The Portland daily press., 1872-01-05


Iaine is a great public evil, destructive of pri-
ate morals and virtues, promotive of degrada-
ion and ruin, an enemy to industry and good
rider, and serious detriment to all the higher |
of the State.
The time and money expended, the intellec-
ual and physical powers destroyed, the hopes |
,lasted the homes desolated, the poverty and
rhine occasioned and the lives sacrlhced
through the drinking habits of our people,
would make an appalling chapter IN our history.
If we inquire at our State Prison, we snail hnd
that prior to their conviction, eight per cent. of
the convcts were not in the habit of using in
toxicating drinks, twelve per cent. drank mod
arately, while eighty per cent drank to excess,
and their crime was the direct result of this
practice. A visit to our county jails would re-
veal similar facts. This Shows that four-tifths
Of the crime and consequently that proportion
Of all the expense, as well as all the private
and public evils resulting from the commission
Of crime, are the legitimate results OF intern
perance.
Our own observation furnishes convincing
evidence that large portion of the panperism
in the State is directly indirectly attributable
to the same cause LII these statements are
correct the State, aside from its interest in the
moral, intellectual and financial well being of
its citizens, has a direct pecuniary interest in
this subject equal to four-hfths of the whole
cost of the execution of our criminal laws as
well as the support OF paupers and juvenile
offenders made such by intemperance. The
statesman, then, charged to promote in every
proper way, the welfare of the State, has du-
ty to perform in this regard which he is not at
liberty to ignore.
The eradication of an evil like this must be
sought primarily through the pulpit the press,
the platform and the influence of organized
effort, thus awakening the public nina and
quickening the public conscience AS result
of the efforts made through these instrument
talties, large portion OF our population alb
stain entirely from the use OF intoxicating
srrt., rar1r hAxyN
been reformed and public sentiment has been
created that has found expression in one of the
most effective laws in our statutes
1t is fact worthy of notice and one which
has attracted the attention of every careful OBJ
server, that, in most places in the State, intern
perance and crime and all the evils incident to in
temperance have decreased about in proportion
to the enforcement of the law, and increased in
proportion to the neglect to enforce it. The
State has done wisely in supplementing lndl-
vidual and organized effort with such legal aid
as it has deemed proper. The law itself is be-
heved to be generally satisfactory, but there is
much complaint that, in many parts of the
State, it is not executed as it should be- and, by
many, additional legislation for the enforce
ment of this and other criminal laws is de-
sired. The conviction is very general that the
necessity is not so much for more law, as a bet
ter enforcement of the laws we have. The
Importance of a faithful and impartial execu-
ton of all our criminal laws is too apparent to
require discussion here.
/ am not unmindful of the fact that no law
can be enforced through any instrumentality,
however efficient in itself, for term of years,
unless it be sustained by the public sentiment
of the people.
On that all our laws depend. If thew meet
that approval they will be sustained and en-
forced; If not they will be repealed or become
dead letter in the statutes. The officers who
execute the laws come from the people. They
are the servants of the people, will, as gen
avail 10 20 @I,a,.,
judgment of a majority of the people be right or
wrong-whether we accept or reject it person
ally, it will, in this country, assert itself in the
enactment of the laws, and the election of
public officers on whom their enforcement de-
ponds.
A proposition has been made that the sheriffs
OF the several counties and their deputies be
charged with the duty of inquiring into the vi
Citations of all criminal laws and attending to
their enforcement within the limits of their re-
spective counties, when the local authorities
neglect or refuse to do so, and that these Off
GERS be made responsible to the Chief Execu-
tive of the State, and subject to his directions
The friends of this measure suggest that as
the laws now are, the Governor is required to
take and subscribe an oath to see that the laws
are faithfully executed, but that there is no
civil officer on whom he can officially call for
the execution of any law, and that the change
proposed would make it possible for him to per-
form the duties of his Office in accordance with
his oath.
This proposition is not open to the objection
that it would create a new set of officers which
is greatly in its favor 1t meets, as L under
stand, the approval of large portion of the
friends OF temperance. L can see no valid OBJ
lection to its adoption.
A better execution of some of our criminal
laws and especially that against the sale of in
toxlcatlng drinks, would in my Judgment, relieve
the State from some of its heaviest burdens,
and promote the good order and general well
for of kbn
that you enquire whether any further legisla-
ton is necessary to secure these results, and
take such action in the premises as the facts
elected by the inquiry and the interests of the
State demand
IMMIGRATION.
Our surest source of wealth is in our citizens.
we nope to retain in the future larger nor
ton of our young men than in the past by
creating greater demand for their services:
but many will leave for other fields of effort
and usefulness. To supply in some degree this
loss to the state, and to aid in the development
OF our internal resources, wise system of i'm
migration is of paramount Importance The
success of the enterprise establishing a COLONY
OF Swedes in this State has exceeded the most
sangulne expectations of its friends. The re-
suits thus far may be briefly stated as follows:
One thousand Swedes, five hundred of whom
are working men, have come to the State,
bringing with them $40, 900 in money; two hum
dred lots, equal to twenty thousand acres, have
peen taken up; two thousand acres of trees
have been felled, and five hundred cleared.
eighty very substantial and comfortable timber
houses and seventeen log barns have been
built; twelve hundred bushels of wheat one
thousand bushels of barley eight hundred bush
els or rye and oats, and five thousand bushels
OF potatoes, have been raised twanty-fs We miles
OF road have been cut out, two miles turnpiked,
and several bridges built; fifteen horses thirty
tour COWS, and two or three pairs of oxen have
been purchased, and are now owned by the col
onists.
The immigrants are intelligent, temperate.
and industrious, and appear to possess the ele-
ments essential to good citizenship
The amount of supplies furnished the colon
lists by the State, to December /, 1871, is So
92513 of which so, 23S. 90 have been paid. leay-
ing a balance due the State, to be paid in labor
687.13. W.
A school of about seventy children and an
evening school for adults in both of viii III the
Enghsh language is exclusively taught are in
operation.
The establishment of this colony has given
an impetus to business, and materially increas
ed the value of real estate in that part of the
STATE, and attracted an unusually large number
OF Americans, who have settled in that vicinity
during the year. The fact that only twenty Of
these immigrants have left the State, while
about forty Swedes have come from other
States to settle with their countrymen here.
ana that all appear contented and happy, tends
they will in few years become discouraged and
leave the State
Your attention is called to the request of tbe
commissioner to be reimbursed for expendi-
ture incurred for supplies, part of which have
been distributed to the colonists but a large
portion of which are now on hand, it having
been necessary to obtain and transport them
before the close of water communication to To-
bique The necessity for this expenditure be-
comes apparent when it is understood that,
instead of five hun0rad oh,
expected when the lastappropriation was made.
nearly twice that number have come, thus
the Commissioner to furnish more
supplies or send many of the immigrants away.
Immigrants coming to the colony in the spring
or summer are OF course obliged to wait until
q year from the next autumn before they can
raise and harvest crop. Some have means to
live npon during this time; others have not.
and must have an opportunity to exchange
their labor for necessary supplies. But few
can do this outside of the colony and attend to
telling the tress, clearing the land, and raising
a crop. The road which has been commenced,
and on which it is proposed to employ the labor
Of those who receive aid from the State, is to
extend through some of the best settling lands
of the State, and constitutes a part of what
must eventually become an important public
In the opinion of the Commits
sioner, the letters which the immigrants are
sending to their friends in the old
world, added to the interest that has already
been awakened there, will be sufficient to en-
sure the continuance of immigration in as large
numbers as we can care for; so that the ex-
pense of an agent and advertising in Sweden
can be dispensed with. You will, 1 presume.
find it necessary to retain the services of the
Commissioner during the next year. recon-
mend that the law be so amended as to furnish
lands to the citizens of our own and other
the opportunity, on the same terms allowed the
Swedes.