Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-02

and are now receding. 1t is possible
that in six months from today and
| think may say it is probable that
salary of $4,000, with expenses, may
look like fortune to the citizens OF
our State. The only logical way to
adjust this salary matter is by the
appointment of recess committee
whose duty it would be to inquire
into the whole subject of salaries and
fees, taking into account the salary
that is received at the present time,
with the expenses and other per-
quisites That may go with the office,
and reporting to the next Legislature,
or to a special session of this Legis-
lature which will no doubt have to
be called for other purposes than
this, and adjust the matter in that
way.
If we attempt to adjust this mat
ter of salaries and fees by a special
resolve covering each case, you will
find that the man with the big pull
will get the biggest salary, regard
less of the duties connected with or
the Importance of the office: and
will submit, gentlemen. that there are
other salaries in the State of Maine
which should be considered beside
this one. feel that it would never
do to give the people of this State a
chance to say that the salary of this
Office was increased 5000 under
pressure of the great and powerful
/ Bar Association of the State, when
the ordinary applicant, the unorgan-
lied applicant, could not even get a
consideration of his claim.
Gentlemen, we have seen the repre-
hensible figure of Democracy spring
| again into an active an troublesome
existence, even while the mourning
friends were standing around the
open grave and the last sad rites were
being performed; and l contend that
| it is no part of our duty as true re-
publicans to fan the feeble spark of
life that is remaining there today
Gentlemen, 1 must apologize to you
for the time l am taking. l realize
that am here representing the plain
est of the plain people of our State,
that great body of farmers with no
powerful organization looking after
| their interests, and no eloquent ex-
ponent to plead in their behalf, but
| feel that the course that I am taking
here today and the position which l
am taking here today, is the position
of the farmers. the laborers and the
| taxpayers of this State I feel that
they are watching us, and that they
will want to know how we have voted
today, and sol Mr. Speaker, in spite
of the advice and the admonition of
our leaders, I will move that when
this vote is taken, it be taken by the
yeas and nays; SO that the people of
this State can see if any of us here
who have been preaching economy
from the housetops, who have been
opposed to even consideration of
the claims of the ordinary office hold
ers, and who have reported unan-
imously against giving Jurors even
as much as their board while they
were in the service of the public. but
who perhaps afterwards saw the
error Of their ways-I want them to
see that if after doing these things,
we voted for an increase in salary of
500, in the salary of a position they
were hoping some day to pull down
for themselves, and when in the
seclusion of their homes they calmly
and dispassionately examine these
matters, may the thought of their
early training come across their.
minds so that they will stand with
heads uncovered and devoutly make
the sign of the cross-the double
cross, gentlemen, and say "Consisten-
cy. thou art jewel" Applause)
! Mr. WADSWORTH of Winthrop:
Mr.. Speaker and gentlemen, l believe
! in economy, and believe that all of
the people of this State believe in
economy, but / think when we APP
proach this question and all ques-
tions relating to matters OF this ma
ture, we should approach them upon
their individual merits. l ind III my
experience that the people of the
State of Maine do not object to pay
ing for what they receive; what they
object to is paying for things that
they do not consider they get their
moneys worth from. Now, as we all
know, the government of the State or
Maine is divided into three distinct
branches, the legislative, the execu-
tive and the judicial. l do not know
which of these three costs the most
to maintain, but l do not think it is
the judicial. do not think, however,
that that is an argument why this
particular bill. should pass. The
question is, what do they do, what is
the duty of each?
We come here and we make laws,
and we try to write them out in such
way as to express our meaning, but
we find after we have left here and
! gone away, that when other people
read them there is some question as
to our meaning being made plain and
the people go to different ones to get
their opinions, and they get various
opinions; the law may possibly be in
conflict with some Federal Statute,
and it may be in conflict with some
other law of the State which will have
tendency to make it imperative.
Who will have the decision of that
question? Where does that rest? 1t
should rest in the hands of men who
have had training. men of brilliant
intellect, men of honor and of hon.
esty. We go to the Supreme court. |
What are their duties in other re-
spects? Can they delegate their au-
thority to- others? When a great case
comes up before them, they are
nh1iuod 70