Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-08-05
Editorial Comment
"A Half Told Tale"

that Governor Fernald rebuilt the State
House. He did. That fact is cheerfully
poraries in calling attention to it really
ought to tell the whole story. If they
did so, they would add to it the fact that
Governor Plaisted paid the bills. 1t cost
OF this amount Gov. Fernald paid $4,000.
The rest Of the cost was taken care of by
the administration of Gov. Plaisted. If
Rep1blican friends enc are going to make IKE
told tale, they really. in all fairness.
ought not to make of it also half told
tale. The payment of the bills was a mat
ter Of considerable importance in connec-
Waterville Sentinel.
If you mention anything done by Gov.
Fernald in his most admirable admins
tration of public affairs, our Democratic
friends assert that Gov. Plaisted paid for
it, We have kept account of these assev-
erations and by reference to our clippings
from the esteemed Waterville Sentinel We
find that Plaisted paid twice over for
everything done in the Fernald admins
tration.
The people paid for the reconstruction
and was not completed until very late in
the second year Of the administTat n,a
built according to order Of the Legisla-
ture He didn't sidestep this job. He
didn't evade the duty. He didn't put 1t
off and decline to enter upon 1t as mas
this administration in many instances
He went to it and the commission. OF
which he was member. built it within
the appropriation without scandal nne
building and a credit TO the state .. ;sted
paid for it, Did he? We were under the
impression that the taxpayers paid TOR II,
we were under the impression that the
taxes raised in Gov F Fer ,are,y yeeH left
over to Plaisted, paid for 1t. we we're
under the impression that had coy.
Fernald been canny enough ana SO ue
sirous Of playing politics; WIN bo dns he
might have Increased State tax In l9o9
and lowered it in 1910-as did GOV:
Plaisted and thereby have M, hao use al, a.
the millions more money IN Es nrs ITn was
looking for results in work DONE honestly
done, with never breath or scanuai "
a faint Of shame. He had no desire 10
needed. Because of the fact that the
hulk of the income for taxes In the nrst
year Of governors administrator
comes from the taxes OF m. ms pre- ppeae Wav
the taxes. of a governors second year go
over to the first year OF ms successIo o1o
Gov. Fernald had far smaller avaltap by
funds than did Gov. plaisteo' g ~ o.sS g
Fe e had at his disposal total in, in
come to the State of s., $50 9OS36. IN oIne5
words Gov. Plaisted's administrator NAG
s. $50 AS more money 10 SpehuG t Fer
Maid had unpaid bills left over by ms
nredecessor 1some bills invariably run
ppyer( Of about $4,000. He left over 10 MS
successor taccordiing 70 s tn oo This was
renresented by over 100000 of permae
nent improvements. It was no more y, od .n an
Il would have been if it were A:oU,v9o
worth Of good ROADS +a wles p1 Fernald left
Gov Plaisted an immediate 0uicK hi asS ,eo,,r ~.
the Increased tax-levy OF 1917. ms pou,,
cd money into the State treasury anu
there was never moment when Plalsten
was not comfortable in the financlal
, war Az regards the State. Was this bad
business? ,. - .ha p,aisted
,dministration? The Covered Bridge
iaam two years in progress of the state
AZ regards State Institutions; disgust any any
distrust at the ascendancy OF run. a W.
evil and the dominion of the 1ha a ana Sne
fast st the polls. Not $4,000 spent in
! nmhlic institutions, in improvement or
extension. His administration tailed IN
its road construction metnods-onlS; 20
see them put right. under Coy: names i;o Is =
In short. It was such an administration as
e The Safety First Administrator OF
Oakley Safety I. 1t was content 10 90
nothing: boast nauch; tax enUl OH 'sanerar
let the cohorts of rum run riot whenever
thew could control county conditions. IN
.hey the same master hand and mind
thst conducted PlAisted to .well-merited
dafeat nnder the Covered Bridge Is going
~ lead Oakley c. Curtis to defeat under
tba SAFETY First slogan-which means
nsmocratic Safety and notification safe
ty only. .-,,,,, s.,,s "pav-
nent Of bills was Of considerable import
anca in connection with remodelng the
state CAPITOL" That is true! But II II
thinks that anybody but the Folks PAID
Cor them or that the Democratic party
raid for them, it is an exclusive possession
pf tia own transformation. Gov. Fernald
certainly rebuilt the State House. The
state provided money to pay for 1t. 1t
was built within appropriation. GOV
Fernald declined a gratuity OF $2oo0 Tor
III. services voted by a subsequent Legls-
iature and the Capitol still stands mon
mmant to his business-like effort. as do
the reconstructed state insane asylums
and other State institutions developed in
his two years.
buff you look around for the ronu-
ments Of Oakley c. Curtis. you find them
in the Innings of your pocketbooks,
reached by excessive taxation and Tor no
other purpose than to create a big bal
snce IN the State treasury for exclusive
use "A summer oratory. And in the mean
time towns and cities are denied the use
~ that money; compelled to borrow or
sax extra heavy, while the banks enjoy
its use and the "fnanciers,' having both
ends and the middle peer. from beneath
49, alters Of the Covered Bridge ana