The Portland daily press., 1899-06-12
It's Generosity With
Other Peoples Money,
Pointed References to Farmer:
McKeen and Manley.

The Farmers conference, which 90
CURED in Reception hall, City building,
Saturday afternoon, was attended by
about $50 farmers from all parts of Cum
bertrand county with few tillers of the
soil from other parts of the state. This
convention was called by Farmer" Nc
Laughlin for the purpose of bringing GER
tain matters to the attention of the farm
ers of Maine. MIR. Mclaughlin was en-
hand early and was the prime mover and
promoter of Ill that was done by the con-
vention. Many people VINO may be in
clined to the opinion that farmer is MOI
much of an orator should have attended
saturdays conference and heard some of
the addresses. The farmers let them
selves loose. 1hey talked about the
thinRs the last legislature did and did not
do, the manner IN which the bills OF state
officers are audited end not audited, the
general question of taxation and the
matter or railroads and railroad passes.
A featnre OF the discussion was the histo-
~ Of the last legislature as recounted
by Judge McFadd5n of Dresden, whose
references to general hospitals anu special
intlrmaries were loudly appanded. 1hert
were references TO several gentlemen in
public life, including Secretary McKeen
vi the board OF Agriculture and the Hon.
Joseph Ii. Manley. 1t was about the
llSellesB discussion that has been heard
IN Reception hall for long time.
Ii was after two O'Clock when Mr.. Ii.
h. Griggs OF Mestbrook called the con-
yention 20 Older and asked Tor the select.
ION or permanent chairman. w. Ii. Nc.
Laughlin was chosen and in taking the
chair spoke in his characteristic way Of
81 a.
probation of farm property. MIR. Mo
Laughlin also firmly expressed his 0pin.
Ton Of the states manner of dealing with
corporations. In the course of his adj
dress he spoke AS follows.
McLAUGHLIN'S SHARP SAYINGS.
1.-THE farmer has to wage a ceassless
warfare against the Irresistible forces oil
nasure, and though he may plant anC
SOW, he Can have no guarantee that
blignting droughs or continual rains
Will not bring his harvest to naught,
and even If he escapes these GalamItles
he must maintain a constant struggle
against the weeds, that thrive alike In
wet or dry, while crows, oaterpillArs.
woodchucks, grasEhoppers, potato bugs
and squash bugs rayage his crops by day,
and skunks, coons, weasels ana all kinds
OF worms and bugs by night, not to men
tion the gold bug, who feeds both by day
and by night.
:'Considering these facts the farmer
should be particularly favored in the way
of taxation, ana in fact "a oountry's real
Development may be measured by the
encouragement and support that i6 ex-
tends TO those who Till the soil and
yet in this country tine whole science of
politics seems to be TO escape as much
of The burden of government as posi- BILE
by shifting 1T all over to the broad back
OF the farmer, who, like the dromedary OF
the desert. drops on his knees, to receive
his load.
"a farmer of GorhaIn, who logged out
Of Portland ahead of me the other day,
informed me that the first tax bill ON
tine farm that he purchased 40 years ago
wss S. 5O ana the same farm OF the same
size and value is now taxed for S35. 80,
and farm IN my vicinity that sold for
81, 500 in 1856 was sold some two years ago
Tor less than one half, while another
that less than 20 years since sold for
IS, 100, will now not bring thousand,
and while the value of these farms has
been steadily declining during these peri
DDS the taxes have Teen steadily increas-
ing, and yet few weeks sincs So, COO
aores of wild land was sold Down East
for $4,000 that the state assessors were
taxing Si5S year, the assessors putting
"a value of Sl14,74i, and liking the tax
lands had been assessed ut Per cent, as
the law requires, the state would have
received Sl2 OUO q year in taxes, and it
Is tnus that the executors of the laws put
premium on idleness by taxing honest
industry to the limit.
sfhis state is disgraced from one end
OF the country to the other, by the easy
facility with which our laws enable
plundering concerns to come here and or
game with an almost unlimited capt.
talization, OF which nearly The whole
may be what is known as water, or
more properly wind. Everyone here
knows why this dissracsful business is
permitted SO shameless, that as one said
to me, that the less said about il the
better, for the good Of the name of the
state. There is only one other state in
the Union that has sunk TO that depth
OF political turpitude, that adVertises
through the laxity of it's laws to warm
into lie these soulless trusts and com
bines, that batteu upon honest industry,
and tha last legislature is TO be congratu.
a,ed upon about the only bright spot in
Its record when it refused to charter the
J9s Trust with its bogus capitalization
OF sixty millions, 10 pay dividends upon,
ny ohliging everyone who wanted a d eoe
Of ice to pay their price OF go without
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS.
(. Mr.. Ia W. Dyer of Cumberland was
nominated for secretary. Mr.. Dyer de-
c inen to serve in this capacity but was
urged TO do SO and finally accepted the
nomination. He read letters of regret
from Judge Enoch Foster and Ira Il.
Gardiner which expressed sympathy with
the movement OF the farmers.
Mr.. Mclaughlin then said that he
would like to see an hour put IN 1riug a
yolley as the Salvation Army say and
I'D on those prssert to speak. There
did not seem Co he D great rush for the