Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-05-01
WEDNESDAY The 18th DAY dkAY NEXT
10 M assERvEp As
ARIBOR DAY.
Wisdom 10 Justified OF Her Ch..ai on

URAWAsBAi, MIN, secretary u state.
Wisdom 10 Justified OF Her Ch..a. on.
Reformers who blend a strong degree
Of common sense with their moral senii
melt gain success In their efforts. Thos
who are moved and guided almost entircl,
by feeling, making little use Of cool tea-
son, and ignore past experience, generally
accomplish little and too often obstruG
or damage the cause they wish 10 serve.
These do not carefully study the most
results, but think sweeping revolution
AIRY mca-u.es in the u ne Of a
greatly nerGed reform can be-
pushed rapidly forward regardless of
other interest and Of The existing prcju-
dices aud opinions Of those who are just
a. honest as they are. Thu. in the anti
slavery agitation and efforts Of thirty
and forty years ago there were those who
wasted all their energies on utterly i'm
practicable lines Of action precisely "a
there are to-day those who talk about
changing National and state tonstitu-
tons and removing all obstacles ty reso-
buttons a. easily rs birds build new nests
and spiders pin their webs.
The really successful reformcrs are not
blindly nor fire their shot at random.
Luther. Fianklln, Washington, Abraham
Lincoln were men Of cool sagacity, who
Away. conntcd the cost aud measured the
force e ~" obstacles before them. before
they stiurk their blows. Reforms in the
laws aud customs of the land cannot he
ms,e in the way Il machine of east iron IL
manufactured Wise, human rules and
plans of action against y strongly in
tr.uched evil must be flexible, worka-
Bile, and not inFpir,d by blind passion
or an unfeasoniIg prejudice. History
abounds in innumcrable instances where
the unwisr efforts of the friends of good
cause have had Just the same dam1g ng
consequences to it IA the assault ul it,
aroused enemies. Hence the adsge that
fools and knavrs are equally to be- feared,
though this may be too severe Use of terms
Never more than to day has it been Oh,
vious that the temperance reform should
be pushed on lines which will unite the
largest possible number In its favor. and
that the liquor traffic should b" a4S4ilcd
h.y ha Il g.,
reasons that theft, burglary, aud adultery
are assail.d, and to do this requires no
change of Constitutions.
The great amount of illteracr still ex-
isting In the land ought TO stimulate the
friends Of education to increased and CON
tinual efforts. Ignorance like dark cloud
still hangs over numerous portions of the
country. Even in the early homes OF ouf
common school system there is more ilit-
eracy than most Of us have supposed. /,
appears by the State census of Massa-
chusetts for 1885 that there are In that
State QG,7i0 persons who can neither
read nor write--3'. AGA males and IS, 30G
females. There are 25,360 who can read
but cannot write, and 1873 who can write,
but cannot read. making total of 1922
263 persons commonly classed as Hitter
ates. OF these ITS. 26S are foreign born,
and 10, sos native. The great bulk of ire
illiierates are foreign born adults. most
of them over 30 years old. OF the los
~ a
t,la0 are French Canadians. 322s are
English. 1878 Portuguese. 1913 Nova
Seotians, 1862 Italians, llo2 Germans.
$50 Canadian English, 5s2 Scotch, 56s
Swedes. $50 Russians, 49, from New
Brunswick. 3a3 Poles, 3o2 Newfouud-
lands. ~, from Prince Edward I,land.
ais Austrians, lis Frpehmen, los
Chinese, and the rest scattering. OF the
l3,saS native born illiterates. s291 were
born In Massachusetts, a266 in other
New England States. aud 3}3j in other
States.
Philadelphia ia not distant from the
home Of the late presidential candidate of
the Third Party. and the Philadelphia
Press says that General Clinton d. Fisk
Ia credited on good authority with the
statement that he will not support the
third party this year. On the contrary.
It is said that he will aid the Repuhli-
cans of New Jersey In electing a Re-
publican Governor and Legislature.
We do not know how reliable this an.
nouncement Is, but il is so reasonable aud
sensible that it ought to be true. Ii is the
logical sequence of the public record in
New Jersey for the past year. The mis-
take involved in third party action and
the actual inquiry which it entails upon
the cause of temperance were never more !
clearly and emphatically Illustrated than
in that State. II the third patty Prohibit
tionists justified themselves with the re-
lection that their independent action
might force the Republicans to more adj. I
vsneed ground without imperiliny the
gains already secured, they have been
cruelty undeceived.
The Indiana Civil Service Chronicle
gives this testimony as to the arrests of
Indiana Republicans at the November
election:
The President did but his plain duty in
removing United States Marshal Hawkins of
this district The latter appointed a great
number Of Deputies at the last election, and