The Portland daily press., 1883-01-05
Governors Address.
Comprehensive Review of the Material
Interests and Public Institutions OF the
State.

Gentlemen Of the Senate and House of Repre-
sentdtiUes:
We have assembled under the sanction of
constitutional authority for the purpose of con-
sulting together on the promotion of the high
est and best interests of the State of Maine. As
fit representatives of an intelligent constituent
cy, have the honor to welcome you to the
Capitol of the State, and congratulate you that
you hold position which has heretofore been
occupied by worthy ard distinguished legisla-
tors
1t is with feelings of personal pride that /
acknowledge the high honor which has been
conferred upon me by the Independent suffrage
of majority of the people of this State. 1.
have accepted the position of Chief Executive,
and taken the oaths of Office with a profound
sense of its responsibility and of my ineapacity
to meet fully the expectations of the people,
but this feeling is supplemented by desire
and determination "to act well my part" to
the best of my ability. I, therefore, respect
fully claim the indulgence of all.
The real object of government has been
clearly defined in the preamble of our Nation
al and State constitutions; let our acts be in
accordance with the wise teachings and princi-
pies therein expressed: and from the purposes
indicated, let there be no departure.
Before entering upon our Legislative duties,
it becomes us to follow venerated customs, and
acknowledge with grateful hearts our obliga-
tions to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe;
to thank Him devoutly for the manifold bless
ings bestowed upon our State in the past, and
to humbly implore divine aid and guidance for
the future. The obligation and oaths under
the constitution which we have taken, should
render our responsibilities a matter of con-
slant solicitude; that there should be an exact
and Just observance of all those principles of
economy and demands of justice which consti-
tute and measure wise legislation. One of
the early Governors of the "District of
Maine" mentioned "piety, JUSTICE modera-
tiop, temperance, industry and frugality as the
essentials of oO0d ,, Tat or
fail to heed and follow the wise teachings of
our fathers, for they left deep footprints
wherever they trod."
Since the adjournment of the last Legisla-
ture, the American people have passed through
the trying experiences of Divine di6pensa-
tion which has before visited this nation. The
wisdom of such repeated infictions battles
mans comprehension; hat we calmly submit,
since the responsibility rests with Supreme
Power, whose acts are far beyond human un-
derstanding. President Garfield was repre-
sentative American; commencing at the lowest
round of the ladder, he reached the highest
summit of earthly honor On his funeral day,
the people of Maine stood thoughtfully be-
meath the shadow of a national bereavement
and rendered their tribute of sincerest sorrow
for the loss of their beloved President Then,
as when Washington, jackson and Lincoln
died, partisan feeling was forgotten in univer-
sal grief.
1t is one of the outgrowths of civilization
and education, the leayen which preserves our
nation, not to measure personal character by
the standard of partisanship, but justly to
award to all truly great men the need which
belongs TO conscientious acts of patriotism and
lofty craftsmanship. 1t is the calm and refec-
tive Judgment which is rendered, after pas
sion, selfshness and partisan criticism have
lost their influence, that makes up just and
reliable history of events and writes the true
biography of great men. Let us be ever ready
to perpetuate the memory of our great lead. RS
by suitable and enduring memorials and mon
uments
HE GROWTH AND RESOURCES OF THE STATE.
In order to fully appreciate the obligation
we owe TO the public, it becomes a paramount
duty that we should understand the capacity
and resources of our State, since its laws and
general welfare are to be the subject of special
study. We have recently entered upon a new
decade, and the work incident to making a
new census has been completed A vast
amount of important statistical facts relating
to the material interests of the country and
State has been brought to light since the last
session of the Legislature. We draw from the
information thus gathered, interesting and i'm
portant conclusions; and by a comparison of
our substantial interests in the present and
past, we have sufficient reason to rejoice in
our general increase in population, advance
ment in wealth. education, morals, and all
those elements of material power which make
State strong and its people prosperous and
happy.
The changes that have taken place in this
country within the period of less than three
centuries are, indeed, marvellous. In 1907,
civilization first dawned on the shores of New
England and made Pemaquid famous in his
toric lore. In December, 1920, our Pilgrim
Fathers immortaliZed Plymouth Rock on the
shore of the ocean. Brave men, resolute wo-
men with self-reliant children, stood together
upon lonely shore and gazed upon a gloomy
and unbroken wilderness. They landed on
prehistoric. Nothing OF importance existed
of traditional character, and the simple bow
and arrow furnished the only evidence of a
capacity for future enlightenment. To use
their own language: "They left their own
beautiful homes TO plant poor cabins in the
wilderness" They desired to found free ag-
ricultural State, where Christianity would
naturally find its greatest security and perform
its greatest work. Daniel Webster has truly
said "Onr forefathers sought our shores un-
der no high-wrought spirit of commercial ad-
venture, no love OF gold, no mixtare of pur-
pose, warlike or hostile, to any human being;
accustomed, in their own land, to no more
than plain country life and the innocent
trade of husDandry, they set the example of
colonizing New England and formed the mould
of the civil and religious character of its in
habitsnts." For this they first planted the
church, and by its side Immediately reared the
school-house; and in these two institutions ali
our greatness had its origin. Under an equal
yoke, they were the advance propelling power,
which has opened America to civilization and
freedom. Now, fortunately for us, with pop
ulation of over fifty millions, and rapidly in
creasing, on the corner of the cross-road lead
ing to the village centre, may be seen the same
New England school-house, and nesting in
the valley, the modest church with its spre
pointing to the azure sky, where the religion
and morals OF our fathers are taught. Wher-
ever these sentinels have appeared as the ad-
vance guard OF progress, good government, art
and science have moved forward and asserted
control. Let these conspicuous elements of q
free government continue to be our national
birthright, and whatever of higher education,
general refinement and more enlarged culture
we can add thereto, we thereby simply do our
duty. We shall thus transmit rich inheri-
tance to the futu:e occupants of American
soil.
The einformation that we gather from the
statistics OF agriculture is very gratifying, and
furnishes conclusive proof that the vast in
crease of our population belongs to the produc-
ing classes. Along the Atlantic coast where
commerce, manufactures and mercantile pur-
suits are largely represented, population shows
an increase during the last decade of only 1876
per centum, while the central belt and the
trans Mississippi region, which represent the
farming and producing Interests of the coun-
try, have increased in population 86.4 per CEN
tum. The acres cultivated in the United
States have nearly doubled in ten years, and
the total amount of cereals produced in 1879
was 1851, ,737, ,920 bushels over the crop of 1869,
or nearly 100 per cent. increase. In 1860 we
produced five and one half bushels of wheat to
each inhabitant it is now nine bushels, and is
increasing in the same ratio. Formerly
France was king in cereal productions; now
the United States leads the column aid is pro-
spectively the most powerful Of all nations of
the globe. There are over four million farms
in the United States-an increase of fifty-one
per cent. during the past decade. The increase
of the number of farms is relatively much lar
ger in the Southern States, where formerly
immense landed estates were owned by single
individuals.
The census OF the district Of Maine in the
year 1900 gave Il population of 51,7la-which
shows an unexpected increase of over 30 per
cent. between that date ard the first enumera-
tion of its inhabitants under the Federal con-
stitution in 1890. In the year 1920, when
Maine became sovereign and Independent
State in the Union, the population was unex-
pectedly large, being 298,269 For the four
following decades from 1920, the decennial in
crease in population was as follows: In 1880
80 per cent; in 1910 26 per cent; in 1850 16
per cent; IN 1860 per cent; SO that the pop
ulation that year was 628,279 In 1870 the CEN
sus showed an actual loss of 1864 inhabitants.
The result gave rise TO anxiety in regard to the
future, and speculation in regard to its causes.
1t was, however, explained that the great loss
of life among the brave soldiers of Maine DUR
ing the civil war, and other circumstances had
contributed to this result, In 1870 increase
OF population again commenced, and VIC now
have population of GAS, 1886, which shows
gain of $4,000 over the census of 1870 gain of
4 per cent over the last census and an addi-