The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-01-14

tnus taken by the stdeo "ie PAopeA1
pended
Easy Money seeets Easy Morals.
am aware that it is frequently urged
that revenue is the sole consideration,
but permit me to say. that In my opin-
Ion where the money from taxes hows In
a golden stream into state treasury
from sources seemingly apart from the
people. extravaganza and corruption may
ensue in the administra ton of public af-
fairs. Easy money begets easy morals.
And, in the final analysis, the people al
ways pay the bills. 1t is better, therefore,
in my opinion to have every community
pays it's share of the state taxes IN some
form of direct levy, that a responsibility
may rest upon the state to make a pro-
per showing Of how the same was ex-
pended, and that every citizen may keep
his eye upon the state. believe that this
is a wise course, for 1t is more and more
the disposition and the duty OF the mod
ern state to take over to systematic con-
troll those public functions hitherto rele-
gated to towns and cities in the build
ing and care of public highways and
bridges, the care of the poor and the
insane. and the aid to public and quasi
public philanthropies which never will at
| tain their proper usefulness until they
become the care and consideration OF tho
whole people of the state.
Relief From Excessive Taxes.
While I speak thus for system
which shall be inclusive, l heartily ap-
prove of the general suggestion of the
tax commissions report for relief from
excessive taxes on real estate and tang
Idle property in general, and the placing
OF larger proportionate share of proper
ty reached by special taxation. In Maine
we have relied too much on direct prop
] he hJ1rI haH -
table. l think it is generally agreed that
some of our public service corporations
and the largely appreciated values in
Wild lands should pay a larger relative
tax than hitherto. and l hope that the
legislature will meet no serious opposi-
tlon In the determination of falrer levy
upon the same. The method by which
this is to be done is for you to deter
mine. | hope it may be simple. as far re-
moved as possible from manipulatons by
interested parties, equitable and FEAST
BILE. The method in Maine long has been
to tax railroads on gross receipts, l
nave always believed in this method as
scientific practical, and especially easy
OF application, since it is absolutely I'M
der the control of the legislature. BY
means of it We show a greatly increased
revenue from public service corporations
In the past six years. and without the
addition of extra machinery. we have it
IN our power to secure additional reven-
ue. You will have before you. state
ment of the varying plans for the taxa
ton of railroads and other public service
corporations. l commend to you a study
Of the same.
The direct inheritance tax. the taxa
ton of savings banks deposits in nation
al banks, the graduated automobile tax.
an annual tax on foreign corporations
doing business in Maine a license fee on
foreign corporations, new laws govern
ing the taxation of steamboats, and an
original suggestion for the apportion-
ment of state tax wholly on land values.
thereby more nearly equalizing the bur-
dens upon land in unincorporated and in
incorporated towns-all these are pro-
posed by this report and will come to
you presume bly, from the legislature as
matters for your determination. May
ask every member of this legislature.
carefully to read the report of the tax
commission, or should l not rather as
sumo that every member of these deliber-
alive bodies here assembled has already
read it? You owe it to the state. az least,
to appreciate the gravity of some of it's
suggestions, before you enter upon the
consideration of these subjects, some of
them implying a radical departure from
the customs and policies of nearly CEN
fury. Let every personal consideration
be set aside in your deliberations. Let
public good balance private greed.
Let us do nothing in haste that we shall
have to repent at leisure, but let us not
be afraid to go ahead. While the best
of tax systems is bound to be faulty,
that system is absolutely vicious and I'M
| Speakably evil that is fashioned in favor
itism or conceived in spirit OF reprisal.
The current questions of taxation can
never be settled right, even for this gen.
I, i
every man, rich or poor. and so far as
possible dispose the burdens of public
tax in just proportion to every interest,
great or small.
Temperance and Prohibition.
| And now, as we draw neal the close,
permit me to say a word con ,erning the
laws prohibiting the sale of intoxica ting
beverages and their enforcement In
the first place, l urge upon you the
thought with which 1 opened gllis address.
namely, that the burden is upon you and
not upon me to formulate legislation. l
am glad to fulfill my duties which are
to suggest, admonish, or inform so far
as l am able but if YOU look to me for
new devises or expedients have
none to offer. Your duty and mine
are fixed by the consti.uton-mine
to execute, yours to lesislate, but
and mine are fixed by the constitution
mine to execute, yours to lcgislate, but
I shall not hesitate to exercise every
constitutional obligation and privilege
belonging to my office, to redeem the
solemn pledges that we have made for
enforcement.
Today, we have prohibition in the con-
stitution, state enforcement in the stat
utes, and resubmission in the limbos.
Ii you Aill be content to let them re-
main there, with such Legislation as you
may devise to simplify their opera tons
and equalize their burdens and RESPONSE
bflities, and will turn your attention to
graver things, such as the conservation
of the great natural resources of the
state, the determination of the pressing
issues of taxation: to legislation in keep
ing with the national spirit of moral and
economic reform, you will pursue the
wiser course.
Here I would leave the discussion, were
1t not for the fact that a fourth ele-
ment enters into the situation, a spirit
of so-called notification, which rises
like menace or stalks behind like an
evil thing in the night l believe that
neither you as legislators, nor l as exec
utive, will be doing our duty if we fail
to oppose every step that tends to pro-
mote it. The people have not chosen
us in the full understanding of those is
sues to come here and hoodwink the law
or stultify ourselves. 1t is not my pur-
pose to threaten or to cajole. l Shall
not declare here and now what l shall
do in this iuncture or in that, but / do
say, that whatever you do in regard to
temperance legislation, you must not
legisate state enforcement out of the
statutes. The issue rests with you, but
I repeat what I have said. that if l see
in the deliberations of this legislature a