Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-26

proposition is made that if they fail
to get enough taxpayers in 1909 to
ldivide the town they can wait until
1910, and by April, 1870 you can have
| without spending very much money
10000 voters qualified to vote for that
| amendment in town meeting in the
town of York. women and children
| and anybody else scattered from San
| Francisco to EaStport. Anybody could
| undertake for a reasonable amount Of
| money to carry that town meeting on
| proposition that could properly come
before it because you have got the
whole electorate OF the United States
| to appeal to and all you have got to
do is to deed them a foot and a half of
! worthless land on the beach there and
| you have made them legal voters.
| LaughteP).
] was too Yisanguine yesterday. |
said that | considered the amendm ant
| offered by the gentleman from York
was so fair that it would appeal even
to the lobby. 1t appealed to the House.
The House adopted it. But the sober
second thought Of the lobby was that
it would not do and so they come in
with this thing Now if the gentle
1
hand are serious about it and want to
be fair about it. they they would strike
out from that amendment wherever it
| occurs the word taxpayers and the
| qualifying words following it and put
| in legal voters then they would have
| the machinery that they say the
gentleman from York left out of his
amendment They would have every
/
sition that a man or woman or
minor with legal residence in Chi
| cago could go into a Maine town meet
ing and vote and could bring with him
or her coachman. her hired girl
her maid, or anything in the world
that she wanted to bring which was
| human and could receive deed of a
| piece of property. Laughte).
| Mr. BURLEIGH: Mr. Speaker. I
think this amendment should properly
contain q provision after the word
| taxpayers" in the 4th line ''21 years
Of age and over and excepting per-
sons under guardianship. AS a gener-
1 al proposition that the taxpayers there
| Should have a right to be heard. 1t
strikes ne that it is 4 fair proposition.
| Mr. MARSHALL of Portland: Mr..
| Speaker, ! will just state that this is
no new proposition in Maine. 1t has
| been i'll existence for years in Squirrel
Island where residents and non-res-
dants have the exercise of the full
right to vote in all their affairs.
| Mr. CHASE of York: Mr.. Speaker.
would ask the gentleman from Port
land (Mr. MarshalD if Squirrel Island
is Il town. is an organized town in this
State?
MIR MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, it is
q village corporation, and they cxcr-
| else Il right to vote in all their munich
pal affairs. But in this case we don't
ask that the non-residents should vote
only on this one single question of
| whether the town shall be set aside.
And I will state that the assessors
books arc in the hands of the select
men, and if the gentleman thinks that
anybody can get his name on there
who is not entitled tC vote he is very
much mistaken.
Mr.. PATTANGALL of Waterville;
Mr.. Speaker, I would like to ask the
gentleman a question. If between now
ana April, 1870 some gentleman In
Gorges deed land to 100 different indi-
assessors books in 1910 as taxpayers?
Mr.. MARSHALL: l don't know.
daughter and applause)
Mr.. PAT1ANGAI.L: think ii would
be well for the gentleman to look into
that matter before we adopt his
amendment. daughter and applause)
Mr. MARSHALL: | was going to
suggest that it might take writ of
mandamus to get the names on there.
Mr.. PETERS of Ellsworth: Mr.
Speaker, | Just want to say that the
matter appeals to me in this way. The
House is in favor of dividing this town
of York. An amendment was passed at
the instance OF an opponent of that Oil
vision and accepted by the House The
gentlemen who are in favor of dividing
this town say that that amendment
| practically renders the division Dill
nugatOry. I have not examined IT IN
detail myself. but the friends OF that
bill say if the amendment goes that
we passed yesterday il Will render our
other action practically nusatory; and
thew come in here and they want the
opportunity of presenting another
amendment to take the place OF the
first one. Various criticisms have been
made touching this proposed amend
mont Some Of them | think are we'll
founded. | don't think that the fears of
the gentleman from Camden (Mr
Mont gomcry1 or the gentleman from
Waterville (Mr. PattangalD are entire
Nv we'll founded that this may be an
opening wedge for woman suffrage. l
can see that this proposed change in
tho amendment should be modified
somewhat as it doubtless will be be-
fore it is introduced ! suggest that on
ly property owners in 1909 should be
allowed to vote. When the amendment
is offered that can be arranged. The
only question here now is one between
the principle of allowing the native
voters of this town to decide the ques-
tion or allowing all the property own
crs Including poll tax payers to decide
it, II rather strikes me it is fully as
much or more question of property as
ANYTHING else am told there is q very
large valuation here owned by people
resident without the State, not voters
in the state, and I am told there is
great friction between the different
parts of the town. 1t seems to me this
is a question of property and that these
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