The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-06
Ard crawled among the dead.
Each loyal dead
Then raised his head,
And hooted him around,
Until he stole
Into this hole,
Some threa fact under Vrnuud
Some three feet under ground.
! 1874

Queer petitions come before the assembled
wisdom. A few days since petition from
some eastern town was presented, asking Tor
a law authorizing the adoption of wine meas
ure for the measure of milk. don't know
what disposition was made of it, but it would
very appropriately have gone to the commit
tee on interior waters, as the large milkeries
from which the population of our cities OBJ
tain supplies of this tactical juice, are pre-
The object of the petition is TO raise the price
of milk without appearing to do so, but it
very needlessly asks the Legislature to inter-
pose, for the same object is often obtained by
a less circutous and more satisfactory meth
cd, requiring simply the addition of little
larger quantity of natures own fluid.
Augusta continues full to repetion. The
Removal question puts all her people astir,
and sets every quill on end. Professional lob
byists .have been on the ground, putting their
broad shoulders against the columns of the
capital to prevent its sliding from its founda-
ton. The city evidently feels its Importance,
that she is the ''hub" Of the State, and that
any blow aimed at her is liable to dissolve the
commonwealth. Why shouldn't she? Isn't
she of herself, the heart, the soul, the gizzard
and the largest portion Of the State9 Have
not her digniied politicians and wise men the
power to kill and to make alive? And with
their conserving power withheld what could
prevent the State from tumbling into eternal
smash? Her greatness all concede, her ca
pacity to govern all have felt, her danger OF
bursting through excess of self-inportance all
would fear did they not realize that her crea-
tor has wisely constructed her with an open
top-a safety valve sure to protect her against
collapse or explosion.
Seriously, however, is not Kennebec Coun-
ty much abused and much neglected portion
of the State? Has she not reason to complain
of other sections for Withholding from her her
rightful measure of influence in the affairs oi
the nation? All must admit this. All must
see how she has been made the victim OF cold
indifference. She sees it. She feels it. The
Bangor Wing feelingly sees it, and exclaims
"a removal of the capital to the western part
"a tetv gears, IN A DIVISION Of the common
",ceaHh"! This probably means that
the removal of the capital would result in the
secession of Kennebec, This Interpretation
of the Wings meaning derives support from
the fact that the Kennebec Journal immedi-
ately copied the article into its editorial col
umns, thus endorsing it as his own view, and
making its threats and forebodings its own.
Poor, neglected, abused section of "Down
East. She sustans towards the State, in
this regard, very much the relation the South
did towards the Union. Didn't the South
complain of neglect? She had controlled the
government only three-fourths Of century
furnished only seven-eighths more or less Of
its Presidents cabinet officers and foreign
ministers, and she felt that she was neglected,
and because she couldn't have her rights she
seeded. Kennebec has been wronged in the
same way, and if the capital is to be removed
why shonld she not assert her rights, turn
upon her enemies and, to use the Wings words,
''upon the result ofwhich may depend theques-
"tion whether our State shall continue its
Support of the National Government in its
contest with the Rebellion" This, and such
as this, and retaliation of such character, to
be followed by the breaking up of the State
the secession Probably of Kennebec-are
what is threatened in behalf of that county by
its Bangor advocate, and for what? for the
temerity Of the peoples representatives in
daring to provide for holding their annual
sessions where they can be better accommo-
dated! Kennebec is thus made the South Car
DINA and Augusta the Charleston of this
threatened State rebellion, while the Bangor
Wing would become the leading outside cop
perhead organ Of such tempest in a teapot
A few facts win show the neglect of which
kennebec has been made the victim, and also
the cause which she has to "throw a fire
brand into our coming election" and even to
dissolve the States integrity, should the Cap
ital be removed from its present locality.
Within the last fifteen years Kennebec County
alone has furnished the state with Governor
nine years, and one OF the remaining six
years the Valley of the Kennebec has fur
nished a Governor one year. Does not this
fact show how this section has been neglected ?
And then our present excellent and justly
popular Governor is undoubtedly in for three
years, which will add two years more to the
neglect of which this old and honored county
is destined to be the victim.
:. Here is another fact which shows how this
region has been neglected. The state was Or
ganized in 1920 nearly forty-four years ago.
Since that time Kennebec County, with a
population in ls60 OF $1,000 loss in ten
years of 224s-has furnished United States
Senator thirty-sir gears, with one now elected
and she has never had better one whose
term viii not expire till 1869, making Al years
out of 40 that this one county will furnish
half Of the state representation in the U. S
Senate, besides nearly one year more that was
filed by gentleman of the same county by
Executive appointment. During the same
period-since the organization OF the state
Cumberland County, with population in
1860 of 75,60S-an increase in ten years of
6S25-has furnished U. S. Senator 10 years,
including the unexpired year of Mr.. Fessen-
denis term.
The whole eastern portion of the state
that portion lying east of Kennebec County
and the Kennebec river, contained popula-
ton in 1860 of 2S9,959, not including those
portions of Sagadahoc and Somerset on the
east side of the river In each county of this
whole region progress in population was de-