The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-02-09
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS OF LOCAL IN
TEREST

4 N@NASA'
A special to The journal from Augusts
last week gave the news of the recommit
ment in the Senate of the resolve for an
appropriation of $1,000 yearly for the years
1866 for the Waldo County General Hos
pital to the committee on appropriations
and financial affairs by a vote of II to IL
This result was attained after lively de-
bate. We give the plea of Senator Morse
in full from the official report in the Ken.
nebec journal:
Mr. Morse of Waldo: Mr. President, we
went quite Thoroughly over this matter last
that l attached no blame to this committee
i feel exactly the same today. feel that if
| there is any blame to be attached to anyone
it is to the citizens of Waldo county. I
have great respect for the members of this
Senate and had there been any other way
motion, | should gladly have resorted to it
but feeling as | did and knowing the feel
| ing that existed throughout the county to
which | belong, felt that justice could
only be done by staying the proceedings for
a time until our people could be made fully
aware of the situation and then let them be
| here. 1t was arranged that we should
have some gentleman of the legal profess
sion come here and present the case Hon.
r. F. Dnnton was chosen. He was un-
avoidaby detained and could not come You
know, MIR. President, that sometimes in the
matter of the presentation of d case if it is
properly done it carries weight with it. We
| know it, gentlemen. Now, then, some of
| you may have noticed in a Portland paper
some comments on this particular matter,
that this committee on appropriations and
| financial affairs have made up their minds
tn MT hot
| peared here. Now l dislike very much for
any paper to come forth with such a state
ment as that, because l do not believe, as
the senator from AroOstoOk has said, that
| they intend to do such a thing as that
| | do not believe it; and in fact there is
evidence before us this morning, for only
| yesterday they took up one of these new
| institutions and they gave it $4,000 for the
| next two years. l am heartily in accord
with the movement. l would have voted
! for it if it had been $25,OOO, the same as
| they called for. l believe in the States
poses as will 60 te supply the wants of the
people of our State, and, gentlemen, that is
| what we are here for. Now, just word
| about this hospital-this santarium is just
| about the age of our hospital. 1t has been
running about two months. They have had
- patients. l am informed that they have
had more than that in our Waldo county
hospital, but let ME say this to you, gentle
men; On account of that hospital being in
the city of Belfast where it vast has been
running only two mOnthS-We have reached
out that aid to one man that leaves him on
top OF the earth today, and he would have
been under the sod if he had been obliged
to have been transported to Portland for an
operation. He would have been dead in "a
hours. He could not have reached Portland
So MUCK for that. Two of my neighbors
are there today, for surgical operations
Ns11x 1,.,x No
! doubt not that in year. or in few years
from this time, when they come here, they
will show you that they have supplied
! wants and demands of the citizens of that
county and the surroundings in a measure
that you will feel that you should have been
liberal at this time. We only ask for S3, 600
appropriation for this year, and $1,000 for
next, Is it worthy? Is it a worthy object :?
! Is it right that they should give our citizens
an opportunity where they can undergo an
operation at once and within the reach OF
their friends? | think so, We have as
good, and more surgeons there than any
city can boast of in the State of Maine
Their services are free Who is going TO
get anything out of this appropriation ex-
cept the sick and the afflicted? The nurse,
must be paid. The running expenses must
be paid. The citizens of the city have a.
ready bought this Home ana practically
paid for 1t and equipped it too in nice. rum
and their hands have so recently been
reached down into their pockets BY sub
Scrlption that they feel that this Is an in
stitution such that they may well looa TO
the State for some aid and support. Let US
make lew comparisons, il you please,
here. Let us see what the Stale has been
expending money for in the past DO you
know, gentlemen, how much we have paid
out for the cattle commission Of this State
for the last two years? S21, 900 for diseased
cattle. Are they of more consequence than
the diseases of the human family? Does
any man here regret that we have paid out
$4,000 for that purpose? think the ap-
preparation is too small, gentlemen. think
it ought to be more. l will vote for more.
Amy member of this Senate who saw the
exhibition down on the table the other day
will vote with me, who noted when the dis
eaSed lungs were brought in and exposed
there on the table.
Do we want to be protected from this ter
rible disease of tuberculosis? Do we want
men that are competent to look after the in
terests of the State in that direction? Ger
tainly we do. Then let us vote the money.
just protection against those contagious dis
eases. Gentlemen, what | ask is simply
this: That this matter may be recon-
mitted to this committee, that they may
have d fuller and fairer hearing, that the
citizens of Belfast who are interested in
tllio iLdttCI udy nave oil oppoi euIIeS w pC
heard and | say to you that petitions have
come in, not only from Waldo county, but
from other sections of the State, praying
for this hospital Do you suppose they are
in earnest in this? Do you suppose they
are honest about it? Do you suppose any
body expects to reap any financial aid from
this appropriation? Not at all. 1t is an
act in line with all these other appro-
priati0ns for our hospitals and for the in
sane asylums and for all these institutions
which 60 to benefit and purify our State,
Gentlemen, l hope that you win take the
view Of this matter that do, and while
mittee, at all. think the blame is wholly
upon ourselves and not upon this commit
tee, and l would be glad to have it placed
there. l would be very glad if you could
see this matter as l do, from the few re-
marks l have made, and feel the interest
that feel, and if you do, | am certain that
you will vote with me to recOmmit this mat
ter for a second hearing.
Senator Staples of Knox (Democrat) ably
seconded Senator Morse in demanding a
! further hearing on this matter. The yea
! and nay vote was as follows:
| Yea Aver, Bartlett, Brown, Clark,
Curtis, Furbish, Knowlton; Mills, Morse,
| Philooh, Plulniner, Potter. Randall, Shack
ford, Staples and Stetson,
Nay-Allen, Bailey, Gardner. Heselton,
Irving, Owen, Pierce, Pike, putnum, Smp-