Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-27

the duties OF the clerk of this munich
! pal court Is there any reason why he
should reside at Ellsworth? There is
no requirement in this bill that the re-
ccrder who is appointed by the Cover
nor with the consent of his Council.
shall reside at Ellsworth, and under
| that hill a recorder from Bar Harbor
might Just as well be appointed. or a
recorder from Sedgwlck or any other
part of the county of Hancock.
1t is said that the salary is too large.
| Senate Document No. 1879 introduced
| in the Senate on Feb. 9Th, provides that
a committee on salaries and fees be
appointed to do certain things. Why is
| il necessary to consider this question
of salaries and fees when YOU have set
, in motion q bill to provide a commits
sion to consider that very thing? |
won't dwell upon that. There is no
suggestion at all that the county of
Hancock is going to he benefited if
any change is made here There is a
suggestion that if this change is made
you have got two offices instead of one.
and the salary of $2500 is split mp into
, two Parts. and that if any change
should ever be made there would be
clear loss Of s4o0 to the county of
Hancock.
If. as has been said to the victor be-
longs the sroils, the answer would be
, that while the market place may be
CAPTURED the Acropolis has not, and
the office OF recorder of this court
stands undisturbed on top of that hill
overlooking the city of Ellsworth as
undisturbed as if that officer had been
appointed for life because he Is elect
ed h. the people of Hancock county
for period of four years. Two years
ago the recorder of the municipal
court was put in his office in that
court house by the people of Hancock
county, and who shall say that we,
having the power, have the right 10
annGl TIE decree Of the people of Han
cock county? This Office is not within
the victories, and shall we spend our
time seeking for spOilse Does not the
Governor have trouble enough with
the vacancies that he has a right to
create. and shall We create them for
him and thrust them upon him?
There is hunger and thirst for Of
fee. rot confined to one party or the
other. ! admit: but shall We in this
matter of offices endeavor To make the
supply equal the demand? | trust not.
And Whoa YOU get this matter reduced
to the final question, gentlemen, it can
be expressed in this way. there is no
vacancy. ard the proposition is up to
us to make a vacancy in this office. or
to create d new office of recorder Of
this court in order that there may be
a supply equal To the demand in this
particular respect.
/ have no criticism to make upon
any man who seeks an office. upon any
man who can induce us to create an
office. but. gentlemen. it seems to
me that we should be open to the great
est criticism il simply and solely to
satisfy the fnsatate hunger of those
who seek office. create forthwith or
deprive a present office holder of his
place over which we have no statu-
tory or legal authority simply for the
purpose of giving him an office II
seems to me we are here for Il differ
ent purpose That great man, Grover
Cleveland. years ago. said this: "A
public office is public trust. We
are public officers and we are here to
do the business Of the people of the
State of Maine, but we are not here
to defeat the will of the people of the
State OF hlaine expressed by their
ballots; we are not here to usurp the
authority that exists i'm the people of
the State of Maine and that has been
exercised by them TO their satisfac-
ton; and it remains for the people of
Hancock county to say who shall oc-
cupy that office of recorder for the
next four years just as they have said
who shall occupy il for the present
term of four years.
l say, why should there be any
change, why shouldn't this office be
left where it is? 1t is not incumbent
upon us, who claim that it should not
be disturbed; but it is incumbent upon
those who would disturb it to give
reasons satisfactory to the minds of
you who arc called upon TO remove the
present incumbent to make place for
Il new one.
want to give YOU one or two rea-
sons why that office should not be dis
turbed. In the first place, the bust
ness Of the public is better served as
, it is. This morning. at o'clock, the
deputy walked up the steps of that
court house and through its corridors
into the Office of the clerk of courts
where the records of this municipal
court are kept in cases provided by the
people of Hancock county. side by
side With the records of the supreme
judicial court placed in the same GUS
tody, Shall we commission any man
to go up to that court house and take
, down those cases from the walls where
/ they We're placed by the people of Han
| cock county, carry them out and load
| them on a dray and cart them down
! the hill into some obscure back law
| office or into some building where no.
body can get at them except when a
| court is in session or when the attor-
ney happens to be in his office, or shall
we let them remain where they are
| placed, where they have remained all
these years and where properly they
ought to be because the convenience
of the people is best served by letting
, them remain where they are.
| Furthermore, the clerk of courts is
man of wide experience, and he has
/ charge of all those matters in the high
: er court; and if his experience is
! worth something in the lower court
| he must know his business TO be clerk