Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-08
MAINE elsLATuae. :
CONTINUED from page 81

corporations that have been mentioned
that are not paying their Just proper.
ton of the taxes have not tntroduceo
some bill to equalize the taxation!
appeai to you, gentlemen Of the House.
and ask you as real estate owners, as
bank stock owners. as personal prop
erty owners. II your principal Is not
taxed to the very extreme Of Its par
| value? Tell me. gentlemen. any man
from any part of the State Of Maine
sitting here and in the hearing OF my
voice. II you have a piece Of real estate
that is not taxed to the very, margin
of it's value? Tell me. farmers. II your
oxen and your cows and your horses
and your sheep are not taxed for all
they are worth? Tell me. land owners.
i If your land is not taxed for all 1t Is
worth? There is not voice that can
be raised in this House to say no.
| We are here, as has been said by
the gentleman from Pressure Isle. as
the grand court of the State. We are
here at the expense of the state; ana II
| is a great expense and a great question
that confronts us. 1t Is question thar
il of interest to our constituents from
the most nOrtherly to the most south
| erly, from the most easterly to the
most westerly border of this
great commonwealth. Pray tell me.
gentlemen, when question
is brought before this assembly
in which every individual taxpayer Of
| the State of Maine is interested-tell
me, is it cheaper for the State Of Maine
to break up this court and send an
other here two years hence to deal with
la question that has already been placed
before it? The gentleman from
Presque Isle (Mr. SMITH said he was
willing to wait here until the last jack
pot had been opened and the last raise
had been made. That Is language.
gentlemen. that l don't understand.
U.aughter). wish the gentleman
would use language that We could all
| understand.
| Mr. SMITH: I will explain the mys-
terry to the gentleman from Skowhe-
gan. G.aughter.)
Mr.. MERRILL: Now this is ques-
ton which ! hope. before you vote 10
indefinitely postpone. you will consider
| well whom you represent. i am not
opposed to railroads. ! am not opposed
to corporations. The railroads Of the
1
velop its interests, to develop 1t re-
sources and to develop its wealth and
prosperity. than any other class OF cor
poratiOns within its borders. They are
entitled to certain considerations; they
are entitled to be treated fairly
| squarely and honestly. !, for one
would not say one word to hamper or
in any way encroach upon or to cripple
| ~ L.. 80 p
owe much to them. We owe, also. much
to consolidated capital that is put into
all these corporations and they should
be protected. and protected at the
hands of this and every other Legis-
lature.
have not the slightest feeling against
corporations; in fact, l believe that the
corporations of this State have done
more to develop 1t than the individual
efforts outside of corporations. But !
say, when we undertake to pass over
this matter and indefinitely postpone
it. we must answer to the people who
have sent us here. we must answer to
the farmers, the merchants, the land
owners and the property holders of this
State outside of the corporations, and
their rights are just as dear to them
as are the rights of the corporations
and of the stockholders in these cor
pOrations. (Applause.)
/ hope you will consider carefully
when you vote upon the question Of in
definite postponement. hope you will
consider carefully the interests of your
constituents over this State; and l say.
while ! would be glad to put on my
OvershOes and OvercOat and return to
my quiet home at an early date-I say
that we are here to meet the questions
that may be before us. and let us
stay here until we can satisfactorily
settle them and not vote for the indefi-
mite pOstpOnement of a question that
is the most important that can come
before this Legislature and one that Is
OF the greatest interests to the people
of the State. l don't know how long il
would take to open the last Jackpot
but say let us stay here until the hot
suns of July drive us away il we can
protect the interests Of the people OF
the good old State OF Maine. CAP
plause.)
Mr.. WALKER of Starks: My duties
at home are such that 1 would like
very much to be there. and yet. when
accepted this position to come here
as the representative of the people of
my district. I expected to come here
and do the best that we are called up
on to do l do not understand that
there is any definite time for this
House to adjourn. I. for one. although
there are duties at home for me to at
tend to. am willing to stay here until
this important question is settled. I,
for one. am willing to consider this
question of taxation. and to think OF
the people. our constituents. and the
load of taxation under which they are
suffering. l trust that the motion OF
the gentleman from Patten will pre-
vail.
Mr. GARDNER: The turn that af-
fairs have taken. this morning, is
somewhat Of a surprise to me. and
doubtless it is to many Of u.s. 1t has
been a growing belief on my part. and
think possibly on the part Of others
that the railroad lobby" so-cailed,
here has been able to unduly influence
legislation surrounding the railroads
but, this morning. it comes to me with
renewed force that not only are they