Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-03-02

: 'h'"s'NA ''hS' tiidl lIlty were not law
yers' ana my motion was based on the
very reason that they did not have
time. and that is the very reason why
! ask this to be recommitted.
In answer to the senator from Cum
perlahd' ne recollects that I said yes
terday, that no contract that was made
by the Governor and Council with par
ties can be affected by this Legislature
V we cannot NEEDLE with them no mat
ter now attroclous and unjust they may
ne. we nave got to submit to it until
that contract expires. To epitomiZe if
am correct IN my estimates. if | am
correct in my position, we have got to
DO something. If am correct in my po-
sltion. we are already up to our debt
Iiiilt by the constitution of the State
Oh MAINE. However worthy may be
the objects that come before us. How
ever much we would be willing under
different circumstances to contribute
/ 10 this thing and that thing, | say Mr..
President. and gentlemen. that il you
are up to the constitutional limit, and
you are beyond, | know, for more than
100000. you have got to cut down the
expenditures somewhere, whether it is
the agricultural bureau the insurance
commissioner, or whether it is the $40
900 for the Orono College.
The thing StareS us fully in the face
We cannot escape it. We cannot let
our sympathies take the place Of our
duty, because there il is in black and
white, in figures that cannot lie: and |
know that | only voice the sentiment
Of the Governor Of this State when /
say We have got to cut down these ex-
EenSes- | make no point against any
one depa tment. | only ask you, with
me, to vie in determining what the
state can get along the best without,
and by 50 doing keep down the ex-
penses within the constitutional limit.
for | know that no bill. if it is passed
by this Legislature, will run the gaunt-
let Of The Governor Of the state of
Maine if we exceed the amount of rev
enue that we are told this State win
have for the next two years. | nave
said all ] wish TO say. Ii can do no
hurt. think that when the senators go
before the finance committee and rec
ommend what shall be Topped off here
and what shall be- Topped off there,
there can be no error in recommending
\ il tp the finance committee. Then. II
We can hnd no way the matter will
come back here. ! for one believe it
would be- good policy. | believe the
inanC. committee. with the aid of this
Legislature. can advise some means to
cut down the expenses from the appal-
ling rate that now stand before US.
Mr.. ADDEN Of Lincoln: Mi.
President ] felt very much encouraged
yesterday, in listening to the gentle
man from Knox. when, with his usual
eloquence. he portrayed to US the sit
uation which We all knew before and
yet We felt il more plainly after his
rlucidation. This morning. il seems TO
me. we are getting into the position of
many temperance people in the Stat"
who are in favor Of the prohibtorY
law. but not in favor of its enforce
ment. We believe in economy. but We
DO not believe in practicing economy.
Now | admit the force Of much that
has been said by the members Of the
finance committee who have spoken Ia
us this morning. as To the difficulty Of
getting around the appropriation al
ready made in law, but We go on This
morning and make further apprOpra-
tiOns, ana when ! offered an amend
ment to cut down one Of these appro-
priationS il was supported by very
faint Yea" and condemned by a very
emphatic No" | do not know. there
fore. where we shall get 4 reform. or
where the spirit of expenditure is to
b. checked. if we cannot strike out
anything out Of this general apprOpria-
tiOn bill on the ground that it is al
ready covered by law: ana if we go
on as We have this morning in covering
new appropriations by law SO that the
same argument will apply to the sec
ond general appropriation bill, which
/ is coming in later. we shall swell the
excess above our constitutional limit
/ of Indebtedness. which the senator
says is now $50, 900 far above that sum.
The senator from Somerset spoke
about the desira ability of living better
and Of increasing our expenditures.
and that carries with ii the alternative
proposition; if we increase our eXpend
itures. we must increase our tax: and
the question is whether We will stop
. the expenditures or keep them down.
or whether We will increase the taxa
Z tion. If one goes up, the other must.
We cannot put out a dollar from the
State treasury except what we nave
first gathered into the State treasury
from the people of this State. That
point seems to be lost sight of. Every
appropriation we make carries with ii
I the grasp of the tax collector. and 1 is
time we called a halt. We listened to
such talk as the senator from Knox
made to us yesterday. and il seemed
good; and after adjournment, yeSter-
day. everybody was in favor of it
everybody praised his effort. and said
it was in the right line: and we must
do it. and this morning we must not
do it--muSt not do anything-muSt not
amend an appropriation bill that we
are paSsing-must not strike an item
from this general appropriation bill.
What a comical situation, Is it not?
| do not believe it will do any harm.
Mr. President. to reSubmit this bill TO
the committee on finance.
The PRESIDENTS: Is the Senate
ready for the question? The question
is upon the motion of the senator from
Knox that this matter be recOmmitted
to the committee on finance.
Mr.. WEEKS of Somerset: | move
/ that the Senate now adjourn, leaving
this matter an unfinished business.
Voted to adjourn.
HOUSE.