men as ANY
III TINS nail say that there are ovcr O.
worthy applicants that would 70 % tf;,t
Rome II The home could :iecornmc late
them: So ther" appears to be a necessity
iof this II is rot mere fancy that We
should follow the footsteps of other
states. but there is a real necessity ex-
isting in the state of Maine for this
home. 1t has been said that the United
states IS doing a great deal for the old
veterans aud that the State of Maine is
uuinS a great deal: but il has also b. en-
brought out that the towns do not 90
their duty. There is no penalty tfat
onlges them TO do il. II they are uufitv-
I.orable to the old veteran they saw Take
him TO the poor house, We are under no
obiigatlon TO support him in his home.
ahd If We fail to do so you cannot punish
US FOR 1t. SO If the State establishes
this home and makes provision for thc
old veteran and his wife and those &C.
pendent upon him, il will in my opinion
90 z grand and noble need. | want TO
remind you of some of the pledges that
were made TO the soldier in the early
DAYS Of the war. Shall the great State
OF Maine stand behind the soldier? You
know what il meant when these yopng
men, in the flush of early manhood gave
up all their prospects In life and went
GOWN there saying. Here is my life /
VIII give ii If necessary that the old nag
may never be dishonored and that he
lnlon may be preserved There are
for the little b.onze button is worn i'm
many lapel by members of this Hou So
AT the Newport home | saw and talked
WIN tiie uauShter OF a veteran, bright
Intelligent girl who. long as she had
nealth and strength supported her aged
parents. They have long since gone to
their rest, and she was stricken down
with some form of rheumatic disease
that rendered her incapable of manual
labor. She cannot raise her hands to he-
mouth TO feed herself without artificial
means. VIII amy of YOU say to her II
viii give YOU home. | will take care. of
YOU! pause for anyone to rise and
make that offer. snail We open the doors
of the poor house and say. Enter
there" God forbid. What. then. viii
you do with such 4 case? | say that The
soldiers home at Newport is designed to
care for such she. The time has come
when the State of Maine should play the
part of the Good Samaritan to the SOL
diers who defended her name and her
honor in the great civil war.
Mr.. Lincoln of Perry: | am not a
speech maker but ! wish to say that
every time go to !, public meeting the
first thing brought out is the old sol
diers. and You own the country the
country all belongs to you-everything'
Nothing is said of the young man who |
was born and has lived in another gem
GRAFTON since the war was over | am
glad to hear Mr.. Winslow speak of NOV
ing slow. He did not move slow enough.
| admit that we saved the country-that |
Is all right-but the idea that after we
nave saved the country you are going |
to put us down by that old lake to die.
II II