Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-02-20
Still HEARING From the People.

| to the letters received from all parts
of the State in reply to our circular
letter sent out to ascertain the senti-
ment of the people of Maine on the
subject of capital removal. With the
letters published this morning total
of very nearly 1000 letters have been
published, representing about $50 of the
40 towns, cities and plantations which
Maine contains, exclusive of Cumber-
land and Kennebec counties. The let
tiers published this morning. like those
published last week, are almost unit
in opposition to capital removal and in
their expression of the opinion that no
| sentiment in favor Of capital removal
exists in the community from which
! the letter comes. Less than score Of
letters. out Of the 1000 published. favor
capital removal, and not single signed
letter favcring the change has been
| withheld by US. From a dozen of the
| 16 counties not a single letter favoring
| capital removal has been received,
| though practically every town in these
counties has been heard from.
The sneer of the Portland news
papers to the effect that in this SYM
postum Augusta has been trying its
case before a packed jury is an insult
to the intelligence and independence OF
the people Of Maine. The circular let
ter, of which copy has been published
in our columns and to which these re-
plies have been received, was sent to
the town officials, masters Of subordi-
nate oranges and ex-memberS Of the
Legislature in every section Of the
State. We had no way of knowing in
advance what the reply would be from
a single person to whom our circular
| letter was sent.
| Whatever the Portland newspapers
may say, or however they may try to
belittle the significance Of these let
| ters, the fact remains that they speak
the sentiment of the people of Maine as
expressed by representative men in
every community, men who spoke not
| for themselves but who We're es-
peciaIly well suited to know and voice
the feeling of their neighbors. These
| letters demonstrate what the Journal
has contended from the first-that out
side of Portland and it's immediate VI
| entity there is absolutely no sentiment
| in Maine in favor of changing the
| State capital from Augusta to Portland.
They give added force to the editorial
comments in opposition to any change
which have appeared in practically
every paper of Importance in the State
outside the city of Portland. They
make doubly significant the earnest
speeches in opposition to removal
| which were made at the committee
hearing last week by leading men of
Aroostook, Penobscot, Washington
Somerset, Piscataquis, oxford and An
droscoggin as well as Kennebec. They
give still greater weight to the hun
dreds of circumstances against re-
nloval, signed by thousands of tax
payers, which are pouring in upon the
Legislature from every county of the
state, not even excepting Cumberland
county itself.
These hundreds Of letters, these hun
drcds of circumstances. these editorial
utterances in the leading dailies and
wceklies outside of Portland. and these
speeches of remonstrance before the
COMMITTEES, all speak one great truth
and speak it with a distinctnesS ano
emphasis which no member of the
| LEGISLATURE can fail to understand
They make it plain that the great
mass Of the people Of Maine. the lead
ing citizens of every community. anc
i the taxpayers Of every section. except
the city of Portland. are unalterablJ
and unequivocally opposed to this
proposition to change the seat Of State
government 1t is case of Portland
against the whole Of Maine. Practi'
cally no voice outside Of that city has
been in favor of changing the capital
and in their chagrin the Portland
papers sneeringly declare that it is
only because of their stupidity" that
the people of Maine refuse to see thing:
from the Portland point of view.
The Legislature will hear and heec
the voice of Maine in this important
matter The wishes of the people vii
be respected. The attempt of Port
land to make the State capital a matter
of barter and sale will be defeated
The attempt OF that city to bride the
State with counterfeit money will NEE
with failure The seat Of State govern
ment will be where the people wisely
determined it should be when Maine
became a state. The selfishness ant
greed of the commercial metropoli:
will get it's merited rebuke. The CAPT