Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-05-18
Monday, May 18, 1908.
The Separation Of Maine.
OF AUGUSTA

1t Is now getting close to the CEN
tennial of the separation of Maine
from Massachusetts and for the first
tir1e there has been prepared full
account of the movement, SO impor-
tant 10 two states Of the Union, which
led to that separation. The account
has been written by Edward Stan
wood, a son of Augusta, who has been
for the past 20 years or more manag-
ing editor of the Youths Companion
and who has won a place in the front
rank of American historical writer's.
Mr.. Stanwood's monograph comes to
us in a pamphlet of AZ pages, reprint
ed from the proceedings of the Massa-
chusetts Historical Society for June,
1907, and it is needless to say that it
Is a most welcome and valuable ad-
dition to the historical literature Of our
State.
Few Of us have realized how long
drawn out was the contest which final
Iy resulted in the establishment of
Maine as a separate state. AS a mat
ter Gf fact the movement began and
attained formidable proportions in
1884, the very next year after the
treaty Of peace was signed which con-
cl,lded the war for independence. The
separation was not accomplished until
1920 This means that the agitation
continued for 36 years, not continuous
ly, to be sure, but at irregular inter-
walls and very violently for some half
dozen years before success crowned
the efforts of those back of the move
inert. Mr.. Stanwood calls his pamph-
let study Of the growth Of public
opinion and unlike other writer's who
have handled this theme he considers
the question from the Massachusetts
end as well as from the viewpoint of
the inhabitants of Maine.
The. movement of 1854 followed the
appearance of numerous addresses
and communications in the Falmouth
Gazette. The entire district of Maine
was then included in the counties of
York, Cumberland and Lincoln, COM
monty spoken of as the three eastern
counties of Massachusetts. In ac-
cordance with a notice published in
the Gazette SO leading citizens, in
,lnr oil -
tween the three counties, met at Fal-
mouth, now Portland, Oct 5, 1875. and
discussed the expediency of separation.
A committee was appointed whose
duty should be to urge the several
towns and plantations to send dele
gates to Falmouth the following Janu-
ary to vote upon the movement. The
movement was important enough to
attract the notice of Governor Bow
doin of Massachusetts who brought it
to the notice of the General Court in
an address which declared that it was
"a design against the commonwealth
of very evil tendency" and urged that
such measures be taken against it "as
your regard for the collective body of
the commonwealth shall dictate"
This executive disapproval was fol-
lowed by prompt and equally emphatic
legislative disapproval. but the con-
vention was held nevertheless. Jan. 4,
17S6, and a committee of nine was ap-
pointed to prepare 4 statement of the
evils and grievances under which the
people of Maine labored. The state
ment was drawn up and the list of
ference of interests of the two COM
nunities, the distance to the seat of
government, the expense of obtaining
justice, the unequal operations of the
regulations cf trade, the denial of fair
representation, an unjust system of
taxation, etc.
Several conventions were held in
Maine during the few years that fol-
lowed but the movement for separa-
tion was by no means strong or gen.
eral and conciliatory measures were
promptly passed by the General Court
of Massachusetts. Yet the advocates
for separation We're persistent and in
l19o they secured authority from Mas
sachusetts for the citizens of the Dis
trict OF Maine to vote upon the sub
iect of separation. Returns from SO
towns in the District were received
and the vote resulted 20S4 in favor of
separation and 243S opposed. 1t is
interesting to note that S3 Of the 9S re-
turns gave majority for separation
but six towns in York county voted
almost unanimously the other way
and their vote was large enough to
overcome the favorable vote in the
other So towns.
Tho next vote on the subject was
taken in 1907 and $3.50 votes were cast
for separation and 9404 against it.
Plainly the movement for separation