The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-05


tanned by DR.. Barker
Origin of Democratic Institutions
The paper written by the late Edward
FL. Elwell, short time before his death,
and read by his son, E. III. Elwell, Jr.,
was entitled ''Origin of Democratic In
stitutions in New England" After con-
trasting the Plymouth and Massachu-
sets colonies and showing that our rep
resentative government today was I'M
known among them at first and that they
had no idea of it, the paper described the
Centralized power'' of government.
Winthrop and the Magistrates, the grad
ual extension of the colony into the plan
tations in the vicinity, that were governed
at first by the church, and finally
the concession of the magistrates
that trivial things should be ended in
towns,' while the decision of weightier
matters was still kept from them. But
the thing grew. The placing of power in
the hands of the people is like the letting
out of waters. Out of those trivial
things" grew the town government
which is the corner stone of our demo-
cratic institutions
animal, the hog, to occasion the granting
of representative government in the
Massachusetts, colony.
Swine were allowed to run in the
streets by the early settlers, and many
were pastured on islands to protect them
from the Indians and wolves. Hence the
number of islands on our coast that bear
the name of Hog"
There was good deal of trouble oc-
casioned by the allowing of the hogs to
run loose and finally Gov. Winthrop
passed an order that every town should
be at liberty to make such orders about
swine as it saw fit. The door once
partially opened, full representation
naturally followed. The towns soon be-
gan to exceed the powers granted by
Winthrop, and in 1884 the representative
system brought about by these disputes
about swine, was fully established each
town having three representatives.
This continued for ten years, until 1914,
when the origin of the present Senate
and House of Massachusetts, was brought
about by a strange SOW in the streets of
Boston in 1886.
his SOW was committed to the care of
Capt Reagan. A law suit arose from
this, between the Captain and Mrs.
Sherman who claimed to own the SOW,
that lasted seven years, involved the
whole commonwealth and brought about
the dissatisfaction that freed the depu-
ties of the towns from the power of the
magistrates and resulted as above stated,
the magistrates forming the nucleus of
the Senate and the Deputies of the House
of Representatives 1t was, as Winthrop
said. "a great business upon a very small
occasion
DR.. Dalton and Mr.. Talbot discussed
the paper briefly.
Sketch of A. G. Lebroke.
Rev. DR.. Burrage next read sketch of
A. G. Lebroke, by John Fl. Sprague. Au-
gustus Gardner Lebroke was promi-
nent parsonage in Piscataquis county for
three decades. After giving sketch of
his life, the paper said that politically
MI. Lebroke was Republican, and came
into prominence when the conflict about
slavery began. He soon acquired repu-
tation as one of the ablest orators of the
state. He was born an abolitionist. He
hated slavery. Heswas one of the foun-
ders of the Republican party. In 1858
he was member of the State House of
Representatives; also in 1871.
As legislator he was as eminent as
lawyer. So great was his natural talent
for extemporaneousHsp that it was
really easier for him to make an oral
than a written argument. In the legisla-
ture he was always placed on the
judiciary committee and no one was
more familiar with the statutes than he.
Mr.. Talbot followed with a personal
Renaissance of Mr.. Lebroke. They
were both delegates from their respec-
tive counties to a state convention just
after the battle of Bull Run. Mr.. Blaine
represented Kennebec. He had come
from Washington to insure the declara-
ton of the Maine Republicans that the
war was prosecuted only to preserve the
Union not to interfere with Southern
domestic institutions. Mr.. Talbot and
Mr.. Lebroke were the only two who OPP
posed. They both spoke against such
resolution but were outvoted, 13 to-.
DR.. Dalton said that Mr.. Talbot was
more farsighted than the others and
that perhaps the resolutions that Mr..
Blaine advocated was necessary then,
whereas in year or two they would not
be.
Lebanon Families.
A sketch entitled Lebanon Families,
by George W. Chamberlain, ESQ, of
Calais, was announced by Mr.. Bryant,
and voted to be placed in the archives.
Military journal of Col. Goodwin.
The military journal of the late Icha-
bod Goodwin, with an Introduction by
VIM. A. Goodwin was next announced.
In the absence of Mr.. Goodwin DR.. Bur
rage read the introduction. Col. Good
win was the grandfather of William A.
Goodwin, for long time sheriff of York
county, and Revolutionary soldier.
EVENING.
In the evening the hall was thrown
open to visitors. The busts and por-
traits have been very advantageously
placed and the whole appearance is very
society and the building.