Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-18

3 lHcy Say Tic 6AAtS VI MAINE III O00T.
but she can and viii provide for ali her
institutions. We have voted to care for
our Normal schools. TO support our State
College. to build bridges for poor and
weak localities, and that Is right; and |
the stigma upon the State OF Maine that
the class or unfortunates who have lost
| their reason are outside the pale Of our
and that this institution designed for d
lofty and noble purpose must be finished
| by this commission or abandoned for an
| indefinite period. II the committee be-
lieves their first duty is indicated and
provides for this commission. II they do
come to us In the condition of Sinbad the
sailor. The commission astride Of their
shoulders riding them down the Avenue
| that. leads to the State treasury, let US
not be Diverted from our purpose by the
sad spectacle. but let Us in wise and
rational manner provide for the compile
| ton of this noble charitable institution.
| and open II for that class of our unfor-
tunate fellow citizens whom it has always
been the policy of the State to support.
provide and care for. policy which II
| favors now and VIII continue to favor
| through all the coming time
The question being on the adoption of
the amendment offered by Mr. Austin OF
| Milford,
The amendment was lost
The question then REQUIRED upon the
| first reading of tire resolve.
| MI EoHiitn Vi f-Tt54ue Isle. / now move
| that this resolve be now indefinitely post
poned. 1t is not my intention to enter
| into lengthy or elaborate discussion of
a subject that has. been so thoroughly
threshed over. and the ground so thor
oughly dug over, as this subject has been
but wish to say this. that |. as an In
diyidual and as taxpayer In this State
and as member in this House, feel per-
fectly free to express my opinions. my
views and my convictions on the matter
of this hospital at Bangor | have no
| bees of any kind buzzing In my head. /
am not an applicant for any Office or any
| position. and SO feel perfectly free to
express my views on this subject | de-
sire to say that have no feelings of hos
tiiity toward any gentleman who does
not agree with me in my views as ] may
present them. AS understand the stu
alton. the Legislature of 1889 saw fit to
make an appropriation to establish a
hospital for the insane in the city of
Bangor. Just why that appropriation
was made ] do not quite understand. The
friends of this resolve say that 1t was
done because there was "A pressing call
for additional accommodation for the in
sane people throughout this State. On
the other hand / have heard 1t said and
said publicly and privately. and some of
the statements have come from gentle
men mo are members of this House, that
away back In 1883 there was some sort
OF trade or decker. and that that was
the real reason why this hospital was es-
tabltshed over in the city of Bangor 1
was not member of the House at that
time and consequently | know nothing
about the matter except from hearsay.
But he that as 1t may, you may recollect
that while this appropriation of SIS 600
was voted in 1889. we come down to the
year 1881 and the Legislature Of that year
did not make any appropriation. Now il
would strike me that If there was a great
and pressing necessity for a hospital in
1sa9 the necessity must have continued
to exist in 1891. We come 10 the year
m MN h.x-
listed. the same necessity that now exists
and yet the Legislature of 1899 did not
take any action. 1t allowed the matter
TO go by, the same as the Legislature of
1881 did. Two years later. the Legisla-
ture of 1885. did make an appropriation
for the purpose Of continuing and COM
pieting the work begun in 1889. Under the
resolve of 1885, this commission was an
pointed. The State already had a lot
over there in Bangor. The commission
went over and decided on what portion |
OF the lot they would erect a building |
AS L understand the situation. one por-
ton of this lot is considerably higher |
than another portion: and it seems that
this commission. In the interests of econ
omy and OF suffering humanity" Sc
lected the highest point. and the most |
expensive tor building the foundations |
on this lot. for the purpose of construct
ing this hospital: and | am profoundly |
grateful as an individual that the city of |
Bangor was not built at the base of |
Mount Katahdin. because if il had been
have no doubt that this commission
would have insisted upon locating this
hospital upon the, summit of that noun
tain, on the ground. | suppose. that they
could get good air and fine scenery and [
that II would be an excellent chance to
run the sink spout out over the side of
the mountain. But they did not have
Mount katahdin at Bangor. and so they
selected the highest point they could find. |
You have heard about the expense at
tendant upon fixing that foundation. I
do not propose to discuss it any further.
Now. in this year 1897. they come down
TO us and they say that in the interests
of suffering humanity" We should APP
propriate the sum of $3000o0 for the pur-
pose of going on with this work which
has already been begun. On the sd day
of February. this matter was debated in
licly. and they told us privately. that
100000 was the least sum that they could
get along with, that they had got to have
100000 to complete this work. l did not
any intimation that they could
get along with a less sum than $500 900.
You know .ne action of the House. 1t |
voted to refer the matter back to the
committee. 1t has been to the committee
and the resolve has come back to us. and
what do they say now? Two hundred
and seventy-tive thousand dollars viii do
The work which we stood up and told YOU
less than three weeks ago would take
;300,000.' In other words. in less than a
months time. $4,000. over $1,000 a day, has
slougned on from the original resolve
Now | submit that, when the friends of !
his hospital toll us on the 23d of Febru-
iry that 100000 was the least sum they
'ould get along with, either they did not |
state to us what was the fact or else
hey are mistaken at the present time ..
they now say that the hospital can be l
completed for goo less than it could !
De a month ago. l submit that il this
hing would shrink $4,000 in less than al :
months time. 1t will be a good plan toI
ct this matter stand over for an indefi-I
lite period. stand over until the next =
legislature if you please, because God |.
My knows how much the shrinkage will !
De between now and then. (Applause).l Z
would not take this position in this :
natter if | heartily and honestly believed !
nat there was any pressing necessity
or the construction of this hospital at
he present time. There is no man on the q
loor of this House who has more SYM
'athy for that unfortunate class of in =
iyiduals whose minds have received the q
nystic touch and have passed from san =
ty to insanity. than myself. But all 2
through the discussionS>th have been 0
eld, all through the debates and private
rguments that have been made, / havel
ct to learn or hear any accurate state Y
nents as to the actual number of insane ii
eople in this State that really need ac- u
ommodations at the present time. III G
ave asked members who are in favor OF v
his resolve. have asked members who a
i'm favor I hau / a.