Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-02

DO not propose 10 go INTO them in de-
tail, but | will indicate a few for the
purpose of illustration. We got last
years i'm fines and licenses for the pro-
lection of game, $44,3S0.45. This
money was used to protect and de-
vclop our great fish and game re-
sources, one of the States magnificent
sources of natural wealth. We got
from corporations. aside from all direct
tax and chiefly as compensation for
their right to do business as such,
$2S6,5O585., The railroad companies,
not otherwise reached, paid $614,-
1852, besides the salary and expenses
of the railroad commissioners, and
$1,62O16 more for parlor and sleeping
cars. The banks and bankers paid
the tidy sum of s566,O5O.63. Express,
telephone and telegraph companies
contributed s60.133.44 toward this fund
which the great public must other
wise either do without or add to it's
direct assessment. The insurance
companies most of them located out
side the, State and carrying their
profits out, paid the fees of the insur-
ance commissioners department, and
Sill, $3.50 more. The wild lands paid
fund for fire protection-for their own
benefit in the first instance, it may be
said, but in reality as an assured and
systematic method of conserving the
States resources without assessment
on the general public. The fertilizer
companies paid the expense of analyZ-
ing their wares, furnishing additional
and valuable protection to the pur-
chaserS.
l will not weary YOU longer with
figures in this connection, but we have
here the handsome total of $1.749,-
1888, or nearly one-half million dol
lars more than the entire direct State
tax, secured from sources not other
wise reached and most of them of
comparatively recent origin as sources
of public revenue. Is there 4 person
in the State who would not prefer to
see this money collected and paid for
schools and roads and hospitals and
asylums rather than not collected at
all? And surely if it is to be coll
lected it must be disbursed. because it
would benefit nobody to collect and
hoard it. But you can't devise these
additional sources of revenue and dis
tribute their proceeds without cor
respondingly increasing the total dis
bursements. One follows the other as
the day and night.
1t is the method of taxation that UNI
der Republican administration has en-
abled the State to return to many OF
the poorer towns more for public pur-
poses than those towns have paid in
State taxes. 1t may appear at first
that this is not a general benefit to all
of the towns and cities, but second
thought demonstrates the fallacy of
such a conclusion. No man can live
by himself And it is essential to the
whole State that every community
have good schools and good roads. This
theory is sometimes sought to be an
swered by the statement that if our
position is correct the more tax man
or a town pays the Weather he is or 1t
becomes. The truth is, if they do
not get their extra schooling or their
better road or their safer bridge in
this way, either they will not have it
or they will pay for it themselves, in
stead of sharing in the contributions
from the corporation, the insurance
company and the railroad.
Our Democratic opponents take a
variety of positions in this matter.
Sometimes they say these taxes are
not as high as they should be. But
such as they are they are the result of
Republican legislation. Sometimes
they say they are unjust and iniqui-
tous-to quote the Language of a re-
cent Democratic candidate for COVER
nor. like the stab of the assassin in
the dark" Sometimes. as in the last
Democratic State platform. they
recommend them and urge their JIM
crease as means of further eaualiz-
ing the public burdens. And then, as
in that same campaign when confront
ed with the history of the Republican
party in enacting them. they say the
whole theory is a fallacy.
The fact is, we know where the Re-
PUBLICAN party stands in connection
with them. It's record has been and is
consistent and beneficial. We do not
know where the Democratic party
stands. because it stands all ways, con-
sistent only in always trying to faco
every ray of light from the wall which
they think discloses a possible hole to
get in through. The public never has
had confidence in such A position and
is not likely to in the future.
AS have said. these sources of rove
me. devised and developed by the Re
publican party, have by more equally
distributing the public burdens pro-
vided funds for more liberal contribu
ton to the public necessities They
have thus resulted in larger disburse- :
merits by the state, and that. too.
| without any proportionate increase in
the expense of the administration Of
the State government. These dis
| bursements have been authorized by
| non partisan votes of the legislatures.
Representatives of one party have
been as active as those of the other in
| securing them. 1t is probable that few
have pas&ed with the hearty approval
of all. 1t is doubtful if any have
passed without the support of some Of
both parties.
| And this leads me back to the
| charges OF extravaganza against the
| present administration. 1t is. as i have
alre adv said. true that there has been
| an increase over previous years TAX
| ing our opponents'test and comparing
the year 1909 with the last preceding
| legislative year, We find an apparent
;,oroaca of Slei 224 90 Rut in 1907