The Portland daily press., 1874-02-04
Letters from Augusta.

seemed TO be in Augusta and all sorts of little
organizations hanging on the verge of the Gov
eminent held meetings in the State House.
There was the Pathological Society with their
fine looking apples nicer than Eve cribbed for
her old man; the Trustees of the Normal
School, who want to make the course of the
school embrace four years; the Trustees of
the Agricultural College, who appeared to be
temporarily perplexed about some action OF the
real Legislature; and now and then an Agri-
culturist who insisted on telling you how good
people they were and with bland smile in
sisting that he is too entirely child of nature
to put up little jobs. am panied to learn that
the Augusta agriculturists of Water street,
who at the late meeting showed SO great in'er-
est in the chief pursuit OF the modern asficut-
tural leaders-voting, have iost tne'r zeai IN
that first occupation of man
MARRIAGE.
The Woman Suffrage and State Temperance
Conventions were partially fused and were not
SO successful, judged by the attendance, as on
former occasions. Some of the temperance
leaders aver that their Convention was injured
by the union; but they certainly forget the log
ical results of a ballot in the hands of every
earnest woman in Maine--whch would newt.
ably doom the rum traffic. Every apostle of
total abstinence should as a means be cham
pion of woman suffrage. They are pretty
bright men and should see this.
THE NEW EvANGEL.
A considerable interest in the capital punish
ment question has been awakened by the public
hearings Hon. Geo. F. Talbot for the death
penalty, and Hon. T. B. Reed aud Rev. Mr..
Qunby against, distinguished themselves by log
ical, earnest and able arguments on the merits of
the case. Hon. Chas w. Goddard of your city,
also distinguished himself, but in quite diff
ferent way. He seems to be one of those men
who think they were created for the special
purpose of regulating things, and that the uni
verse will fall into chaotic ruin if they relax
for an instant their active supervision. just
now his ruling passion is to hang somebody, land
he goes at the matter with so much savagery
and vndictiveness as to have justly earned his
title of the "Apostle of the Halter" He Is
evidently man Of much industry and persist
ence, and with some fantastic alertness of lind
When he fairly mounts a favorite hobby,-and
he seems to have lots of them,-and gets his
is-woll. ,oeGring, and 1--WE can't say no fairer
nor that" r9fe
THE STATE PRISON INVESTIGATION.
So far as 1 can Judge the Democratic leaders
who so eagerly demanded an investigation into
the affairs of the State Prison, have lost theiy
interest in it. They are provoked that the Re-
publicans take so naturally to investigation aud
their little trap is likely to spring upon their
own silly fingers. First, they expected that the
Republicans would vote down proposition fol
inquiry. If they did the Democratic papers
had a subject for all summer editorials on the
State Prison. Second, disappointed at the Gag
erness of the Republicans to look into the
prison management, they expected that the
Senate and House would disagree respecting
the Committee and thus the investigation would
fail or be made by Republicans. Here again
they found the dominant party thoroughly in
earnest for the investigation. and raising a
special committee for that purpose, giving the
minority a majority of the committee iu the
House. This done, the Democracy wasn't In
hurry for the loudly proclaimed Rice inquest
Any time would do after the session. Let it be
done during the summer, for then there would
be ample time. Besides, the Democratic pa
pers could hint at startling developments of
great frauds-and the Democracy pant for an
earthquake But the Republicans all the while
were growing more ardent for the investiga-
ton, and have introduced an order that the
Committee employ experts and stenographers
and all such, and report during the month of
February. 1t will cost the State two or three
hon ov1d dnI1 fI,a
of Democrat who participated in the raid is
reliable, no financial irregularity will be found,
The result is that the Democratic leaders In this
affair feel very much as if they had been en-
gagged in an unsuccessful attempt at boomerang
practice.
THE DEMOCRACY.
There is trouble in the Democratic camp
The Standard says no, but why is this Febru-
airy meeting of the State Committee called,
why this summoning of the sachems again
from their homes to council, if there is no
trouble? There is not that degree of potency
in those renowned Democratic "brews'-noth-
ing so fragrant in their memory or pungent in
their odors as to bring the magnates up to Au-
gusta again just for sip of that Democratic
nectar There is to be grand inquest over the
to testify we cannot predict, but trust that the
dozen ex-Republican office holders who shout
ed SO loud in 1872 will not be left out in the
cold. Mr.. Sam Leavitt very bright and gen.
ial fellow, has wearied of carrying the banner
as chairman of the organization, as did the
sanity, saturnine and abstemions Butler be-
fore him. Where is Paul Merrill AID "Col"
Chase, and him of blue broadcloth coat, brass
buttons, buff vest and venerable plug hat?
Where is the Bangor neutrality-suspicious.
Emery-Rawson?
Now from what can learn, the wiser (?)ones
that is the older-do not believe that the
Democratic party can affoad to disband. am
informed that some who favored this policy a
year ago have changed their minds Like Gen.
Tom. Ewing of Ohio, they are FLUSHED with
the 1873 victory in three great States" They
believe with the New York World that there is
a slow of victory in 1876. They think they see
it and are already labelling the federal offices
that they will claim. 1 am informed that Mr..
Pillsbury, the leader in the Kennebec section,
thinks that the Democracy had better stand by
its old organization. They expect nothing in
Maine. but in the Presidential election of 1876
which they have hopes of, they will be called
in to the feast. The February meeting of the
State Committee will not decide to disband.
The leaders will say to the young marplots, ego
if you like. Outside of Portland and a few
larger places the rank aud file are opposed to
you. For the last five or six years you have
been SO noisy and indiscreet that we are much
better off without you.' After this heroic lee
ture, the aspiring young men will take back
seats. flourish little fine talk IN the vestibues
of caucuses and conventions and quietly vote
the Bourbon ticket. At least, SO say the wise
ones.
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
~-sss-~~n ORC lnts of laois3aAas--ssta- fAyor-the
general railroad bill in general way, but there
does not appear to be any member who is ready
to push for it thus far. I regret to st ate that
number of very good members are tho roughly
convinced that when such measure comes up
they forget the public interest and like YOUR
Quilp ask what will be it's effect upon The
Maine Central, the Eastern or the Boston &
Maine
This matter, however, has not fully come be-
fore the Legislature, and it is hardly just to
nradict tho rasnlt N,v