404 



MAINE. 



The principles of the party were expressed in 

 the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That the Democratic party of Maine are 

 unalterably opposed to the present protective tariff 

 system, so destructive to the commercial, shipbuilding 

 and general business interests and prosperity of the 

 country ; and we reaffirm our adherence to the doc- 

 trine of free trade ; the maintenance of the rights of 

 the States unimpaired; equality in taxation, in- 

 cluding United States bonds ; a uniform currency ; 

 opposition to the centralization of power in the 

 General Government ; and in favor of an economical 

 and just administration of the public affairs, in ac- 

 cordance with the principles of the Constitution of the 

 United States ; and we believe that the history and 

 record of the Democratic party furnish a sure guar- 

 antee that in the event of their ascendency they will 

 settle all questions which agitate the public mind in 

 such a manner as to conduce to the welfare of the 

 people. 



Resolved. That our gallant soldiers and sailors who 

 fought the catties of the Union from patriotic motives 

 are entitled to the gratitude and support of the 

 people. 



Resolved, That we take pride in presenting to the 

 people of this State General Franklin Smith as our 

 candidate for the high office of Governor. 



After a vigorous campaign, the election was 

 held on the 13th of September, and resulted in 

 a Republican success. The whole number of 

 votes cast was 95,275, of which 20 were scat- 

 tering. 



There were cast for Chamberlain, 51,439; 

 Smith, 39,033 ; Hitchborn, 4,783. 



Chamberlain therefore received 12,406 votes 

 more than Smith, and 7,623 more than Smith 

 and Hitchborn. 



In 1868 the whole number of votes cast for 

 Governor was 131,266, of which Chamberlain 

 received 75,835, and Pillsbury, the Democratic 

 candidate, received 55,431. Chamberlain's 

 majority in 1868 was 20,404. 



The political complexion of the Legislature 

 for the year 1870 is : 



Senate. House. 



Eepublicans 28 121 



Democrats , .3 30 



Eepublican majority 25 



91 



There has been a marked improvement for 

 the past year in the success of the common 

 schools, which have been in a most flourishing 

 condition. A bill was passed by the Legisla- 

 ture in January, providing for the appointment 

 in each county of a supervisor to visit the 

 schools of the county and exercise a general 

 superintendence over them; also that the 

 State Superintendent and the County Super- 

 visors should constitute a State Board of Edu- 

 cation, which should hold at least one session 

 a year, to mature plans for the operations of 

 the schools. Provision was also made for 

 holding annually, in each county, a Teachers' 

 Institute, to remain in session for ten days, for 

 the purpose of affording instruction to teachers 

 by means of lectures and addresses, with a 

 view to prepare them for a more successful 

 discharge of their duties. 



During the year, $1,100,000 have been ex- 

 pended for school purposes, of which the sum 



of $800,000 was raised by direct taxation. The 

 number of scholars in attendance upon the 

 public schools, for the year 1869, was 226,143, 

 being an increase of 943 over the attendance 

 of 1868. The average attendance in 1869 was 

 50 per cent, of the whole, while in 1868 it was 

 42 per cent., showing a gain of 8 per cent, in 

 the attendance of last year. There were 121 

 new school-houses built s during this year, at an 

 aggregate cost of $175,094; in the year 1868 

 there were 93 built, at a cost of $272,744. 



The sanitary and reformatory institutions of 

 the State are reported to be under efficient 

 management. The hospital accommodations 

 for the insane are not adequate to the number 

 of applicants. It is estimated that there are 

 from 1,200 to 1,500 insane persons in the State, 

 who need the care and comfort of an asylum, 

 while the accommodations are sufficient for 

 only about one-third of that number. The con- 

 struction of another hospital is recommended, 

 to be devoted exclusively to one sex. The 

 Maine Insane Hospital has been full during 

 the year. In this institution there were re- 

 maining at the close of the fiscal year 30th 

 November, 1868 339 patients, 156 males and 

 183 females. Since then, there have been 150 

 admitted 78 males and 72 females, making 

 the whole number under treatment 489 234 

 males and 255 females. 152 have been dis- 

 charged, 75 males and 77 females, leaving in 

 the hospital on the 30th November, 1869, 

 337158 males and 179 females. 



The following appeared to be the condition 

 of those discharged : recovered, 68 32 males 

 and 36 females ; improved, 28 14 males and 

 14 females ; unimproved, 14 7 males and 7 

 females; 23 males and 19 females have died. 



The assigned causes of insanity of those ad- 

 mitted during the year were as follows : Ill- 

 health, 24 ; intemperance, 15 ; epilepsy, 10 ; 

 domestic affliction, 11 ; over-exertion, 8 ; dis- 

 appointed affection, 6 ; injury of head, 5 ; 

 critical period of life, 5 ; puerperal, 5 ; decay 

 of old age, 4 ; religious excitement, 4 ; mas- 

 turbation, 3 ; pecuniary embarrassment, 3 ; pa- 

 ralysis, 3 ; fright, 1 ; sunstroke, 1 ; suppressed 

 eruption, 1 ; unknown, 37. 



There has been an increase of crime for the 

 year 1869. The report of the Warden and In- 

 spectors of the State Prison shows that at the 

 close of the year ending November 30, 1869, 

 there were 174 convicts in that institution, 

 the largest number ever confined there, and 

 an increase of 11 per cent, over the number 

 incarcerated the previous year. Of the num- 

 ber confined, 116 are natives of Maine, 26 of 

 other States, and 32 of foreign countries. The 

 counties of Penobscot and Cumberland furnish 

 the largest number, 24 and 32 respectively. Sev- 

 en per cent, of the committals the past year 

 have been recommitments of those who were 

 only in for a term averaging little over a year, 

 which leads the Warden to be adverse to short 

 sentences, or less than three years. The earn- 

 ings of the prison have been increased, which 



