Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-02-15

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a Lincoln to expose such shams- and.
make these men see the falsity Of
their position!
"Much Is being said about Amer
icanization and throughout this
country there has been a movement
toward bringing all sections together
and moldins us into a complete and
unified Nation. I want to see this
movement make progress in Maine.
so We may bring all sections of the
State together. and do away with
existing jealousies and misunder-
standings. We are on the threshold
of important developments in our
State. The future is bright with
promise. After the present agricul
tural and industrial depression has
passed-and even new it is passing
we shall come upon good days. We
can bring this about by real Cooper
alton among certain groups that re-
Gently have been pulling apart. I"
"The citizenship of Maine is not ex-
celled by that of any State in the
Union. Seventy eight per cent. Of our
population were born within the
State; eight per cent. in other states,
and IA per cent. are foreign born.
These figures are Significant Our
climate. resources and scenery are
not equalcd by those of any other
state. Our people in the western Sec
tons know but little of Aroostook
and Washington counties while the
people of our shore counties have no
rnQt knnuIo1ern nP nf
forest areas that extend from the
New Hampshire line to New Bruins
wick and Quebec. wish every man,
woman and child in Maine could see
the State as have seen it. for if they
could, all would pull together more
than they ever have done be-
fore.
II want to tell you what one young
girl is doing for Maine for her work
is an inspiration to US all. Away up
in the real woods of Maine on the
edge of Aroostook county there
stands . little home seven miles from
the village and alone on the long
road that follows the winding river.
1t must be lonesome there even in the
best of summer weather. In that
home lives q slender gill of twenty
years. one of large family of seven
children. She is n school teacher,
and fitted herself for her work by
many sacrifices. Her school house is
a mile and half from her home. her
days are occupied with. children of
six or seven different grades. all
studying together as well as they can,
and doubtless she gets as tired as
any teacher would under those sur
roundings. This young girl is not
content to do full days work. but
three times a week WIN evening
cor cs she tramps back that mile and
half to her little school house. and
there teaches reading, writing and
English to % grown men and women,
among whom are her own father and
mother This American girl of Acad-
ian descent knows what it means to
have the benefit Of an education and
she wants to do her part for the
grown-ups as we'll as for the chill
dren. Last week I saw the first real
letter the mother Of that teacher ever
wrote. Think of what that means,
for now that mother, 81 years of age,
can give expression to her ideas, and
the long evenings will no longer be
dreary, for books have become living
things for her to enjoy. That mother
has now fitted herself to exercise all
the rights Of citizenship. Surely this
is young teacher Of whom we all can
be proud. Such work as this is de-
voted service and means a great deal
for our State. DR.. Thomas, our State
superintendent of schools, tells me
that in five years there oLght not to
be an illiterate adult left in Maine,
aand if the work of this young woman
is an example of what others are do
ing. DR.. Thomas prediction will come
true.
Federal Interference
Since l have become familiar with
the details Of our State Government,
L am impressed with the tendency
that exists gradually to centralize
control of State affairs in the great
departments of our government at
Washington
unless the people of our sovereign
states become aroused to the full
significance of this movement, it will
be too late for their protests to be
effective. Some months ago | called
the attention of our people to the
drift that had set IL toward strength
ening the powers of the Federal Gov
ernmcnt at the sacrifice of the indie
pendence OF the States that compose
the Union.
I'VE all have reason to be proud of
our splendid Government at WASH
lngtOn and desire to support it and
nave 1T function as a Federal Gov
ernment, exercising those powers
and those only that have been dele
gated to it. From the beginning of
our Republic. it has been recognized
that the states were sovereign states,
exercising all the rights inherent to
independent government g except such
rights as have been voluntarily sur
rendered or delegated to the Federal
Government. This status always
has been accepted as the proper one
but with the passage of time the
sphere of the Federal Government
widens and the states are gradually
and complacently yielding to Fed
eral control.
The World War gave !. great i'm
potus to this movement toward CEN
tralization and during that period
to a certain extent the movement
was necessary and inevitable. Both
political parties haYe contributed to
the present situation. but neither has
done. much toward relieving it, I'm
less concerted movement soon is
made by the Governments of our