482 



MAINE. 



The material condition of Maine, as exhibited by the Federal census of 1870, is fully set forth 

 in the following table : 



CENSUS OF 1870. 



Included in the census are one Chinaman 

 and 499 Indians. The true value of property 

 was $348,165,167. The public debt, county, 

 town, city, etc., amounted to $8,556,724. The 

 aggregate value of farm-products, including 

 betterments and additions to stock, was $33,- 

 470,044; 1,774,168 pounds of wool were 

 raised ; 19,047 persons, ten years old and 

 over, cannot write, of whom 9,644 are males, 

 and 9,403 females. Of those twenty-one years 

 old and over, who cannot write, 6,516 are 

 white males. 



The political campaign of the year was vir- 

 tually opened by the Democratic State Con- 

 vention, which assembled &t Augusta, on the 

 27th of June. There had been a Temperance 

 Convention in February, but its deliberations 

 were rather of a moral and socialistic charac- 

 ter than political, and no nominations were 

 made for any offices. The Democrats nomi- 

 nated Charles P. Kimball, of Portland, for Gov- 

 ernor, the other State officers being chosen by 

 the Legislature. Their platform of principles 

 was embodied in the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That, burying out of eight all dead issues 

 and deprecating the discussion of all past questions 

 that can have no application to the present affairs 

 and condition of our State and country, we address 

 ourselves to the vital issues and questions of the 

 hour, bringing them to and determining them by the 

 living principles of democracy as promulgated by the 

 fathers of the republic ; that we recognize our bind- 

 ing obligation to the Constitution of the United 

 States as it now exists, without reference to the 

 means by which the same became the supreme law 

 of the land ; that we will faithfully support the Con- 

 stitution as it now exists, and that we demand for it 

 a strict construction BO as to protect equally the 

 rights of States and individuals. 



Resolved, That we cherish the American svstem of 

 State and local governments, and that we will forever 

 defend the same against centralized Federal power. 



_ Resolved, That we reject the idea of the repudia- 

 tion of the national debt, and believe it to be the 

 duty of the Government to pay, according to law and 

 in lawful money, all its liabilities. 



^Resolved, That the Democracy are opposed to a 

 high protective tariff, believing it to be based upon a 

 false philosophy, destructive to the industries of the 



nation, delusive in its professions, a tax levied on 

 the many for the benefit of the few, calculated to fos- 

 ter great monopolies, and inefficient permanently to 

 increase the income of the national Treasury or hast- 

 en the liquidation of the public debt. 



Resolved, That the imperfections of the civil ser- 

 vice under the Republican Administration demand a 

 further application of the rule of examination as to 

 qualification, which the Democratic party long since 

 inaugurated, and we are in favor of any judicious 

 and constitutional measure of reform in this mpor- 

 tant particular. 



Resolved, That we would extend universal amnesty 

 to the South as the best corrective measure the Gov- 

 ernment can apply to soothe all irritation, remove 

 local irregularities and disorders, and restore peace- 

 ful and harmonious relations between the different 

 sections, which are the only permanent Ibasis of 

 union, and should be the chief *aim of our national 

 legislation. 



Resolved, That the recent action of the Adminis- 

 tration, in using the power of appointment to over- 

 ride the settled decision of the Supreme Court, we 

 regard as a dangerous and ominous indication, and 

 as demonstrating that, since the grand coordinate di- 

 visions of the Government are not safe from Execu- 

 tive usurpation, the party upholding such an arrogant 

 assumption of power is unfit for the position of trus- 

 tees of constitutional liberty. 



Resolved, That in Hon. C. P. Kimball, the nominee 

 of this convention, we recognize a gentleman of in- 

 telligence, an honorable record, a thorough Democrat, 

 and a firm friend of the working-man, and that \ve 

 pledge to him our cordial and united support in the 

 coming election. 



The first resolution gave rise to a warm de- 

 bate, several delegates wishing to have the 

 phrase "without reference to" changed to 

 "denouncing." This proposition appears to 

 have been supported by only a small minority, 

 though it was claimed by some that "denoun- 

 cing " was the expression used in the original 

 draft of the resolutions, and their adoption 

 without change gave indorsement to the senti- 

 ment expressed therein. 



The Republican Convention was held at 

 Augusta, on the 29th of June, and renominated 

 Sidney Perham for Governor. The following 

 resolutions were adopted, a slight discussion 

 arising on that having reference to liquor pro- 

 hibition : 



