Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-01-09

there should be in every community . strong
Temperance sentiment demanding = vigorous
enforcement of the hx and sustaining the ofi-
GERS in their efforts to -sscage It. When the
sentiment against the liquor traffic is IS uni-
yersal and emphatic Is against other forms Of
crime, the violations eftbe prohibitosy law viii
De no more numerous than those of other peeAl
enacfmenss- That prohibition has accomplished
vast work for Temperance IN this State no can
did maa Will deny The liqsor traffic Is no lou
ger respectable. Il; e under the ban of popuhi
CONSERVATION Those who engage IN i; arc
criminals in the sigtt of the law. The oper
dram shop with its nsurting signs AMI ailuring
windows, Is no logger a feature in our State
The rumse,ier Is forced iato dark corners He
has been obliged, like other criminals. 20 rcsorl
20 conceaimeEt and stealth, where, before
the adsen. a prob .Sitan, be parsned his traffic
with opcauess and ossertssien. The whole
traffic has been forever reie-sfed TO the fertiys
ways of crime IL is not easy TO estimate fully
the great sempersnce work which this change
has wrought in Maize. Bat there still remain:
much TO DC done 10 81 educating public senti'
ment that IL shall .yery where insi-t upon the
faithful enforcement of the laws Maine
stands, BY the emphatic declaration Of her ciii
zens, in the very van of temperance states Ii
keeping her there, The friends of ptohih,tiot
biiity.
BALLOT REFORM.
l am firmly convinced that the time ha,
come for Maine 10 adopt the Australian sys
TEN of voting. Two years ago this method
of balloting was largely viewed in the hgb,
of doubtful Innovation. Many members OF
the Legislature felt that the results which
had followed its adoption by few states oil
the Union were too measre to furnish .
proper basis for action in this state, espec.
iaiiy as they were achieved under the tempo
r-iry disadvantages naturally attendant upon
the Introduction Of q new law ctfecting such
important changes.
There Is no longer reason for this conser'
vatisn. The Australian system Of voting has
safely passed its experimental era in this
country. Its wisdom has been clearly es'
tablished. To-day il is the law in more thar
one-t third of the states in the Union, and there
is reason to believe that the time is not far
distant when its adoption will become gen
erai.
1t is the sacred duty of popular government
TO maintain, in every possible WAY, the purity
OF the ballot. The nearer our elections come
TO fairly registering the personal conviction,
OF each individual voter, the closer will they
conform to the true spirit OF our institutions
Ii is the concurrent testimony of those states
which have made 4 hial of it. that the Aus
trasan ballot system comes nearer securing
this desirable result than any othe, vet de.
vised. here is no reason TO doubt that
under its wholesome operation, intimidation
and bribery will DC practically unable to in.
fluence elections, and voters will he freed
from unpleasant espionage at the polls. An.
other benefit that viii accrue from the adop.
ton OF this system OF voting, will 'bc found in
the powerful incentive given political parties
to nominate honest and capable candidates
The subject Is one that calls for careful
thought, and commend it 10 your earnest
consideration.
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
Our system of public instruction includes
three separate and yet related groups OF
schools: viz.--the Common Schools, tile Free
High Schools and the Normal Schools. For
the support of these three groups during the
last year, there have been expended the fol.
lowing Sums:
For Common Schools Sl,ili,902 0G
Free High schools 1884 0G
Normal schools 1900 W
Making total of Sl,273, $40 o.
Financially considered therefore, this sys-
ten is among the most important interests OF
the State. Considered with regard to the pur-
poses which IL is set to subserve-the training
of intelligent virtuous, order-lOving and law
abiding citizens, it is one of the paramount
rightly demand our most careful, constant and
intelligent consideration.
While the statistics and statements of the
report of the State Superintendent of Com
mon Schools show the Free High and Nor.
NAL Schools TO be in a most prosperous and
satisfactory condition, they do not show as
much for the more important Common Schools
These latter, the support of which is cOmpul
sorry by law in every town in the State, and
attendance upon which is also compulsory
should be so organized and managed as tC
give every child in every town equal priv.
leges; to impose equal burdens for then
maintenance; to be in the highest practicable
degree efficient for the ends for which they
were established; and to be least wastefui OF
public moneys. 1t is claimed by the Superin
tendent that the system. prevailing in nearly
threc-fourths Of our towns, is defective in al
these particulars. and he recommends that. to
remedy these defects, a law he enacted abol
isbina the school districts and giving the en-
tire management of the schools to committee'
consisting of three or more members accord
ing to size of town. ! bcspeak for these i'm
portant matters YOUR most considerable action
ENLARGEMENT OF STATE House.
The report of the Commission on enlarge.
ment OF the State House will soon be laid
before you. The extension is constructed
throughout according to the most approved
methods OF lire-proof architecture. 1t l.
important that an appropriation to properly
furnish it be made at an early day. | am OF
the opinion that a sufficient sum of money
should also be appropriated to make the old
state House tirc-proOf, and put it into condi-
ton to properly correspond with the new
extension. ! commend the subject to youl
favorable consideration.
During the year that has Just drawn to
close, Hon. Lewis Barker, a member OF the
ommission. has passed away. No man TOOK
a deeper interest and pride in its work than he
To his sound Judgment and practical grasp Of
affairs is due, in no small degree. whatever
measure of success has attended its efforts
Mr.. Barker served his State in many honora
bic positions and always with conspicuous
taithfulness and ability. His memory win b,
tenderly cherished
THE STATE LIBRARY.
Now that the State Library will soon ht
moved to its more convenient quarters in the
new extension, | believe that the time ha,
come to unlock, and render Immediately avail
able. ali its vast treasures Of information, by
the adoption of the card system Of rata!oguul
used in most of the larger libraries Of th,
country. am convinced that by the Adoption
of this system the practical utility of The
library would be enhanced fifty per cent II
an address sent out by the Association o.
state Librarians, an organization formed a
st. Louis. in May, 1889, the functions of +;
state Library were thus succinctv stated "A
State Library should not only be a complete
reference library for all branches Of the gov
ernmcut, executive, judicial and legislative
and the repository of all materials for lora
history and biography. hut it should also con
tain aud furnish abundant facilities for using
all desirable books of Information relating IL
special industries and pursuits OF the state, OF
calculated to lead TO the introduction of indus
tries and pursuits suited 10 il, but hitherto
neglected. In short. it should he fitted IL
serve all interests Of the state by infusing Int
their conduct the highest Intelligence ane
skill
With the card system Of cataloguing, q
library conducted upon these lines may bt
made of great value to the State. The intro
duction of this system into library contain
ing 10000 volumes, will. necessarily involve
n vast amount of work and considerable ad,li
tional expense, but, once established. more
cards can he placed In the alphabetical cab
inets, as new books are added to the library
and thus the catalogue be, at all times, com
pletc index of its contents. ! recommend that
an additional appropriation he made for the
temporary employment of extra help. specially
skilled and experienced IN this method of cat
aloguing, and for the purchase of such cab
nets and other material as may be necessary
to is adoption.
THE STATE MILITIA.
A gratifying advance has been made during
the past few years in the character and
efficiency Of the State Militia. Both officers
and men have worked with commendablc zeal
for the Improvement of the service. At the
annual muster in July last, the State was