Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-08-21
Repub,Ican, can,t T.is all the Credit.

publican party, and 1t would be passing |
strange II there were not In their record
something which would give striking
revelation of their indifference to the
interests of the people.
They found it-a great, Dig, Juicy,
rich issue, which would show the people
how they were paying taxes to support
great corporation. The first time the
Democrat heard of It was at the Oxford
Democratic county convention, when
Mr.. McGillicuddy brought to bear on It
his notable powers Of oratory and
sarcasm, but since that time every
Democratic orator who has spoken has
worked 1t to Its full capacity
In brief, the Democrats discovered q
fact which had apparently been buried
in the archives of the state for years.
They didn't label it "the crime Of '9l'
and allege that 1t was surreptitiously
Struggled through, but they did intimate
that the people never had been told
about what an ubiquitous measure 1t was.
The discovery was that away back IN
1891 the legislature of Maine-a Republic
can legislature, of course-authorized .
contract between the state of Maine and
the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad BY
which the said railroad was to receive
back from the state, for term Of twenty
years, ninety-five per cent of the taxes
which it paid to the state, and In con-
sideration therefor was to carry free the
troops In time of war.
And then they made another discovery,
that not only had that outrage been per-
petrated on the people In 1891, but later
another Republican legislature authoriz-
ed similar contract with the Washing
ton County Railroad, and even as late AZ
1908 similar contract with the Somerset
Railroad was authorised.
Pretty good point, wasn't 1t? Whether
considered from the standpoint of show
ing the people the huge gift which
Republican legislatures had made to
rich railroad corporations-''profitable
roads," as Candidate Davis has the cool
assurance to term them-or from the
humorous standpoint of preparing in
time of profound peace, for protection
of our Aroostook border against an In
vasion of the Pulajanes or some other
tribe. No wonder Democratic spell
binders hailed it with delight.
Now the trouble with all this argument
as put forth by the Democratic orators
is that It tells form Of half-truth. 1t
is indeed true that Republican legis-
latures made just such contracts as have
been specified. It is however fact that
these contracts were authorized before
the roads were constructed, and that
they were in their essence simply q form
of exempting from taxation for q term OF
years new enterprise not then existing,
in order to encourage the building OF
that enterprise, indeed, perhaps to fur
nish the inducement which will insure
the building of the enterprise.
Towns have done the same thing
numerous times, with manufacturing
enterprises, and while the act is criticised
by some. there is no doubt that In many
cases 1t has led to the establishment of
enterprises which have been of great
permanent benefit to the municipality.
If 80 in the case of towns, certainly 1t Ia
much more so In the case of the state
and new railroads, for q railroad once
built is a permanent affair, which can
not be moved to some other place, and
In new territory 1t opens up for develop
ment new resources, and not only adds
to the value of the state its own value.
but increases largely the value of the
property in its vicinity.
That is just what has happened in the
case of these roads. Since the building
of the Bangor and Aroostook, the assess
ed valuation of the county of Aroostook
has increased from SIS, 1S2,l57 to
$23, sos, 1902, largely as the direct result
of opening up that county to develop
ment by the railroad. Also there has
been an investment of several millions in
the remarkable development of Mill
nocket, on that road, as well as other in
direct present and future benefits from
the building of the road which 1t Is i'm
possible to estimate accurately.
And please do not forget that the con-
tracts were authorized before the roads
were built. No taxes have been abated
on any property that existed at the time
the contracts were authorized. The
state has not abated one cent of taxes
which 1t had been receiving before the
abatement.
Also bear in mind that when the
twenty years. exemption expires, in
about five years, the Bangor and ARGOS
took Railroad will pay to the state an
annual tax of probably 100000 from
property which did not exist at the
time of the abatement.
But good or bad, fair or unfair, these
were Republican measures, passed by
Republican legislatures, and the Repub-
licans are responsible for them. So say
the Democratic orators. And they say
the measures are absurd in form, In
equitable, outrageous. And they are
Republican measures. Well, we are
glad to accept the responsibility, and
would be glad to take the sole credit, II
any. But let us see.
In all these Legislatures which passed
these acts there has been minority of
Democrats. And as they were q minori-
lty, and sometimes rather small
minority, 1t could not be expected that
they would accomplish much in con-
structive legislation along the lines OF
their distinctive party principles.
Rather it has been their function to
watch carefully the legislation of the
party In power, and see that no vicious
acts are passed.
And as the Democratic party is dis
tinctively the party of the people, we
know it ia, for they say so themselves
any legislation which was calculated tn
enrich the corporations out of the tax
payers would be their particular abhor-
renee.
OF course, then, when these railroad
acts to which reference is made came up
before the legislature, the Democratic
leaders exhausted their powers of
rhetoric in opposing them at the COM
mittee hearings, and when 1t came to
vote in the respective houses, of course
they demanded a roll call and placed
themselves forever on record as opposed
to the ubiquitous scheme.
Why, certainly, of course they did.
The idea!
But interested parties have unkindly
looked up the matter. and the revelation
is surprising. Not only was the Bangor
a number Of Democrats, including
Major Dickey, the Democratic dean of
the house, but it seems to have gone
through with general approval, and not
Q vote was recorded against 1t In either
house.
And there's more to come. In the
Legislature of 1908, which passed tho
Somerset Railroad abatement, Hon.
Cyrus W. Davis, the Democratic candi.
date for governor, who is working this
issue so hard, was prominent and
active member, In fact, the most promi-
nent member on the Democratic side.
Yet it Is not recorded that Mr.. Davis
raised his voice In opposition to the
measure, or voted against 1t.
In fact, all these measures OF abate-
ment seem to have been approved by