Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-12

,lme; ana l do not wish to be under
STOOD, IN voting on this question, to
vote either Tor or against the appro-
prlatlon we have here the majority
ana minority reports of the committee.
Tne question Is whether that shall he
referred to the finance committee. IT,
my mind 1t is not proper for the menu
berS of this House to summarily throw
down report of the committee on ed
| ucation and not allow it to go to the
| finance committee. 1t seems to me
that is all the question there is before
| the House. 1t is not a question of
whether we are in favor or against the
! appropriation. We shall have an op-
portunity to express our views and to
| take our vote On that when it comes
| back after it has run the gauntlet of the
| finance committee, and it seems to me-
| in attempting at this time to summar-
| lily dispose of this matter in way so
it cannot be referred under the rules
to the finance committee, is entirely i'll
advised; and if any gentlemen on this
floor wishes to oppose this appropriation,
| II Seems to me that the time to oppose
| it is on the passage of the resolve af-
finance committee; and when 1 vote on
this proposition, | shall vote ON that
basis that it ought to go to the finance
committee, having received the in
dorsement of majority of the commit
tee on education. 1 simply wish to
call the attention of the members to
the fact that it is not necessary, even
if they are opposed to this resolve, to
a icn nj in ~
lowing it to take its regular course.
Mr.. Mead of Bridgton, moved that
when the vote be taken it be taken by
the yeas and nays.
Mr. PERKINS of Wilton: Mr..
Speaker and Gentlemen of the House:
AS one of the members of the commit
tee on education who signed the minor
ity report, 1 desire to say few words
upon the subject now under discussion,
And let me say right here, that the
feeling which l have toward the col
leges of this State is friendly and
wish them all success. But when they
call for State aid and succor it is an
other thing. The State of Maine has
been, is now, and l trust ever will be,
generous in the granting of money to
our common schools, High schools,
-SOiiilsli SCIoOiS, dCduciUlGS anu lne
University of Maine. We have a sys-
tenn of education in the State, today,
that assists the highest and humblest
alike, from the time they enter upon,
their education until they have COM
pleted a university course at the Uni
versity of Maine. And what does this
cost years: The common schools re-
ceive $550,000. the Normal schools $751;
s23,500. and the University of Maine
$4,000, making d total of $669,500.
This year, in this Legislature, we have
expended upon and for buildings con-
nected with schools directly under the
control of the State.
I favor the expenditure of this
money but we are asked to go beyond
this point and to open the treasury of
The State of Maine to the hands of
sectarian institutions. To this I siren
ously object When from the dire ca
lamity of fire or any other misfortune |
Colby, Bates or Bowdoin suffer, or
when for any cause, they seek our aid, |
should we forget what we are already |
doing for education, and blindly open |
up a new avenue for the States |
money; which if opened at this time.
can only be closed when the desires
of Colby, Bates, Bowdoin and every
other deEonlinational and sectarian
school in the State have been met, de-
sires augmented by the fact that they
see the, University of Maine drawing
from the State treasury, right which
of all the higher institutions of the
State, she alone has.
If we open the States treasury to
SKIS, where in the long line of denomi-
national schools shall we draw the line.
Shall we shut out Bates College, which
has introduced a resolve, and the hear
ing is set for tomorrow afternoen?1t
Shall we shut out Bowdoin College if
she asks for aid? Shall we shut out
the Catholic College at Van Buren,, in
Aroostook county, when she shall ask
for aid? ?" -'"'
Gentlemen if you give to one de-
and sectarian school or
college of this State, you must give to
all; and by the time they have all re-
ceived that for which they ask, it will
be time for the first served to ask for
more. Again, when once you have
made these institutions charitable OBJ
jects of the State, those who have de-
lighted to give from their abundance
to them, will refuse to do SO longer.
and instead of one university upon our
hands, we shall have all of the sec
tartan schools of the State knocking at
the door of each and every Legislature
in the future for aid.
Or rather. gentlemen. if you think it
better for the State to well care for
what we now have upon our hands,
that 100000 is q sufficient sum for us
Us at the present to invest in the edu-
cation of our youth. and that our sys-
tenn of common schools, High schools,
Normal schools, academies, and the