The Portland daily press., 1881-03-09
Names Difficulties.

a very great cnanSe has come over the
attitude of Maine toward her sister States
during the past three or four years. Maine
people formerly enjoyed calm sense
Of superiority to most of the world outside,
and those who became residents elsewhere
looked with pride to their native State, and
brought up their children to regard with
reverence this fine, sturdy and virtuous old
commonwealth. Our people are mainly
native born, school houses and churches
abound. and the "town meeting has kept
our people alive to political action and has
given them constant sense of personal re-
sponsibility for the conduct of public affairs.
Maine has always been foremost in public
reformatory measures, did its part early
toward freeing the slaves, inaugurated
the temperance reform, and has always
been considered as sure to declare on the
right side of public movements. She has
maintained strong representation at Wash
ington, and thus has exercised an infu-
ence in National affairs entirely dispropor-
tionate to her size and position. Her peo-
pie have had good reason for pride and con-
fidence in their native State. ..... f.. .-...
This pride and confidence received a
rude shock in 1878, when the State rushed
wildly into the Green5ack movement and
gave large support 10 one of the most base
less delusions that ever misled people.
And now another rude shock is admins
tered by an array of statistics showing a
considerable increase in the rural districts
of some of the more violent crimes and Of
fenses against the public peace. The sons
of Maine, who have made homes outside
her borders, find themselves compelled to
blush for their origin, which they have
hitherto been inclined to regard as sort of
patent of nobility The newspapers of 9TH
er States are taking some pains to parade
the situation, with more OR less exaggera-
ton, and to comment ON what thew assume
to be decadence in intelligence and morals
in Maine. While the situation is not nearly
so bad as they assume, it is certainly seri-
GUS enough to justify anxious enquiry as to
the cause and means of cure.
The Greenback movement is one of the
most puzzling of the public phenomena of
our time Maine is not by any means the
sole victim. Several other of the best States
in the Union, notably Iowa and Michigan,
have been similarly overrun, only they seem
to be recovering their senses little faster
than Maine has done. There are some rea-
sons why Maine should be thus smitten
which are not apparent at first glance. The
infection was chiefly prevalent in the rural
districts which have been most affected by
emigration. The bright, enterprising and
thoughtful boy of the family, who would
have kept his father and brothers on the
right track, has gone West, and his kinfolk
have been left to become prey TO the noisy
charlatans who have gone about the coun-
try telling the people that they are victims
of oppression and promising plenty and
prosperity if they will follow after the false
gods set up by these false prophets. The
bright boy who has gone would have ex-
posed the fallacies of these tricksters, had
he been at home, and now when he comes
back to visit his folks he will show them the
folly and errors Of their new ways. He will
tell them that the path of honesty and honor
is the only good path for man or town or
state or nation, and that any attempt to
avoid just obligations, personal or public, is
weak as well as wicked. So we may look
upon this delusion as temporary, and may
confidently expect return to sensible and
honest ways on the part of good majority
of Maine men. Lid xlf
The increase, of high crime in the
rural districts is due to variety oi
causes aud is in reality more start.
ling from its comparative than from its
positive dimensions. The comparison, il
must be remembered, is with time thirty
years ago, before the Generalization of Q
great civil war had affected the nation as
wars always do, and when the country was
not flooded with the miserable flash litera
ture which exalts the ruffian into hero and
makes the minds of simple readers familiar
with deeds of violence. The years of peace
will gradually efface the bad influences oi
war, and it may be hoped that an improved
literary taste, fostered by the low price al
which wholesome reading matter is now
furnished, may check the consumption oi
demoralizing publications. These things
combined with persistence and activity OF
the part of good men in the accustomed
moral and educational agencies, will check
we may hope, the tendencies to criminal vi
olence. And after all while there may b.
an unpleasant increase of crime as compared
with what Maine showed thirty years ago
it must be remembered that the standard O
comparison was exceptionally high. Change
the standard and compare our present con
dition with that of some States whose news
papers assume to criticize us, and the resul
would be more encouraging. Compared
with ourselves we have cause of grief, bu
| positively, or compared with some of ou
neighbors, we are doing pretty well, AM
mean to do great deal better. So lie
Maine men hold up their heads and stick te
the work of keeping Maine in the from
ranks, where she belongs. Our brethrel
elsewhere need not despair of their nativ
State; we have lots of good left in u
yet, and we mean to straighten out thes
little coils which bother us now.