Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-03-06
MERCANTILE AFFAIRS AND IN
Sl11RANCE.
Democratic Echoes.

Democratic Echoes.
There is something decidedly anus
ing in the howl of our Democratic
contemporaries about the poor depart
ment of this city in view of the fact
that the present chairman of the board
OF overseers and the superintendent of
the poor farm were both elected to
their present positions by the Demo-
cratic party when last it had control Of
the city government. The poor depart
ment was conducted then by prac-
tically the same men, and upon the
same lines that it has been conducted
since. and If the abuses now alleged
by our Democratic friends existed in
that department., it would certainly
strike the unbiased citizen as somewhat
surprising that the lynx-eyed Demo-
cratic statesmen who ratified about in
the municipal government for that
year. like peas in cheese box. in abso-
lutte control of city affairs. should have
utterly failed to discover them.
The voters Of this city are far too in
telligent to be deceived by Democratic
echoes at this late day. They know
that whatever complaints have been
made against the poor department
have come from Republican and not
from Democratic sources They know
that our Republican mayor who again
heads his party ticket. has promptly
met these complaints by appointing a
non-partisan committee, COMPOSED of
gentlemen in whom the people of Au-
gusta have the fullest, confidence, to
thoroughly investigate the affairs of
this department. In doing this he has
rut the whole matter out of politics, as
it should be, and has done all that any
fair-minded citizen could reasonably
ask of him. The poor department is
not an issue in this campaign, and de-
spite their frantic efforts in that direc-
ton the Democrats of this -city-what
few remain of them-will be unable to
make it so.
Not only this, but If the citizens of
Augusta are not satisfied with the
method of conducting the city poor de-
partment way will be provided at the
approaching city election to entirely
change it. AT that election a number
Of proposed changes in the city char
ter will be submitted for approval or
disapproval. Any or all of them that
are endorsed by a majority of the vot-
ers of the city will Immediately be-
come operative. These changes were
unanimously proposed by a committee
of the board of trade. composed of rep
resentatives of both political parties.
The enabling act has been passed by
tine. Legislature. All that remains to
put any or all of them in force in our
city is the approval of the voters. The
proposed change to be submitted in re-
gard to the manner Of conducting the
city poor department is as follows:
& Section a. The mayor of said city
shall, within 30 days after this section
takes effect. appoint one overseer of
the poor, who shall hold his office I'M
til the third Monday in March, in the
year nineteen hundred; and there
afterwards, except to fill vacancies, the
mayor shall, triennially, appoint on
the third Monday in March, or as soon
thereafter as conveniently may be,
such officer for term of three years.
Such officer, so appointed, shall per-
form such duties as may be prescribed
by the city council, and shall in gen.
eral do and perform all the duties and
exercise all the powers incumbent upon
or vested in Overseers of the poor by
law. When such overseer shall be so
first appointed hereunder, the terms of
office of all. overseers of the poor in
said city then in Office shall thereupon
cease. Such overseer may be removed
by the mayor and aldermen after no.
tice and hearing by majority vote. He
shall not be directly or indirectly in
terested in any contract for or fur
,niShing of any pauper supplies and for
a violation Of this provision he shall
be. removed from office and, il SO re-
moved. he shall thereafterwards be in
eligible for the same office. The fuel.
provisions, supplies and such other ar
ticles as the nature of the case will adj
nit, purchased for use at the city
almshouse and the farm connected
Herewith. shall be obtained by said
overseer upon annual contracts made
in writing. and filed with the city clerk,
after notice for proposals therefor pub
lished in at least two newspapers in
said city representing different political
parties. such contracts to be awarded
to the lowest responsible bidders there
for. reserving, however, the right to
reject any or all bids and to advertise
anew.
z In view of the foregoing facts the
attempt of the Democratic party to
make political capital out of the poor.
department is farcieal in the extreme.
1t will deceive no one. We do not be.
lieve that there Is assingle Republican
IN Augusta who can be inveigled by