The Portland daily press., 1881-02-08
Total of State Prison con-

victs s..................,. 81 267 POT
If two murderers had not been pardoned
last year our assassin's row would have reached
%.
In 1851 our population was 5S7 $50; in 1880
it is GAS, ,945. Increase in 30 years 81 265 or IA
per cent.
In 1851, divorce was exceedingly rare in
Maine. Now as Ex-Governor Dingley has
proved to a committee of this Legislature,
Maine leads all New England. He shows that
47S divorces were granted in 1878, being one
man and woman out of every 679, and he
thinks that 1880 was probably still worse.
Insanity has also steadily and rapidly in
creased at a ratio far exceeding the gain in
population. The same may be said of suicide.
The large percentage of youthtW convicts is
painfully suggestive. Nearly 1S per cent were
convicted during their minority and more than
GA per cent. under the age of thirty.
The average age of commitment is only 25
Great injustice has been done to our foreign
born population, and particularly to the Irish
by the loose talk of many of our writers and
speakers.
Out of the 1919 felons confined in the State
Prison proper only 80 are Of foreign birth, on
ly 1S are natives of Europe, and only 4 are
Irish. 123 were born in Maine.
In 1920 our population was about 100000,
20 years of the history of Maine, only2 convic-
tions of murder or arson are known to have oc-
Cured. This is at the rate of one case to
100000 inhabitants annually.
In the single year 1880, the Attorney Gen
erals report shows convictions, 5 of which
were of murder, being at the rate of one con-
victlon to every $4,000 persons.
This reveals the appalling increase of 43 fold
in what until 1876 was called capital crime,
within 40 years.
r,l.. q.
two convictions of homicide, one of wife-mur-
der in the first degree, here in Portland, and
the other of boy of years for the slaughter of
his playmate, aged s, in remote country town.
1t should not be forgotten that the average
term of imprisonment is less than it was 30
years ago, partly through Legislative cemen-
cy, as in the case of rape and adultery, partly
by the exercise OF the pardoning power and
partly through the leniency of the courts.
Whether Maine now heads the criminal cal
endar of New England, as it does its divorce
list, am not able to state, but in mercy to hu-
manity lot us hope that it does.
During the period characterized by this
frightful multiplication of atroclous crime the
amount expended for educational purposes
within this State has increased in ratio even
greater still; and no less than SO laws for the
suppression of the liquor traffic have been en-
acted. Capital punishment was abolished in
1876. About the same time five Jail workshops
were built at large expense, into which in 1878
no less than 6S felonS were removed from the
State Prison for want of room, in spite of re-
peated extensive engagements of that build
ing.
have assumed the same number for 1880,
and included them in the entire number OF
felons for tnat year.
If multiplication of crime and especially
murder and other desperate offences, the rapid
increase of divorce and the spread of insanity
and suicide do not indicate a decline in the
morals and civilization of a State, the lessons
of history are worse than useless.
do not forget that
-"the bringer of unwelcome news
Hath but losing offlce,''-
but the principal figures are not mine. They
are published by sworn officers of our State,
and nothing can be gained by their denial or
! suppression.