Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-02-17

self believe they are entitled to more, bu
they WIN be content with this. and ougli
they not to have Il.
The argument Is made. and admitted
that the burdens of the people are grea
and that taxation weighs us down. Yet
ask, was there ever a time when the
taxes Of the people. heavy though the,
be. were more easily PAID BY citizens Of
the State than at the present time? In
creased taxation comes as a result of in
Creased activity in business and an in
crease of the comforts of life that thu
people enjoy. Some of you will rcmem.
ber that the great Macaulay wrote. s.
years ago, that the taxes of England
since the time of the Stuarts had in.
creased more than 50-fold, and yet tho
people of England aid not complain OF
their tax att that time. How much they
have increased since that no man knows
and how much they will increase In the
future no man knows, but this l believe
that the increase of the paying powei
will be in the same ratio as the taxes
themselves - - hs
can remember before the war when
the tax in the rural town where / lived
was very low but when it was paid at the
sacrifice of the comforts of the family
In the household where l was reared the
inmates knew not the taste of wheater
bread for weeks at a time, and the little
tax caused constant anxiety on the part
OF the parent for a whole year that ht
might provide for 1t: but now it is easier
ana ii seems TO me that this constant ex-
clamatton that we hear of excessive tax
alton arises thoughtlessly to the lips oi
the people and increases in its fears and
it's intensity until it becomes an argu.
ment only because of it's constant repeti-
ton.
Granted that taxes are high and that
the burdens of the people are great, still
l ask, does it comport with the dignity
of the State of Maine and with our duties
and senators and legislators to deny the
little increase in answer to the judges
needs. while We vote away, perhaps. thou
sands for other purposes, possibly for
schemes without name-possibly, | say.
l do not and cannot believe that this Is
where economy and saving ought to be-
gin. l may be wrong. These burdens OF
taxation cannot be increased to any great
extent thus, and probably the levying OF
this additional sum would net be felt a.
all by our citizens In comparison with the
burdens that are placed upon them by
municipal taxation.
That is the burden that bears most
heavily upon the people and wha. they
ought to complain of, their own mun-
cipal taxation, and not the taxation of
~ TT.
extent upon the banks and the railroa
companies and other corporations, which
perhaps bear lighter burdens than they
ought to, but stiil great in comparison
with the volume of all.
l have now briefly and imperfectly set
forth some of these simple propositions
that to me are conclusive, and l hope that
the senators may look upon them in the
light that j do. There is one reason
which is cogent to me, and that is the
consideration of the judge who has been
long upon the Bench and has not pi:-
tance. sad and melancholy must be his
reflections as he is approaching old age
without wealth, with no possibility of ac-
quiring wealth and with the possibility of
the loss of place before him; sad. l say,
must be his contemplation of life and his
position. u
Perhaps he may have dependent fam
lily; he may have been the most part Of
his active life upon the Bench. and his
duties and the dignity of his office have
compelled him to use all his salary and
left him on the brink Of old age without
the hope of ever making a competence.
without the means of educating his chill
dren and with no possibility of ever ac-
quiring a practice at the bar. provided he
should lose his place.
1t seems to me that such judge has
the right to appeal to us that we leave
him not in that condition. but that we
fix the salary of the Justice so that by
the same thrift and economy that he has
heretofore followed he may save some
thing against the time when old age shall
have fallen upon him.
1t is a reasonable provision, j submit.
that the Senate ought to make. and there
fore, Mr.. President, l move that when
the vote is taken upon this proposition, it
be by the yeas and nays, and that the
vote be taken upon the pending question.
which is to give the bill it second read
ing, SO that all those who vote will vote
upon it's merits. Those who favor the
to increase the salary of the
Justices will vote yes, and those opposed
will vote no. thank the Senate for its
attention.
The question being upon vote by yeas
and nays, the Senate 50 voted and the
yeas and nays were ordered. 4
MIR. MERRILL OF SOMERSET.
Mr.. Merrill of Somerset said:
Mr.. President and Fellow Senator's:
Were there no other good and sufii-
cient reason, l am physically unable
this morning to enter into any extend
ed discussion of this question. and
much less would l attempt to answer
the able arguments of the senator from
Aroostook. do. however, desire very
briefly to express the feeling that
prompts me to oppose this measure,
and first, MIR. President. desire to
state that l am actuated by no cap
tious feeling of opposition. For the
committee that has reported that bill
I have the utmost respect and kindly
feeling. The only trouble with them.
as I understand and believe. is that for
once they are entirely out of touch
with the people of the State
For the members of our supreme ju-
dicial court l have the most profound
respect. Maine has for years been
proud of her able delegation in Con-
press. she has eu1aI rea son for nrtde