The Portland daily press., 1870-12-31

Progress of Maine in Ten Years.
1t is true that Maine has gained only lit
tie over four hundred in population during
the last decade. Therefore, if Sir William
jones' answer 10 his time-honored conun- !
drum, what constitutes State?" is regard
ed as the true and the only true one, and if |
alone constitute common wealth, .
Il lis is rather discouraging. But Sir '
wilam no doubt had reference to quality
rather than quantity. In that case, if wealth !
be regarded as desirable attribute of "men," +
the prospect is not by any means so discoura- |
ging. For, though we have only a few more |
men than in $780, they must be very much i
richer men if we are to put any confidence in
State valuation which we will define for the |
benefit of the uninitiated as an. ingenious
piece of guess-work, effected at stated periods
by several respectable gentlemen who are
solemnly commissioned for that purpose
For the purpose of investing the exercise OF
: their functions with proper degree of dig
nifty and gravity, the commissioners base their
estimates upon town valuations, in some OF
which the value of cows is given in money,
while in others money is valued in cows, and
in third class cows are returned as equiva-
lent to given number of pigs. But, as the
same methods prevailed in 1860 and 1870 the
relatire wealth of the State may perhaps be
determined. In 1860 Maine was worth $780,
770,s77, and in 1870 $219666,5O4, exclusive Of
wild lands. This increase of wealth is likely
to continue, and finally to bring population
with it, for the diffusion of knowledge as TO
our unrivaled facilities for manufacturing, for
which Maine is so much indebted to our able
; and industrious fellow citizen, Walter Wells,
must bring capital into the State. The
Sprague purchase-or donation at Augusta,
consummated in 1867, is likely to amount to
more than at one time seemed likely. We
have no doubt that in 1880 we shall see most
Of the more desirable privileges occupied.
Maine is much richer in railroads than in
1850. The number Of miles in operation at
that time was 472. Since then there have
been built the Newport and Dexter, the Pts
cataquis, the Belfast and Moosehead Lake
aud the Knox and Lincoln, (nearly complet-
ed.) The old York and Cumberland road,
=. now the Portland and Rochester, and the
Portland and Oxford Central have been ex-
tended. The Somerset, 1.-THE European and
North American and the Ogdensburg are
under good Roadway. The extension of the
Maine Central from Danville Junction to con-
!; meet with the Portland and Kennebec will
soon be ready for the cars. The Houlton
Branch brings Aroostook County within easy
reach of the outside WILD. When the roads
in actual process of construction are complet'
ed, Maine will have about double the number
Of miles of rails she had in 1860, and there
: are innumerable others projected, most of
which will undoubtedly be built before 1880.
. The Bangor and Oldtown road, the first built
in the State, has been discontinued. 1t was
:, the second road built in the country, and, so
far as we know, it is the first where the rails
:, have been taken up.
:, Maine, like Dogberry, hath had her losses.
The war nearly destroyed her shipbuilding
= industry. 1t is sad to think that during the
= past year not quite twenty thousand tons of
shipping have been built in the whole State.
But the most unaccountable loss has been
from fire. The business parts OF the cities Of
Augusta, Portland, Calais and Eastport, and
the town of Wiscasset have been destroyed
the latter twice within five years. No other
State has been afflicted in anything like the
same degree. The Portland fire of July 4th,
1885, was one of the most destructive on rec
ord. Augusta, Portland and Eastport are to-
day handsomer cities than before their terri
bic trial. No doubt Calais and Wiscasset will
also be indirectly benefited.
The modification of the school laws during
the last ten years we regard as one of the
most important events that has taken place.
The appointment of county supervisors and
the vesting of power to employ teachers in
the school committees, instead of in the dis
trict agents are both steps toward an educa-
tional revival which must come in this coun-
try, unless it is to become the home of bar
barians again.
The planting of colony of Scandinavians
in Aroostook County the present year is an
event that deserves more than passing no.
tice, because of the immense possibilities there
are in it. II the stream of Scandinavians
once gets fairly turned in this direction, there
will be speedy end to the decline of popula-
ton, and the original inhabitants will be but
an Insignificant element of the people, so that
we shall be call of us Danes"-or Swedes or
Norwegians. "New Sweden" may mark the
beginning of new era, and good one, we
hope.
1t will be remembered that in the ideal
state of Sir William Jones, whose convenient
numbers must end as they have begun this
scrap of current history,
The sovereign law, the States collected will
Oer thrones and globes elate,
Sits empress, browning good, depressing i'll.
Here again Maine has answered his re-
quirements. The law providing for the death
penalty has fallen into desuetude in Maine
and for many years there has been only the
dim shadows of the gallows here. But since
1850 the people have on one occasion been
gratifed by most impressive vindication of
the majesty of the law in the hanging of the
negro boy, Clifton Harris-an ignorant, bru-
tai boy, whose practical indulgence of his
homicidal tendencies might have been surely
enough restrained by prison walls. But the
moral influence of his execution was need
ed-the spectacle of his death being so civ.
ilizing-so humanizing. Since tina. execution
the number OF homcides has been unprece-
denied, and our future Governors may at any
lime stimulate the moral feelings of the peo-
pie by ordering prisoner to be hanged.
Since 1860 Maine has still further vindica-
ted her claim to be called the "Drigo" State
by liberalizng her laws in regard to the prop
erty rights of married women, and by re-
moving the restrictions upon the admission
Of evidence. In these two respects Maine
probably has the most civilized code in the
world.
What the World Has Done In Ten Years.
REVIEW OF THE LAST DECADE.
1t has been asserted that the decade |
that ends with tomorrow is the most |
remarkable in human history. If the state |
ment be made a little narrower, so as to claim |
NO more than that the last ten years have been |
much more remarkable for events favorable to |
human rights and to International communi- |
cation than airy other equal length of time, it |
would be unquestionably true. If one would |
share Whittier's generous appreciation of the |
good time coming" and would with him ex.
claim
hing' Deus, In unreared steeples,