The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1905-03-16
The NOrTidgeWOck Town
Meeting.
Sorrdge~oek, Me, MAJ 8, 1908

To the Editor 0f The REPoKrEH:-
After reading the report Of the Nor.
fidgewock town meeting a. il appeared
IN your paper, | beg the privilege Of
making statement about the matter
since Misunderstanding may lead 70
serious consequences IN our fight for a
free, n place Of toll bridge
Our meeting went peacefully on until
motion WAS put to raise a thousand
dollars to be used toward buying the
toll bridge, the charter Of which after
seventy years Of existence, expires next
fall
The bridge company had asked for
twenty year extension Of Their charter,
but on the remembrance Of one hundred
and fifty leading citizens sixteen Of
whom were men doing business IN the
village, and fair hearing of the case
before the judiciary committee. Hon L.
l.. Walton representing the remonstrants.
an arrangement v as made whereby the
town might take the bridge at it,
market value, az appraised b a dis
Interested commission.
Now "origiuaio owners Of the bridge
company stock, consider its value very
lightly and several have in ny presence
offered to give their shares to the town
If necessary to insure the free bridge.
but few, az in other corporations Of
this nature, have managed, after buying
up control, at from ten to fourteen
dollars share, Original value fifty dol
lars) to get satisfactory profit from the
business aud are 10th 70 give Il up and
whether by accident or by design,
know not the same man, L. Z Folsom,
presided at the town meeting, who
represented the bridge company at Au-
gusta when it attempted to get its char
ter extended Internationally
When the moderator put the vote, be
called for raise of hands Now don
pretend to see better than the average,
but am morally certain that a arge
majority raised hands The moderate
(the corporation lawyer above namely
said he would have to divide the house
We divided Still we lad, or appeared
to have, as large a majority as before
The moderator then said be was not
certain shout then went up for a
written ballot, but the moderator de-
cided to give us what he termed the
check list vote, he reading the names
and each voter present saying yes or
mo- according as he voted for or
against the motion.
AS the names were slowly called, l.
fearing that | would not be able to write
fast enough to get the names on both
sides, and being anxious 10 know the
names of those who, either conscien.
tiously, or as toadies, would oppose 80
public spirited move, wrote down the
names of those only. who said mo-.
was assisted in getting the correct an
swers by two neighbors and when We
we're in doubt, as we were on two or
three occasions, | asked Mr.. Moderator
When the names were all called,
worked up to the moderAtor's desk to
examine the result in order TO compare il
with my own and found to my disgust
that the list had hot been checked and
that the clerk could not tell, nor could
the moderator, who voted "Ses'' and
who no" but that Mr.. town clerk had
made sort of potato bag count by
means of straight marks and a cross
mark five on two parallel lines, one sup
posed to be yes aud the other mo, "
and this all alone at his own sweet will.
Mr.. Moderator said Listen to the re.
pun VI JOul OdllbAt OuC hAIolth obA
four yes and one hundred and fifteen
mo, the motion is therefore lost
In the meantime | had carefully added
up my list of noes and finding only ninety
and being un willing to admit that had
omitted twenty-five on go small list,
and also having compared my list with
another by a voter who made it the
same as IL lifted my voice up in loud
protest.
In spite of the moderator's threat to
have me arrested, and sent out, in spite
of the fact that he called on the officers
to put out the voters who questioned
the result of the vote, hundred or more
voices doubted the vote and would not
be silenced. This was the first result of
the vote which the moderator had de.
clared on this important question, in
volving as it did the good name of the
town, and still, in the face of hundred
questioning voices he refused utterly to
make the vote certain, although the law
requires only seven TO make this recount
mandatory upon the moderator.
2 without giving a man the right t0
speak. denying us all the right to ballot
s which we demanded, unable to get the
deputy sheriff or the constables TO tackle
, a righteously indignant throng of Amer
I lean citizens thus arbitrarily and illegal
. ly gagged, this moderator tried TO reaC
the next article of the warrant, hli
voice completely drowned by cries q
unfair 1t was no check list vote.
; "give us a written ballot and the like
until at last, throwing down his gave
in a tiger like rage, he rushed at my
brother, F. l.. A mes. who had said tina
: he protested against the tasfying of THU
, vote by illegal means.
a There was no signs Of fear CT of anger
, on the part of his victim and my brother
offered no physical resistance whatever
n because of the moderator OF the tow
a meeting so far loosng control 81 hlmsel
in his zeal to perpetnate the toll bridge
of his clients, after leaving Tire moder
ator's platform.
The friends of = free bridge were calm
and committed no assaults ~ batteries
F though Justly ashamed aud udlEnau
, and free 10 express their opinions of :
: moderator who would thus conduct
: town meeting, sworn 'H perform ae
i duty legally.
. since the meeting, II has been Ie
/, ported that while the meeting Was az q
= greatest uproAr, someone finished th'
last three articles of the warrant I4
# and carried a motion t1 adj autu Az.
made records To tina t0rC' au Tie tuWl
books. vet am unable o. tin auyou,
who can explain how il could se done
but ike the country magjstrat- Rh. nm
, married the dissatisfied coupe suf