Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-09-08
A Good Republican Meeting.
ADDRESSED FRIDAY EVENING BY NIB.
WRIGHT AND NIB. HAINEs.

ADDRESSED FRIDAY EVENING BY MR.
WRIGHT AND NIB. HAINEs.
A business-like review of state affairs
by Hon. William T. Haines, which con-
tanned much information and instruction
for voters, non-voters, and prospective
voters, was the principal feature of the
Republican meeting in New Hall Friday
evening. Many went home feeling that
they had a clearer idea of Names ma
terial and financial affairs than they had
ever had before.
Walter L. Gray, Esq, acted as chair
man of the meeting, and briefly intro
duced the speakers. The first speaker
was Hon. James S. Wright of this place.
Mr.. Wright spoke less than thirty min
utes, devoting himself largely to
national issues. The chief issue in the
nation, he said, is whether the policies
and reforms inaugurated by our great
president, Theodore Roosevelt, are to be
continued and made more effective, as
they will be If William Howard Taft is
elected. Mr.. Wright made an effective
comparison of the condition of the coun-
try under Republican administration and
during the period when the entire gov
eminent was in Democratic hands during
Cleveland's second administration.
A revision of the tariff is sure to
come, said Mr.. Wright. By whom
would you have 1t revised-by the Re-
publican party, pledged to the principle
of protection of our industries, or by the
Democratic party, the enemy OF pro-
lection?
Turning briefly in closing to the state
issue Of resubmission, Mr.. Wright quot
ed with great disapproval the saying OF
Mr.. Gardner that he would rather see a
saloon on every corner than the by
pocrisy which has existed under the pro-
hibitory law. The Democratic demand
for resubmission, said Mr.. Wright, is
not because they want the principle of
reaffirmed, but because they
want license, and he roundly denounced
the saloon as an enemy of everything
that is good, and declared that We want
none of it in Maine.
Chairman Gray next introduced Hon.
William T. Haines of Waterville, who
was given good reception. Mr.. Haines
said it was not his purpose to talk per-
but policies. Neither" said
he, ''shall / spend any time talking
about resubmissiou. That was settled
at Bangor, and l was there. accept
the settlement II is evident what the
of Maine want and what
they do not want" Nor should he say
much about candidates, though he did
briefly and favorably upon Mr..
Swasey and Mr.. Fernald. The candi-
dates are the representatives of policies,
and it is those that we wish to discuss.
Mr.. Haines then said that he should
discuss only state issues, and should
have time to consider only very few of
them. And first and mainly, he should
take up the question whether we have a
good system of equalization of taxation,
and consider the Democratic charge of
waste and extravaganza in the state ex-
penditures.
In treating this matter, Mr.. Haines
quoted figures extensively, which it
would be impracticable to reproduce in
full. Notwithstanding the fact that sta
tistics are generally supposed to be dull,
they were in no sense dull as he pre-
sented them, but the interest of the
audience was maintained throughout,
and his speech was illuminating in its
careful analysis of state affairs.
OF the average tax of 81 mills paid by
the people of the state, mills goes to
the state, mill to the county, and the
other II mills is all used for municipal
and local purposes. At the close of the
war in 1866, the state tax was IA 12
mills, when we were struggling under a
war debt. This rate has been gradually
reduced.
In 1872 the school mill tax was estab-
Iished, and the last legislature increased
the rate to mill and half, so that of the
three mills of state tax one and half
mills goes back to the towns for school
apportioned according to the
number of scholars. This is equaliza-
ton of taxation.
Then one-third of a mill more goes
back to the towns to be expended in
building roads. This also is equaliza-
ton of taxation. This is Republican
legislation.
At the close of the war there was no
source of revenue for the state except
the direct tax. But in the years of Re-
publican administration new sources Of
taxation, banks, railroads and other cor
porations have been discovered, 80 that
the revenue from corporate taxation is
now 81 100000.
The expenditures of the state are
about two and half millions. Where
does the money go? Three hundred
thousand dollars of it only goes for the
expense of the state government. The
rest goes for schools, normal schools,
academies, and other educational in
for permanent roads, for in
hospitals for the insane, for hospitals
Tor the sick, for state pensions to SOL
iiers, for aid to agriculture, for insti-
buttons of instruction for the blind
and the feeble minded, and so on. All
these make for the equalization of tax
alton. When our Democratic friends
reduce our large expenditures, | want
Them to tell me, where will they begin?
The abolition of the fee system by a
legislature was treated
briefly, and Mr.. Haines took up the
matter of railroad rebates, of which so
much has been said. He showed how
he rebates of taxes to the Bangor and
Aroostook Railroad, the Washington
County, and the Somerset, were instru-
mental in the development of large Sec
ions of the state, so that for the state
hey were really profitable Investments.
The rebate measures were favored by
The Democrats in the legislatures which
passed them, and no one thought of
such thing as making political issue
If them until the campaign Of 1905.
There was a good audience, all of
whom remained in their seats until the
lose, and all were highly pleased with
IL II ,;rin