Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-09

low 1t, today. | do not wish to do in
justice but | believe a word of caution
is good. Don't be led away from the
main point by the side issues The his
tory of the West has been the same IN
the way of the Farmers Alliance. The
Grange has brought them back 10 their
senses. All, tEe old Grange is doing
much of good
What are the things we should in
sist upon? Economy? Yes. but il is Of
two kinds. Parsimonious economy is
not what we wish. This is a grand
State. The resources are being develop
ed. 1t costs more to run it than il used
to. Yes, we need economy, but we
must be wise in what we call by that
name. In this | must speak of the
academy appropriations that are being
spoken of and made such mountains by
some politicians. The State appropIia-
| ted $4,000 for the academies, and an
other $4,000 are spent with this in the
academies that is raised locally. Per-
haps the Free High school is better but
| the academies are doing good and the
sum is small compared with the talk
! that is made about il.
There We're movements started i'll
the last Legislature. Some got the idea
into their heads there was trouble
somewhere and they centralized by
trying to get a tWo-cent mileage. Now
would they have helped the farmer
much in that. How many Of you would
have bought $25 mileage books. You
don't travel much and when you do it
is usually on an excursion ticket that
costs less than two cents a mile
! Don't get the idea | am opposed to
all these things. but these things ought
ye to do, but do not leave the others
undone.' How much personal property
DO you suppose there is that does not
pay cent of tax? We must have the
large amount assessed and taxed and
that will make the burdens spread out
more and relieve some of us little
| while those who are able to pay will he
doing their share. The man with The
| little farm cannot hide it and ii is as
sessed. The man With stocks and
bonds hides his. The farmer does not
want the latter TO pay the whole tax
but we want him to pay his share OF
proportional part.
If we attend the primary meetings
Of our parties and select the right men
| for the Legislature we can bring about
what we desire. Yes give us farmer
( movement in the way Of securing more
members for the Grange Let US have
a movement that we can control. 1t
| it he fathered and mothered by the
/ Grange. 1t is long time before the
! next Legislature, but we can serve the
! notice on the pqoplp that we arc thor,
10 stay when the time comes and that
/ we are very much alive. We shall
/ have opposition.
Il stated in a speech before the State
! Board Of Trade. last year that ther,
was too great an estrangement be
/ tween the farmer and the business
men. Let us get together. Do we
want any class benefits? No. only We
want to be put on a level with other
/ fellows. In IS Il man introduced 4 bill
| To take the tax off the 2-year-old steers
! thinking. no doubt. to make the farm
ors believe ne was their friend. but his
/ bill was jecrcd at and defeated by the
I farmers. We are willing 10 pay our
/ tax but we want others to do the same.
! We must wake up the farmers and
/ il often requires q knockdoWn blow t.
I do il. The farmer Of today is called
upon tn think moro for himself and to
act differently than years ago, and the
man in the Old ruts is no longer up
with the procession.
I Nov. | said | would talk YOU hun
cry ana | guess | have. but have one
more thing to congratulate YOU OF be
fore closing and that is because [ am
] through "