Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-01-18

agement. There are those who deem it a |
sign Of prosperity that State furnishes
large exports Of raw material. But we
will know that it is mind, which coming
in contact with matter. gives 1t value. The
cost Of the material is but small part OF
the worth of any commodity Of manufact-
ure designed for general use. The labor
aud skill expended on it is the principal
source Of its final value. Therefore
Stato which merely exports raw materials
cannot thrive - one which finishes them
to the last degree required for actual use
before she puts them into the market. It
is accordingly, better sign to see Stute
importing raw material and exporting
finished goods. She then gives employ
ment to industry, 10 skill. to mind. She
attracts producing population, and opens
thousands avenues Of prosperity. Com
mcrce is stimulated, agriculture becomes
necessity. The producer and the con-
sumer touch hands. Capitol does not lie
dead in storchouscs, nor lingcr in trans.
POI tation. All related arts md employ
ments rccivc an impulse, and the prosper
| ity becomes mutal and general. Look at
England not muchlarger than our own State
and with far inferior natural facilities. Sec
what system Of industry has made Of her
Or take the manufacturing portions Of New
England, which have profite,l more from
thI IcOtton of the South than the States
which produced it ali together, and see
with all these dOings what has been done
for man. Then return to Maine, and look
at the vastness Of her natural forces, and
the felicity of her position, consider the
cOun tless wealth that is suffered to pass
unchallenged to the sea. through the pin
cipal waters of the Penobscot, the Ken.
nebcc, the AndroscOggin, more than the
golden washings of Pactolus. There is
something here to stimulate us to reflect
ion and to action. We need not fear the
enterprise of capitalists from abroad, as if
those men were carrying away something
which belongs to us. The active employ
ment Of wealth is like the quality of mercy
twice blest. ut blesses him that gives
and him that takes" Men and corpora
tions can have no advantage Of their calth
without spending it. aud so benefiting
those around them. The Act for the en-
courasement Of manufactures, passed in
1864, has already borne fruit. We have
attracted the attention of capitalists. Saco
and Biddeford and Lewiston had already
shown us how beautiful cities spring up
under the influence of manufactures. Au
gusta has now the promise Of q new ex-
istence, and movements are on foot at
Bangor and Watervllc and Brunswick to
turn their waste into wealth. The ex-
ample will be contagious and wide spread,
like the lightning coming from the east
and shining over to the west. Prosperity
in one section will react upon another, and
the whole State, if we are true to its in
terests, will rouse and grid itself as strong
man to run q race. Already the modest
little woollcn mill at North Vassalboro'
| has taken the FIRST prize at the Worlds
Fair for the finest cloths on exhibition, and
it will he our fault il in the course of time
our river sides and lake outlet shall not
become rivals Of the most celebrated seats
of the Industrial Arts.
Intimately connected with these improve
ments, both % . cause and consequence
of them--are increased facilities for inter.
course. One Of the chief means Of mod
ern civilization is the railroad. That stage
10 now reached in our progress when the
people actually feel their need of this means
of commercial and social intercourse, aud
we must prepare to meet the demand.
cannot even name here the various enter
prises that will solicit your action. from
east and west and north and south. l
would not fail, however, to bespeak for
them generous treatment as due to de-
serving citizens and to portions Of the State
which have not largely received our bOun-
tics.
The great European and North Ameri.
can Railway has already received tokens
of your favor. as well as the generous aid
of Massachusetts, and the respectful atten-
ton of Congress. 1t deserves not merely
our admiration but our continued and ac-
tive support. This enterprise, SO grand in
its conception. pursued by its projectors
with such untiring and self-sacriicing de-
votion, so important to the interests of the
eastern portion OF our State and to our
most central city, tr1versing the Acadian
peninsula and bringing the old world near
er to the new, is destined believe to bear
distinguished part in our future history,
and to work. results commercial, social,
and political, such as the most sanguine
among us can scarcely foresee. am hap
Nv to say that the first day Of the new year
witnessed the beginning OF active opera
tons on this road. The State must see to
it that this great enterprise does net Ian
guish.
A provision adopted into the constitution
some years ago has Withheld the State from
lending her credit to any of her own great
enterprises. This might have been wise
precauton against some threatening evil at
that time and since, while experiments had
to be tried, aud mistakes and losses made.
But still it is not rash to affirm that we are
thousands poorer in active population and
millions poorer in money to-day for this
very provision Whether we can afford |
to allow it to remain in force Is for you,
gentlemen, and for the people Of the State
to determine. The question is what we
are to do to save Maine. Outside capital
lists will rot come IN to build up our Rail
roads, and they require us to prepare our
water power for use before they will invest.
We are in the habit now Of granting au-
thority to the towns to pledge their credit
to certain improvements in which they are
vitality interested. But this will not meet
the present necessity. The town bonds
could only be negotiated in their own vi.
cnity, and would moreover exhaust private
resources at the very start. The endorse
ment of the State would at once attract
foreign investment, and leave home capi-
tai and private energy to complete the
work.
would he the last to counsel policy
which would depreciate our credit in the
market, or add the fraction Of mill to the
taxation already too. heavy upon the peo-
Al