The Portland daily press., 1891-01-09
PRICE 81 A YEAR, WHEN PAID IN ADVANCE Sc.

In good financial condition aud v i'll be ma
| terlal relief to the tax Uayrr5 OF the Sia'e.
As no pat Of the appropriations to be
made by Congress under the act OF 1880 cau
| be used for the erection Of buildings, the
| Legislature will be called upon TO replace
| the one known as Wingate Hall. which was
| destroyed by fire In February last. Other
needs of the Institution will be made known
to you through the reports of 1t officers,
which will soon be lad before you.
LABOR BUREAU.
The Labor Bureau, created, as the law
plainly indicates, for the benefit OF the work
ing people Of the State, Is doing valuable
work. as the reports Of the Commissioner
will demonstrate. These bureaus, including
that of the United States, now number TWEEN
ty-two In the whole country. The impor-
lance OF their work in collecting statistics
relating to the various departments OF labor,
and iDquiring into violations Of the statutes
providing for the regulation Of the hours Of
labor and the employment Of women and
children" Lave caused them to become rec
0gniZed as indispensable national and state
Institutions, and entitle them to liberal out
lay for their support and maintenance.
PROHIBITION.
The past year has been an important one
for the temperance Interests Of our State
For the first time since the adoption OF the
pr0hibitOry amendment to our Constitution
the people of Maine have been afforded an
opportunity to pronounce at the polls upon
movement looking to It's repeal. and the
substitution Of the high license system.
There was no uncertainty in their decision.
By an emphatic majority they declared their
in this State, and the highest welfare of all
our citizens demand the maintenance Of
prohibition.
1t cannot be denisd that the law for the
suppression Of the liquor traffic Is often vio-
lafad ard hat 10 ohur N re
fOrcement are frequently csrelict In duty.
But 1t Is undoubtedly true that this condition
of affairs Is mostly confined to our cities and
larger villages. In other places the law APP
pears to have been faithfully and success
fully administered. During the past two
years have personally written the officials
in the various counties upon whom was de-
volved the duty Of enforcing the law, urging
the vital importance OF the suppression OF
the dram shop. Ibid this that such officers
might clearly understand that they would
have the support OF the Executive Depart
ment Of the State In all their efforts to en-
force prohibition.
That the various officers OF the State,
upon whom devolves this duty, have accom-
plished great deal In the enforcement of
the law, is everywhere conceded. 1t Is,
nevertheless, necessary to the highest sue
cess of prohibition that there should be In
every community strong temperance senti-
ment demanding vigorous enforcement Of
efforts to secure 1t. When the sentiment
against the liquor traffi I, is as universal and
emphatic as against other forms OF crime,
the violations Of the prohibltOry law will be
no more numerous than those Of other penaI
enactmeDts. That prohibition has accom-
plished vast work for TEMPERANCE In this
State no candid man will deny. The liquor
Traffic Is no longer respectable. 1t Is under
the ban Of popular condemnation. Those
who engage 10 1t are criminals In the sight OF
ha In hn hrau ahnr NTH
Haunting signs and alluring windows. Is no
longer feature In our Stale. The rumseller
Is forced into dark corners. DE has been
Obliged, like other criminals, to resort to con-
cealment aud stealth, where, before the adj
vent of prohibition, he pursued his traffic
with openness and 0stentation. The whole
traffic has been forever relegated to the
furtiye wavs Of crime. 1t Is not easy to esti-
mate fully the great temperance work which
this change has wrought in Maine. But
there still remains much to be done In 80
educating public sentiment that it shall
everywhere insist upon the faithful enforce
ment OF the laws. Maine stands, by the em-
phatIc declaration of her citizens, in the very
van OF temperance states. In keeping her
there, the friends of prohibition must spare
no effort or shrink from no responsibility.
BALLOT REFORM.
am firmly convinced that the time has
come for Maine to adopt the Australian sys-
ten Of voting. Two years ago this method
Of ballOting was largely viewed In the light
of doubtful innovation. Many members Of
the Legislature felt that the results which
had followed its adoption by few states Of
the Union were too meagre to furnish a
proper basis for action IN this State. es-
pecially as they were achieved under the
temporary disadvantages naturally attend
ant upon the introduction of a new law ef-
fecting such important changes.
There Is no longer reason for this c0nser-
vatism:: The Australian system, Of voting
has safely passed Its experimental era In this
country. Its wisdom has been clearly estab.
hshed. Today it Is the law In more than
One-third of the states of the Union, and
there is reason to believe that the time Is not
far distant when its adoption will become
general.
Its the sacred duty of popular government
to maintain, In every possible way. the pur
ity of the ballot. The nearer our elections
come to fairly registering the personal con-
victions Of each individual voter. the closer
will they conform to the true spirit Of our
institutions. 1t Is the concurrent testimony
of those states which have made trial or it.
that the Australian ballot system comes
nearer securing this desirable result than any
other yet devised. There Is no reason to
doubt that, under its wholesome operation,
Intimidation and bribery will be practically
unable TO influence elections, and voters will
be freed FROM unpleasant espionage at the
polls. Another benefit that will accrue from
the adoption OF this system of voting will be
lOuuu III Lu6 pOWtElul luCtuLiN6 given DOllLl-
Cal parties to nominate honest and capable
candidates. The subject Is one that calls for
careful thought, and commend 1t to your
earnest consideration.
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
Our system of public instruction includes
three separate and yet related groups Of
schools, viZ.-the Common Schools, the 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 49,. ........Sl ia 9O2 90
For rree Hga Schools .............. 139,944.OO
For Normal SCHOOLS. 100000
Making a total of ,273, SAC o.
Financially considered, therefore, this sys.
TEN is among the most important interests of
the state. Considered with regard to the
purposes which IT Is set to suoserve-the
training Of intelligent, virtuous, order-loving
and w-abiding citizens, 1t Is one Of the para
mount interests Of the state. Such a system
may rightly demand our most careful, con-
slant and intelligent consideration.
While the statistics and statements OF the
report of the State Superintendent Of Com
mon Schools show the Free High an6 Normal
Schools to be in a most prosperous and salts
factory 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 to wn In the stats, and
attendance upon which is also compulsory,
should be so organized and managed as to
give every child in every town equal privi-
leges; to impose equal burdens for their
maintenance; to be In the highest practica.
BILE degree efficient for the ends for which
they were established; and to be least waste
full of public moneys. 1t Is claimed by the
superintendent that the system, prevailing
in nearly three-fourths of our towns, is de-
fective In all these particulars, and he rec
ommends that, to remedy these defects, q
law be enacted abolishing the school dis
tricts and giving the entire management OF
the schools to committees consisting Of three
or more members according to size of town.
l bespeak for these important 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 be-
| fore you. The extension Is constructed
| throughout according to the most approved
methods Of fire-proOf architecture. 1t is i'm
| pOrtant that an appropriation to props rly
| furnish 1t be made at an early day. i am of
| the opinion that sufficient sum of money
| should also be appropriated to make the old
| State House fire-proof, aud put 1t into condi-
| ton TO properly correspond with the new ex
| tension. / commend the subject to your
| favorable consideration.
During the year that has Just drawn to a
close, Hon. Lewis Barker, member of the
| Commission, has passed away. No man took
| deeper interest and pride In its work than
he. To his sound judgment and practical
| grasp of affairs Is due, in no small degree
| vh tnaa Sura nf snpeaes has attended