The Portland daily press., 1871-06-26

The Republicans OF Portland are remind-
ed that their Ward Caucnses for the election
OF delegates to the State Convention take
place this evening at o'clock. Each ward is
entitled to six delegates, and the delegates
thus elected will select four delegates at large.
Let every Republican that can make II con-
venient, attend the meeting in is ward, ana
let the best men be selected as delegates. f
The clerks of The several caucuses will
obliee us by sending the names of the dele
gates elected to the PRESS Office this evening.
The bangor Democrat Resolutions.
The Democracy OF the rural towns of East |
ern Maine recognize Marcellus Emery as their |
prophet, priest and king. AS in years past |
he was the vice-gerent of JEFF. Davis in Maine,
that part of the party that believe in his sec
ond advent in some form still cling to Mr..
Emery, and read the aBangor Democrat
In the full belief of its political inspiration.
At the late party caucus in Bangor Mr.. |
Emery presented long list OF Resolutions
which were unanimously adopted and order
ed printed in that Democratic Koran. AS MIR.
Emery's followers constitute SO large part of
q
own wishes gratifed, these resolutions may
be considered as foreshadowng the platform
that will be adopted next Tuesday at Au-
gusta.
The Bangor resolutions fail to accept the
@new departure" They desire to bury the
( sdead past" and "deprecate the discussion of
past questions" The three bitter pills OF the
amendments they do not accept, even with
the sugar coat disguise of Democratic con-
,struction. The second resolution pitches in
to Mr.. Superintendent johnson in way that
Is savage. There is reason for it; for the
worst thing for Mr.. Emery's kind of Democ-
cray is intelligence. The Bangor Democracy
are but step in advance of their brethren in
the South who are violently hostile to any
scheme popular education. The school sys
tenn of this State had done coed service but
failing to keep UP, with the progress OF the
day in neighboriug States, our town schools
were dying out. Such is the testimony that
might have been obtained in every rural town
from all parties. The first recommendation of
Nj. johnson called for more money and the
sumwas increased without dissent. When
the bill for County Supervisors first came up,
1t was advocated in the House by all parties,
Walker of Machias, and Robinson of Dover
both Democrats, speaking in its favor. 1t was
not made law until the next year and has
not yet had sufficient time to try the expert
ment. Next winter if it does not prove sat
isfactOry, it will be discontinued, without be-
ing made party question. If Mr.. johnson
can demonstrate that by his system of SUPER
vision he Is increasing the working capacity
of our mixed schools ten per cent. by better
classification and systematic course of in
struction, the $4,000 paid for it is the best
Investment ever made by Maine. If through
the county supervisors he can reach the VII
committees and IN connection with them re-
duce the number Of classes one-third, SO as to
give each third more of the teachers time,
the system is equal to an increase of the num-
Der If teachers by one-third. The questionsof
uniformity has only been thus far discussed;
but if any plan can be devised that will save
the people in the country towns part of the
money that is paid GU. for school books un-
der the present system or lack of system,
whether uniformity or simplification, it is
certainly worth consideration on the ground
OF economy. 'E f ea Ns9t ~ ~ IS.
But when Mr.. Emery says that the State
Superintendent recommends compulsory at
tendance upon the public schools, he says
that which is absolutely false. Mr.. Johnson's
recommendation is "for some legislation to Sc
cure the attendance of all youth between the
ages ofeight and fourteen at some school,
public or private at least three months in
the year," The returns of the school officers
for the last year show that of 22SOOO chill
dren in the State entitled to the advantages
OF the schools, but r141 600 actually attend
cd the schools, and paIt of these but one
term. II the State provides the means
of education, and that education is as
sumed to be the safeguard of the nation,
legislation that shall secure this intel
ligence for every child will not be "odious" to
entelligent people, For the development of
tho State, for the factory, the farm, for every
useful industry, for all the duties of citizen
ship, the man that can read and write is i'm
mensely superior to kthe unfortunate one who
cannot. a sialsit Ias ai bfe
The opposition of the Bourbons led by Mr..
Emery to the levy of general tax for the
support of common schools is logical. In the
better days of the Democracy, when the
Hamlins add Morrills had voice in its coun-
ellis, the hank tax was devoted to the schools,
but in these latter days, ignorance and preju-
dice are the most efficient allies of the party.
The Five Points OF the nation give solid
democratic vote, which the leaders know
they will lose when school houses take the
place of their gin mills and dance houses.
The friends lof education i'm Maine regard |
superintendent johnson as jealous and eff
Gent worker; but they by no means adopt
AL OF his views, and least of all, do not pro-
pose to make them party questions and it is a |
matter of regret that the Democratic leaders |
OF Maine see fit to place themselves in prac-
tical opposition to reforms in our educational |
system. Why not take "new departure ?" Let |
the opposition to popular education remain |
to the Democrats of Maryland who, when the |
Outstanding Of Lees army gave that party
majority in that Stale abolished the free
school system established by the Republicans;
and the Democracy OF Kentucky who will
lake pride in refusing all classes to attend the
free schools, and their brethren in the Caro-
fnas who denounce any system of free
schools.
GEN. SHERMAN, who is now in Washing
ton, refers good-naturedIy to the talk abb out