The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-03
THE STATE CAPITOL.
OFFICE sEEKERs-RAHRoADs- THE SCHOOL
Observation-Disclosures OF MEMBERs-GoV-
ERNoRs MESSAGE

ERNoR's MESSAGE. /
- From our Correspondence -
AUGUSTA, Jan. 2, 1872.
The organization is SO very uninteresting, so
utterly devoid of interest, that it is pretty hard
to write letter giving news alone The de-
partments are all quiet. Treasurer Caldwell
pays out no money until the new State govern
ment is organized. The Council is fixing up Tor
the close of the year. The State Superlntend-
ent of Schools is busily at work; and we may
here add is sure to be the best abused man IN
the State government in few days.
The most active men are the candidates for
third assistent messengers, and like places. 1t
is astonishing to see men, VINO have.Deen repre-
sentatiyes and first selectmen of considerable
towns, come here year after year and solicit the
privilege of carrying the mail and folding the
papers of members, when there are scores of
this work and are really in need of the places to
say nothing of their deserts.
Will the old office-seeker ever disappear?-
Will the old threadbare plea for rotation and
distribution never be forgotten? Thanks to the
intelligence and gratitude of the Legislature,
these places are invariably given to manned or
otherwise disabled men who have worn the ma
TONS blue. tt
There is yet poetry to our people in the tell
tale empty sleeve; there is yet music in the
thud of wooden leg; there is yet regard for
the record made on the perilous edge of battle.
This fact alone is making the annual office
seeker for the small places, contemptible; and
it is well it is so, for they have no shame.
Although the session begins quietly enough,
it promises to be warm enough soon. Never
have questions of railroads taken up so much
attention as they promise to the coming session.
Already it is talked about and an exciting con-
test is predicted. We find that many members
favor general railroad law, and thus save time
and money to the State, and, doubtless, reputa-
ton to the Legislature. 4af.t
1t is already predicted that unusual means
| will be used. There will be a lobby who work
by the job. Said one bright fellow to us yester-
| day: 'There is money in the matter and you'd
better get your part while it goes" He is not a
| MEMBER but he knows those who are and is a
| pleasant fellow. "e--
Already the enemies of Mr. Warren johnson,
| our School Superintendent, are loud in their
| threats of sweeping away the whole abuse
| They are first-class fellows. Many of them lib
| orally educated, no doubt; but they spell dis
| trict with a c.. If you should hear that the en-
tire school system has been abolished before the
| organization of the Legislature, be not sur
| prised. fs e.. -
1t is a war to the knife and the knife to the
hilt Progress may take place in other depart
ments, but not in the schools. Let us go back
tn ret ha old tod
house, with its cut pine seats and no underpin-
ming; abolish blackboards and in instruction
come down to the the three stRs," ''readn, ritin
| and rithmetic."
The newspapers will give more attention to
legislative business than ever before All of the
dailies have their correspondents who will watch
matters closely. The Kennebec Journal an
nounces new feature-the biography of men,
bers. They realize the fact that
| Olives of great men all remind us
| @'4 We can make our lives sublime"
| Your correspondent imagnes that these will
be interesting in the extreme, judging from the
proof of one that we have seen, the accuracy of
which we cannot vouch for. This is sample
John Smith, the member of Macwahoc, was
born early in his life of very poor but strictly
| honest parents. He did not attend school much
| before he was year old. He received his first
love for public life by speakin, at school exhi-
bition:
vi 'sYou'd scarce expect one of my age 49,
| To speak in public on the stage.''
1t was undoubtedly the sentiment in the fol-
| lowing line that caused Mr. John Smith to as
pire to public life,
| When a boy, Mr.. Smith attended school when
he could do no better. He never run the risk
of being fogged for playing truant. Mr.. Smith
is shrewd.. Mr.. Smith being a Democrat, his
father voting for Andrew johnson and he him
| self for Andrew Jackson Uice versa he forgets
| which, he did not take much stock in the war,
but voted always for the. largest bounties in
town meeting, and pending a draft, advised two
| OF his second cousins to enlist. He was not in
| favor of the new departure" 1t lost the De-
mocracy four votes in one town.. He was as
| founded to hear of the Tammany frauds, but
| doubted the fact as his paper which he says re-
sembles G. Washington in that it never told
any truth, extolled Hoffman to the sky last
Smith is in favor of the "passive policy'-pass-
ing bill to abolish county supervisors and them
SIGH, and resolve appropriating $765 for roads
In his town to be expended by him. That's his
passive policy-thats what he wants. 1t is
| what he is here for. He is against the mill tax.
| He owns the sixteenth of saw mill and his
| brother tends gin mill in New York.
Mr.. Smith was left an orphan at the early
age of Al, since which time he has supported
| himself. Mr. Smith has been a resident of
Maine, except few months in 1864 when he
| went to Canada for his-health. The Journal
closes by predicting brilliant future for gen.
tleman with so eventful past }5.4
This may not be a sample sheet; but if it is,
the Macwahoc member will be pleased.
We should like to write up those biographies;
it would be so much like writing puffs on Christ
mas goods, only the goods are little different
The Governors address will be little longer
than last year. Governor Perham is a little con-
sentative and has the old-fashioned idea that
the Legislature should have it fresh from him,
else we would venture to predict what will be
the leading topics of interest. We have not
seen it. .s.4- fO1r1s