The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-14
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Tuesday Morning, December IA 1859.
The Divfaiom of Wcstbro Ok.

| The talk about division of WestbroOk
suggests for consideration topic of great
practical Importance. The old plan of our
Puritan fathers cannot be too strictly adher-
ed to, if we would preserve their institutions
in their ancient rigor. They believed that
eervy community should govern itself, or con-
troll its own affairs, in all of those particulars
which pertained to it alone. Upon this prin-
| ciple was the school district instituted. They
only consented to enlarge the range of their
duties and responsibilities, or to share them
with others, in those cases where it was in
dispensable, on account of great expense or
| Inconvenience. In the organization of towns,
the community was of more consequence in
their view than the territory. They did not
enquire concerning the extent of the latter,
but of the former. Common rights, privi-
leges, and interests, they considered, consti
tuted {. community fit for a municipality,
school district or a parish. Accordingly the
town and the school district have been insti-
tutions dear to the hearts of New Englanders
from their earliest history. ...
Little communities, neghborhoods, having
common duties, interests and aspirations,
have been sort of minor republics, in which
all questions pertaining to them alone, have
been discussed and settled. Thus were our
fathers educated, and from such humble be-
ginnings grew the Confederation which event.
ually achieved our Independence. Thus ev-
cry citizen becomes directly interested in, and
responsible for, the welfare of his own COM
munity. So long as this continues to be the
case, it will be well for the republic.
Fortunately for the country this interest in
New England and in all the States of her
colonization is so intense, that the slightest
departure from this principle produces divi-
sion and reorganization.
There is scarcely an old town in New Eng
land that has not been divided, or made by |
the division Of another. This is as it should |
be. 1t is in accordance with the spirit of our
institutions that every community should
look after, be responsible for, and control its
own local affairs. This it cannot do, where
another community, equally large, and having
its own local affairs and interests, is comprised
within the same municipality. This it seems |
to us is the case in Westrook.
1t has two communities, either of them |
large enough in territory, population or
wealth to make a first class town. One of
them comprises the villages near Portland, and |
it has peculiar interests and circumstan ces. |
1t is perfectly natural and in accordance with
both principle and precedent, that her citizens |
should desire 10 exercise, without let or him |
drance their own will in their own affairs |
Why should they not? Is it not contrary to
the spirit of our government to hold them un-
der the dominion of another and large Imuni- |
cipality, so large that its affairs cannot be
transacted in a full. meeting of its voters, be-
cause not thirty per cent. of them can get
at any one time within speaking distance OF
the moderator of the meeting? Experience
has shown that the business of so large a
town cannot be well, transacted. Several
days are needed for the transaction of business
at each annual meeting But adjournments
are impracticable, and only those interested
in selfish schemes attend the adjourned meet
ing. And the affairs Of a town having a val
uation Of twenty seven hundred thousand
dollars are disposed of according to the inter-
est or caprice of few men.
This ought not to be longer endured. The
creation OF new town is the only practicable
| remedy. 1t will be no injury to the old town.
The old town will then be among the largest
in the State, in population and valuation, and
will be better able 10 look after her affairs af-
ter the division than now, for the very same
| reasons we have been urging in behalf of the
new town. She has an old, wealthy and pop
nlous village, the natural centre of her terri
| tory, business, schools and churches, and is
every way calculated to be the centre of infu-
| ence and attraction for the old town. Indeed,
| in the early history of the town, and until re-
Gently, Saccarappa has been Westbrook. Let
| her be Westbrook still. She has many i'm
portant institutions of great local influence
| and value, religious, educational, social and
business, with natural advantages of water
power which will some day develop the place
| into Lewiston or Biddeford.
| If fSaccarrappa were asking for charter for
| a new town, what grounds of denial could
there be. She would be clearly entitled to il.
and could urge with irresistible force the an
| plicatiOn of the same principle for her COM
munty, that we now urge for ours. Certain
| ly she is not in a condition to sue for mercy.
She does not withhold her consent to the di-
vision, and refuse to treat with us, on the
| ground that it would ruin her. Ali the old
| town claims is that our taxes more than pay
our expenses. Is not this pure selfishness?
1t seems to us that this is admitting too
much on their part.
| Do they desire to hold us in their grasp in
| order to take our money with one hand, and
to withhold its expenditure on one side of the
| town with the other; is this the reason of
| opposition to the creation of a new town?
We can see no other, and we have heard of
no ether. Nothing can be palmer than that
| the new town should be chartered according
to the almost unanimous wish of her citizens.
| If not what becomes of the principle so con-
stantly acted upon from the MayfOwer down
that every community shall be republic so
far as its own local affairs are concerned.
| BEAUMONT.