Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-06
This Administration is the One on
Trial.

And their only excuse is that others
have done it before them. Some of the
prominent Augusta Democrats VINO
have actively assisted Sheriff-Mayor
Plaisted in engineering his business
administration of municipal affairs
seem TO be greatly disturbed because
| the Journal has told the taxpayers of
the city how these gentlemen, in q
spirit Of thrift and enterprise, have
combined their public and private
| business greatly to their financial
profit. In no case has any charge been
made against the personal integrity
of these gentlemen, and there is no dis
position on the part of the Journal to
make any such charge, but we have
pointed cut that these various mem
bers Of the board of aldermen who
nave swelled their business by hun
lreds Of dollars through city patronage
have been disregarding the State law
which was passed to prevent just such
business transactions, and also violat-
ing one Of the fundamental principals
of sound municipal government.
The figures published by the Journal
are Official and not to be disputed,
and the only defense entered by thu
agitated aldermen whose business
transactions with the city we have
commented upon is that others have
done the same in years past. OF
course this is no defense at all. be-
cause the present administration and
not any earlier administration. is the
one now on trial before the people
Moreover, this has been held up as 4
strictly business administration, a
reform" administration. and boosted
of as u great Improvement over. its
predecessors. 1t is asking 4 "vindi-
cation" at the present time.
Then again, one Of the "praccdcnts
referred to in Alderman Skehan's let
ter which we published yesterday
morning proves not to have been /;
precedent at all. as is pointed out in
the communication from Mr.. Manl.y
which * published on this page this;
morning. S"me of the Other Pc
ccdcnts quoted in that article were GER
tainly very far fetched ana might up
on LEGATION prove to rest upon as
little foundation as did the reference
To Mr. Marley
The whole matter is one in which
the taxpayers Of Augusta are intensely
interested. They want business and
not politics i'll tn" management of til.
city affairs. This administration has
those IN the inside. but not FOR the
taxpayers. One Democratic alderman
who is Il machniSt. does practically al
the machinist work for tie city, being
paid over $ii1o for labor and material
bills fnr several months yet to come
in. One Democratic alderman who is
4 carpenter ana contractor does prar-
tically all the work in his line Tor The
city, getting 1851 for the same. One
Democratic alderman, who is Z grocer,
supplies most of the groceries for III"
POOR Department getting 800 for the
supplies furnished in 1897. There are
many ether mdchiniats. carpenters and
grocc:s in the city. but the great ma
jOrity Of them have been left With
cold feet by the present business"
Administrations And yet sheriff
Mayor Pla!st,d SAYS it has been q
business" administration in lie in
ter"st 81 the taxpayers! Augusta can
not az, ri 10 have it's municipal bust
ness done that Way. The disclosures
by TIL" Journal have put the prrSon,
city administration in 4 very Lad light
in the minds Of all thoughtful citizens.