Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-03-28

the State. through the Governor, to can
eel or redeem.
Mr.. CLARKE-That fact has been use'l
against granting this bill. To any
man who understands that matter
and has one particle of honor
it ought to be used as an ar
gument in favor of granting this APP
preparation. AS a matter of fact the State
of Maine. or this Legislature. ought to
vote to appropriate money to compensate
these people. There is note outstand-
ing today for $1,000 and men who are alb
solutely good for 50 times that amount
have their names on it and are going to
pay it, but I cannot see that this has
anything to do with this appropriation.
Your argument amounts to the fact that
because those commissioners who were
appointed by this State and accepted in
good faith, lost money themselves on the
other exposition, after creditably repre-
senting this State. that for that reason
you should kick them in addition, by re-
fusing this appropriation. ] cannot con-
cur with any such idea as that.
Mr.. SIMPSON of York-Mr. President,
1 will say as to agreement of two years
, ago that I know two Of the parties. Ona
is present in this room at the present
time. one is a member lobbying this
through. the agreement was made that
If this commission was appointed, they
would not ask for one cent and also the
agreement of Reed of Portland, simply
saying that he would like to have the
commission. through the BOARD Of Trade
of Portland. to go to work and furnish
the capital
Mr.. CLARKE-I would like to ask the
senator if he can prove what he has said
and what authority he has for making
such a statement, and what authority Mr.
Reed or anybody else had for making
such an agreement This was put in the
hands Of the commission. which is COM
| posed of responsible men, and how can
you say that the inadvertent remark of
any outsider should bind its members"
1t is very easy thing to misunderstood
| the proposition embodied in this measure
two years ago. Their position was
that they would not come to the State
| and ask it to appropriate any money to
carry out the terms of the bill so far as
the Lewis and Clarke Exposition was
concerned. They did not in any way
agree not to come to this Legislature for
| an adequate appropriation to carry on the
jamestown Exposition. say what
| ever conclusion you arrive at so
| far IS any agreement with outside
parties is concerned, when you get down
to the merits of the question there is no
| reason why the request of the Boards of
| Trade of this State. who are trying TO adj
vertise its resources, should not be COM
Piled with For the last six years I have
noticed that appropriations of this kind
are IA times as liable to fail if a clean ser
OF honorable men in a dignified manner
SIMPLY ask for them and make an appeal
not backed up by personal solicitation or
| the employment of a lobbyist. In this
| particular case these men have made q
disnified proposition to the State of Maine
through n commission appointed for that
purpose. backed up by various clubs and
Boards of Trade ard finally by
! the State E1ard of Trade Itself
through its president and through n
committee of five eminent men. And
the only element of success they lack
was that which manifests itself in
hanging 20 members of the committee
and members of the LEGISLATURE and
having friends in position to assist in
urging them to pass their bill Their
lack OF success, should they not meet
with success. would be due to lack OF
personal solicitation on the part Of the
members OF that commission. I under
stand there is some prejudice against
the president of that commission. Sew
eral members of the committee have
told me point blank that they were
prejudiced against the president because
he had been persistent. AS matter of
fact 1 am personally acquainted with
MN and know he has had charge of
Expositions on more than 20 occasions:
and there is not man in Maine so well
equipped by experience and all round
ABILITY along that line for the duties
or tnat commission az is Mr.. Jackson.
Their objection is that they are afraid
ne IS going to get a Job out of it. I
submit that if he has the ability To raise
s5ooo-which I am willing to make a