The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-19

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here 90 we'll as the more seductive course
usually taken in our state and city but
the sams methods for manipulating eau
cusss and conventions when candidates
for official positions are In the field. pre-
vail hare rs there. First contribution TO
campaign funds as instancsd By the re-
ported tender Of representative OF the
Consolidated Electric Light company 10
officials OF cities Of money TO elect men to
Office presumably favorable to their inter-
ests with individual tender of cash con-
sideration OF $500 and the free lighting OF
houses for their votes and aid. OF course
such shameless methods could never pre-.
vail or control votes either in Portland or
South Portland and yet II Is said that
members Of this governments even, are
influenced in their votes and action boz
cause Of this obligation personal and
| political.
Wills reading the paper Mr.. Cloudy
declared: "Now gentlemen. this is pretty
bold language; but 10 was told me yester-
day by n gentleman from South Portland.
He told me that he was approached
directly and told that he had been offered
$500 and free lighting OF his house for q
year II he would vote for the Consolidated
company. will say for my Democratic
friends that he was Democrat, and he
was approached By Democrats and IL
seemed to be Democratic votes which
were offered for sale. And viii ssy right
here that do not mean 10 say that l
think any man here has sold his vote for
a cash consideration; but political influ-
encs counts II you want to DO reelected"
In the course Of his remarks Mr.
Cloudy charged that there was q conspir-
acy in this matter to rob the city.
He read from the statute of the state which
prohibits any municipal officer from vot-
ing for any contract In which he was d.
rectiy or indirectly interested and charged
that there were some members Of the city
council who would be unqualified to vote
ON the electric light contract under this
statute. He said "I protest in the name
of The people and rs their representative
in this council against the adoption of
such contract or passage Of an order
authorizing the same by such immoral
inf hence and Illegal action"
Mr.. Cloudy then called the attention of
the council to few figures: The Port
land Gas Light company has paid into the
city treasury in taxes from 's4 to 'gs $780,
657.Si. In dividends during the same
time sl7s, $50 or q total of s502, 407. 81
Within the same time they received from
the city but very small amount not
withstaudiDg the fact that the city owns
one-fourth of the stock. Brom May 1854
to May 1886. two years, the city paid the
Gas company about $50 COO receiving In
return in dividends and taxes for tho
same time nearly $4,000 which II plus
the surplus, undivided one-fourth of
which belonged TO the city, would have
given us our lights absolutely free, in adj
dition to o liberal dividend on the city's
Investment in the gas stock and yet
through the Influences which have CON-
trolied previous governments Of this city
the gas company has been debarred from
making a contract with the city for the
Welsbach lights.
what has been the results In the city,s
dealings with the Consolidated company
during the same time, "a to 'e9. fifteen
years. The amount paid out for electric
lights has been Sass, SGT. 81 Including $40
coo In 1899 What have we received in re-
turn for this great contribution to mo-
nopoly? In dividends, nothing, as they
did not think the city. when dividing
their watersd stock, worthy of the slight
their contributing in the way of free
lights to the eltys
"Their sole contribution outside of taxes,
has been to the campaign fund to elect
representatives to past city governments
who would do their bidding and award
them a contract at exhorbitant prices ana
at the same time vote to bar out all COM
position as has been the case up TO this
year. All that we have received has been
the taxes for fifteen years, equal to only
SIS. 243.e0 plus the '9s tax of $500 equal
ing IN gross s22, 1920. In '9s the valu-
alton was raised from 800, 600 to $500, coo
largely because Of the agitation of this
question OF composition. appeal to the
Judgment of the members of the council
and citizens at large II this does not look
shady on the taxation issuef Why should
INC oeseanors ioVy un tine gas company
valuation % TO 80 per cent in excess OF
the gross capitalization 1880. COO, all of
which is not outstanding or Issued. yield
ing to tho city as before noted nearly
$3.50, 000-a as against only $50, 200 paid by
the Consolidated Electric Light company
with an investment of 100000 by their
own showing. Can 1t be the political In
tiuence or fear of being turned down for
reelection to the most important Office
of the city of Portland financially speak
Ing, the assessors department. has infiu-
enced valuations or is 1t because. forsooth.
the political bosses who dictAts nominal
tions and elections and control votes In
the city council have demanded this
differentiation comparatively? 1t looks
like 1t to say the least. give you the
figures. you must draw yourlown oonclu- |
sions as have mine to the point that
will never vote for continuance of such |
outrageous abuse of tine city's rights and |
interests. Let this enormous sponge |