Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-27
Afternoon Session.

| Afternoon Session.
| On motion of Mr.. Morrison of Eden,
the rules were suspended and that
| gentleman introduced An Act in regard
1 to the use of the roads in the town OF
Eden. Read three times and passed
to be engrossed under suspension O!
the rules.)
Mr.. Page from the committee on APP
preparations and financial affairs, on
bill, An Act to regulate the salary OF
the justice of the superior court within
and for the county of Cumberland, re-
ported ought not to pass as the subject
matter is contained in a different bill.
| Mr.. Potter of Brunswick, moved to
reconsider the vote whereby the House
passed to be engrossed An Act in re-
gard to the use of the roads in the
| town of Eden.
| The motion was lost.
| Mr.. SWEET from the committee on APP
preparations and financial affairs, on
bill An Act establishing the salary of
| the county attorney for the county of
Knox. reported ought to pass. (Read
three times and passed to be engrossed
under suspension of the rules.)
| First reading of a printed bill An
Act to amend an act entitled can Act
| authorizing Washington county to sell
| it's stock in the Washington County
| Railroad Company and authorizing the
sale or lease of said railroad, approved,
March 10. 1903" (Read the third time
and passed to be engrossed under sus-
pension of the rules)
| Salary of Attorney General.
/ foi n,-t
of joint select committee on salaries,
reporting that bill on act to fix the
salary of the attorney general be re-
| ferred to a committee appointed to de-
termine the salaries of all State and
county officials, and minority report Of
same committee reporting Ought to
ipass' in new draft under same title.
Mr.. SEWALL of Bath: Mr.. Speaker,
as chairman of the committee on the
Ipart of the House, and one who signed
lfhe minority report, wish to state
itbrieny the reasons which caused the
tfninority of the committee to make the
REPORT which they did. Two bills We're
1 introduced here by eminent members
of the legal profession, eminent in their
services to the House, personal friends
and long political associates of the Of
ficials whose salaries and emoluments
would be affected by the bill. Tho
hearings were advertised and held and
| the committee received the information
in regard to the matter, and after
hearing the arguments the minority
members of the committee felt moved
to make this report, believing that their
measure was right and that it should
have the approval of the people of this
State. submitted the minority report.
| We declined and l decline to discuss
here the question involved on any other
basis than that of principle and in
terest to the State. We eliminated In
our bearing, and l want to eliminate
here every element that would or
should be introduced rejecting in any
way upon the officials involved. 1t
was admitted without contradiction
that they rave performed their duties
of their high offices with great ability.
1t was certainly so in regard to the a.
torney general and as regards the other
officials. You, gentlemen, know as well
as I and can testify in regard to his
painstaking care, his courtesy. his hos
pitality. his versatility and character
which have won for him the friendship
vi US an. hloNlIS liic lcEi-
ing of the minority towards these Off
Gals, / think | have a right in their
behalf TO object and at this time to ut
ter my protest against the words inter =
iected by the majority of the commit
tee. unnecessarily, it seems to me, into
their report. conveying almost an i'm
putation. that the minority of the conf
mittec were not actuated by as high
motives as we are ready to admit tc
the ma iorty. The majority of the
committee end their report by saying,
believing it to be in the spirit of fair
ness and justice that the act fixing the
salary of the attorney general be re-
ferred to said committee" Those are
sweet and fair praises, Mr.. Speaker,
but we have heard in our High school
days that patriotism is the last refuge
of scoundrel. And so, here, giving
the majority of the committee full
credit for all honesty of intention-but
if the language they used there is used
as l believe it will be used in the next
two years to procastinate and delay in
vestigation and settlement of the situa-
ton well nigh intolerable to the peo-
pie of the State it will not be the first
time that such high sounding praises
have been deposed to such an end.
What is the situation? You all know
it. We have been brought up to it IN
this State. The political atmosphere
has been surcharged with it during
, every political campaign. The minor
, ity party has made use of the weapon
in attacking the party in power. 1t is
that we have a system of fees begin
, ming with the minor county offices and
. extending up through the conspicuous
offices in the State. The majority says
that 1 single out these two officials and
put them on salary and take their fees
and return them to the State. They
are the only officials brought before
: you by the bills referred to your com.
mittee. and therefore the situation as