Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-19

: miliar with the commercial and spec
ulative value of that sort of goods ant
from whom the son may have in
herited a proneness for that kind OF
property. The then treasurer, Mr.
Smith. than whom from my personal
/ knowledge l judge no more honorable
man ever occupied that office. observ-
ing that the intending purchaser was
a young man. sought to impress upon
his mind before making the sales that
the State did not warrant the proper
ties to be sold nor stand behind them,
and that the deeds might not stand
I in court. He evidently did intend to
impress on this young man that he
was buying uncertain property and
that he would purchase at his peril
and on his own responsibility.
Nevertheless in the face of this in
/ formation and without consulting an
! attorney as to the validity of these toy
! titles he invested $1,000 in these wild
land toy titles conveyed to him in 81
deeds.
In about one year this young man
reappeared infused with the idea that
his deeds were worthless, and that the
descriptions contained in them We're
inadequate to bound any lands. if there
were any. The then treasurer of State,
anxious to aid the young man out of
any difficulty arising out of these sales.
submitted two questions to the then
attorney general, Mr.. Seiders of Port
land.
AS to second question he says it is
more difficult to make a full and def
mite answer since to do so would re-
auire an examination of the books of
the assessors TO learn definitely the
description of every tract of land sold.
in 1901.
Now YOU will observe that Mr.. Sci
ders. who has since become a very
enthusiastic attorney for the claimant,
that it would take a great amount of
time to examine these deeds in detail
Notwithstanding he was paid prince
IL salary for doing services for the
State.
His answer to first question was suf-
ficiently definite to apply To this ease
that the treasurer has no power to
amend descriptions in deeds as per
decision of supreme court. He then
cites several decisions of the court TO
show that descriptions of lands in
deeds inadequate to locate the lands
would invalidate the deeds.
That is a matter of common knowl-
edge and not confined to the bar.
In conclusion Mr.. Seiders says in
substance: I presume a majority of
these deeds would come under these
decisions cited. Now Mr. Seiders' reply
to these questions proposed to him by
the treasurer do not show that a single
af Hi
transaction was covered by single
decision of the court which he cites
and yet he came before your commit
tee on claims and asserts that the
courts have declared these deeds
worthless. 1t is easy TO make an i'm
preston sometimes by a sweeping as
sertion that will not stand analysis.
Not a single one of these 81 deeds,
so far as has been shown. has ever
been tested by the courts. or is parallel
to single case decided by the courts
1t does not appear that this young
man has ever attempted to locate or
cccupy the lands supposed to be con-
Veyed
Mr. Sieders when attorney general,
presumed that a majority of them
might be worthless, and | will assume
that minority of them may be good
and represent from $500 900 to $780, COO
worth of property Upon that point
there would probably be wide diverg-
ence of opinion among men of practi-
cal sense and legal ability. But it mat
ters not whether those deeds are valid
in part or in fun, they conveyed all the
interest the State had in those lands
for taxes and the purchaser bought
them with a full knowledge of the kind
CT tides he was buying and that the
State would not guarantee or stand be-
lind them.
NGw could it be possible that this
young Spectator thought that he was
getting a clean undisputed title to a
million dollars worth of property? He
MAJ have had some experience in Wall
Street financiering, and thought he
could apply it to Maine, but people
don't get rich in a day down here.
All that the State ever essayed To
get out of these land sales was the
taxes due on them and in doing it, its
rightful agent in compliance with the
laws of the State then existing, and
epen to the knowledge OF every person
desiring to do business with it. There
las DttH uO dAlbiLDl DIT IIdllh VI frlIil-
bling or speculation on the part of the
State. 1t vas a clean transaction, with
honest intent and any attempt to
throttle the honor Of the State to
wrench from its pocketbook a few dol
lars to satisfy personal greed for filthy
lucre, and stir up human sympathy by
false representations is a foul blot on
decent citizenship.
The counsel for rhis man has never
9sked for a permit to take this case
into the courts for they know too well
that 1t has no standing in law or
equity, and its last and only hope is an
appeal to sympathy. And | would ask
the members Of this honorable body if
this great State is benevolent organ
iZation and we it's representatives are
sent mere as dispensers of charity?
Seven thousand dollars of this money
has been turned over to the counties
where ii belonged.
Is it to be the policy of the State,
voiced through it representatives. to
conduct the business of the State along
sentimental, Socialistic. or along civic
! business lines? Are we to be the trus-
| tees of the funds of the 10000 taxpay-
/ do 20. h