Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-25
The Railroad Tax Rebates.

AS TO the matter of the railroad tax
rebates. on the strength OF which the
WaIerVile Sentinel charges SCI, coo up
to its "Repubiican extravaganza aC
count the kennebec Journal has at
last got an answer to some questions
it rut "a Hon. Cyrus w. Davis when he
was a candidate for Governor in 1907.
Il then ASKED, and the other day it re-
Davis in his seat. in the House Of Rep
rescntativcs in 1901 when the bill in
favor Of the Somerset extension ra-
ceiNcd its unanimous 1aSSa gc? Second,
whether he had any conversation with
the promoters If this measure or their
attorneys prior 10 its passage. Third,
whether he was present at any part of
the hearing on this question before the
railroad committee. Whether he had
at any time mterposed any objection
TO it prior TO the campaign then go
ing on.
j. These questions Mr. Davis cid not
answer, his paper said he refused to
he cate2hsed and it was none of the
Journals business. On the repetition
Of them. however, he gives a erudsing
answer. He does not say even now
whether lie WAS in his seat at the time.
bat the others are answered Ill this
way by the Sentinel:
X would he absurd for him TO have
answered the second and third qucs-
ton in any Otlcl way than affirmative
~ or the fourth in any way excepting
negatively.
All four questions and all possible
questions with regard to the matter
are fully answered when MIR. Davis
says that he was heartily in favor of
tie Somerset extension, that the tax
rcbatiug section of the bill was never
called to his attention until years ar
forwards ana that he promptly object
ed 10 it when it was called to his at
tcntiOr.
That is to say. being no longer q
candidate, he pleads inattention AMI
ignorance. But what are we to think
of sucn Il careless watchdog of the
treasury as that?
There was another tax rebate bill
back in 1885. in favor of the Washing
ton county road and placed on the
same ground of aiding 4 struggling en-
terrrisc that if successful would be
of great value to the State. The Senti-
mel says the Journal might have gone
one farther and said that the whole
Washington county delegation, in the
Legislature of 1875, advocated the tax
rebate proposition for the down east
road, that the delegation was made IN
one-third of Democrats and that every
member of it, regardless Of party, was
presented after the session closed
With enough of the common stock of
the road to paper every room in his
house 1t is not the Journal, how
ever. which says that. Nor was Will
liam r. PattanSall Il member of the
Legislatures at that time He did not
appear until 1897, when he was elected
to the House as Republican. later
distinguishing himself by advocacy of |
Gig appropriation for the State col
leee and Of changing the name Of the |
institution to the University of Maine |
And there was the Bangor e Aroos- |
look rebate OF 1891, concerning which |
j. y. Bass of Bangor, a leading Maine !
Democrat and proprietor of the Ban
gor Commercial, said in his paper: 1T |
was merely q matter of business, and |
was SC represented to the judgment |
of AL the members of the Legislature |
and was carried through the House
and Senate iii an honorable manner. 1
know that it voiced the sentiment |
of the 40 Democrats in the Legislature |
of 1891, who were in harmony regard
ing the natter
But ell this makes no difference with
he Sentinel. 1t thought in the first |
place that it perceived fine chance
to make political capital. Having ia
ken its position, it sticks, even at the
cost of throwing down it's own party
by making them out to be nincompoops
or worse.