Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-14

who go to the capital to do business,
simply mask her concentrated selfish
ness, disclosed Ivy her attitude towards
tH,'s.e other great public measures?
The public measures meant education.
convenience in travel and lcsscninE OF
taxation to these municipalities scattered
over the broad territory of Maine, hut
this measure. reduced to its final analy-
SIS, means a beautiful public structure
for wealthy city and the delay o: aban-
,lonrnent of good roads in any extended
form, the continued care and construc-
tior of bridges by municipalities for
public use the continuance Of education
in it's present primitive way in rural
places and with all an increase Of taxa
tion to the tame of $4,000 per ye2r.-the
promoters say for four years. but VINO
can tell for how many years We have
no plans, no estimates. only few
pictures from the South or West of capt
tolls built there out of some material, no
one SAYS what that material is, or by
what class OF labor constructed:
Mr. CI.ARKE-May l inform the SEN
ator from Kcnncbec that the capital In
which have referred is made Of In
diana iimestole
Mr. HESELTON-How can YOU com
pare that with State Of Maine granite?
Mr.. CLARkE--I simply said that Two
architects in Portland have compared
that with State of Maine granite AMI
have said that the difference III cost
would rot exceed $100,Cco and would prob
ably be less than that amount.
Mr. HESELTON--RiGh hcre-and the
opportunity might honorably he taken
by me, I think. to make this statement
openly ana publicly to the Senate-when
the senator from Lincoln uses the name
Of John Calvin Stevens. | wish to say
that in his; Office ! personally saw 4
sketch which he had made of a proposed
capital in Portland; and from his Owl
lips / received the announcement that
any capital of that similar desig1
would cost, above ground. from two tt
three millions of dolars-and if it were
not 50. with the knowledge that I be
licve the gentlemen from Portland have
of Mr.. Stevens ideas of such a structure
as they hope for-with that knowledge
in their possession, w hich 1 believe they
possess, they would have produced hi
estimate before this committee.
They did not wish for the State ot
Maine to know the cost of this proposed
capital-they preferred to produce pic
lures from newspapers. They did no
tell US the character or elabOratoncss 81
the construction of their proposed work
They did not tell US about the matera
that would go into the work. They die
. not show us the interior of the capita
! or its specifications. They simply rcat
from news columns-and they want TIL,
! State of Maine to register a vote today
| fiimsy testimony.
| No one gives the details Of the interior
| why are we to be committed t.
| this, Portlands scheme, in this un
| developed form? Has it ever DC
| Cured in the construction OF
! public building that when that struc
! ture has once been commenced and pro
| crossed beyond the contemplated OK
| rense, funds are then easily procured
| because no state which once commences!
n public building of this kind can aban
don the project partially completed. u
| you imagine this fact has escaped III,
notice Or consideration Of the astut,
| gentlemen who are foiSting this schem,
upon the State? DO YOU doubt but wha
| they have privately considered that wher
once this building IS ''Staked OUT, the,
there j. no turning backward. and i
| the funding scheme should be passe.
by this Legislature and assume the form
| Of a "gDld-brick' that tho State itsel
| would continue and complete the struct
IRE? - YOU have any doubt but VIVA
they think. if by this attractive sugges
tInn Of thousands to be presented to thu
State. they can induce the citizens o
this State to commit themselves to th
great scheme and there should be a fail
urc on their part to produce the money
even then they will carry out their plan
hy drawing upon the State for the full
expense of this structure? They know
full well now that the court will proven
the payment Of a single dollar by the cit,
Of Portland.-then why press the propo
sition except for the purpose which
suggest?
Every step thus far taken by the pro
tectorS Of this scheme has been base,
upon glittcrinG Eencralties. In the frs
instance they had their mayor read will
becoming JUNCTION the vote OF the cit,
government that it would pledge 500 90
towards this proposed structure, if thu
legislature would grant them an cnablin.
act 50 to do. Then rs now they had n,
plans Of the structure, and no estimate
Of the cost: all they presented to tn
committee was the picture Of som,
structure in a southern state. built from
some matnrial,-nO one could tell what
and by some kind Of labor. no on,
could tell how cheap; and this trap the,
halted by what | have termed the gold
brick" Now, was this "Gold-brick"?
| Tho money offer involved double taxa
tiun; il was unconstitutional accordin,
to the decisions Of the courts Of on
state. and the fullfiment Of til" rlan
even if they had ever proposed 10 carr,
it out, would have been cnjoincd by tn,
| court
m" constitution Of orr state provide
in Section Of article IN "all tax 11pol
real and personal estate assessed b,
authority Of this State shall be appor
toned and assessed equally according #
} tn lust vau" thereof" This language i
! different from that Of all the states
hence the decisions in regard t. power q
taxation in other states have no force il