Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-27

DIV men WHO ucSlf0 " cCO +" sAA o. ~~-~-
put upon the wild lands. and who VIII
congratulate themselves that the Legisla-
ture cannot stop it. It seems to me 1t Is
unwise on the part of the wild land own
ers to contend against this tax; 1t seems
to me they are not looking far ahead. l
remember 10 years ago an attempt was
made to increase the taxes on the steam
railroads Of this State, and In the Legfs-
lature of 1901 bill was introduced SUBJ
stantially increasing that tax. Every
railroad attorney in Maine appeared in
opposition to the measure; they said no,
there will be no tax imposed upon the
steam railroads; we can hold this thing
down: we have had a good deal of con-
troll in the Legislatures of the past and
VIC will control them again. The Legis-
lature of 1901 had man in charge of the
affairs of the Republican party who had
been connected intimately with the man
agement of the Maine Central Railroad
for many years. He had been their leg
islative agent and their attorney and he
was a far-seeing man. He was an able
man, He knew enough to know that the
only policy which a great corporation
could carry out in the long run was to
meet fairly the demands Of the people.
say to you that Mr.. Joseph H. Manley
knew that the people were demanding an
adequate railroad tax, and he was big
enough to say to the railroad attorneys:
You must meet these demands fairly
and agree to stand for a fair increase of
tax and not combat it, In his place
have risen up. not in the Republican par
= ;,11x, hut in, affairs and h1lS-
mess of the State of Maine, I think
smaller men, men who do not see SO far
ahead as that, men who think that be-
cause they can do a thing it is absolute
ly safe to do it. And those men have
come here and seek to do unjust acts and
seek to keep the Legislature from doing
what it ought to do, and seek to keep
their taxes from being increased simply
because they have temporarily the power
to do it. If those men saw farther ahead
they would meet this question fairly and
submit to fair increase of tax now, and
we can trust to the next Legislature to
consider that subject further and fairly.
Now Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen,
l say if YOU cut it down to half a mill
it is nothing; if you keep it down to
the Grange amendment it will not sat-
isfy the people and the bill will event.
usually come under the initiative and
referendum. I have worked hard with
this matter and all the members of
the committee have worked hard and
we think we have a pretty good bill.
If you do not accept it l will say this:
1 think you are doing wrong if you
adopt the amendment which has been
offered. I think the whole fight has
been to get that amendment through
the House and then have the bill go
to the Senate and fail there and the
wild lands escape taxation altogether.
If that is the program we might as
well drop it here. If you haven't got
understanding enough of the subject
to tax the wild lands something, don't
tax them at all, because $4,000 is a
mere bagatelle. 1t will be a case of
the mountain laboring and the mouse
coming forth. 1t woul be ridiculous.
If we knew that $4,000 was all that
they wanted we might better have
stayed at home and worked hard and
earned it and paid it ourselves. Let
us do something substantial or moth
ing This is matter of dollars and
cents, figure it out for yourselves on
a just, fair and equitable basis.
claim that this is fair and equitable
bill. and when you get that leave the
question of constitutionality to the
court for we are not capable of de-
Gliding that. (Applause).
Mr.. BURLEIGH Of Augusta: Mr..
Speaker, I don't think 1 differ in any
respect or in any particular in the mat
ter of taxation wiz. the gentleman
from Waterville; but 1 realize the fact
that he is one of the most efficient
and valuable members of that import
ant committee the committee on taxa
ton, at this session. l realize before
discussing the general propositions of
this bill it should require a large amount
of study which l have not been able
to give to the bill and could not I'M
der the pressure of other duties. I do
not propose to consider the general
features of the bill. 1 propose to con-
fine my remarks simply and solely to
one special feature of the bill. 1 do
not believe that it would be the right
thing for any Legislature to knowing
ly vote for an unconstitutional meas
ure merely in order to put it up to
the court.
Mr.. PATTANGALL: l do not think
1 used the word knowingly"
Mr.. BURLEIGH: But 1 would state
this, that if there is a serious question
of doubt in the minds of this LegiSla-
ture as to the constitutionality of a
measure 1 do not believe it is right
thing for us to put that question up
to the supreme court because there
is another way of doing it and this
question has twice been put up to the
supreme court, than by asking an ad-
visory opinion of the court in advance.
That is the proper method of settling
a constitutional question in this Legis-
lature. l Shall address myself to that
one proposition, and if the members of
the House will turn to House Docu-
ment No. 675, which is the bill under
consideration, l will direct your atten-
ton to Section 3. You will notice that
the first portion of that section pro-
videS for a distribution Of one-third
of the fund to the several cities, towns
and plantations according to the num-
Der of scholars therein. There is no
possible question as to the constitu-
t1Onallty of that provision. That has