MAINE. 



475 



have bean brought against the Atlantic & St. 

 Lawrence and the Dexter & Newport Rail- 

 road Companies. There were three trials for 

 murder in the State during the year. lanthe 

 Morgan and Mrs. Sophronia J. Libby, her sis- 

 ter, were found guilty of murder in the first 

 degree, for taking the life of an infant child of 

 the former, and sentenced to imprisonment for 

 life. Isaac N. Cox, fourteen years of age, was 

 convicted of manslaughter for killing his father, 

 and sentenced to six years in the State prison. 

 Edward M. Smith was found guilty of murder 

 in the first degree, for killing Melisse T. Thayer, 

 of Bucksport, 'in October, 1876. A motion in 

 arrest of judgment in this last case was pend- 

 ing at the end of the year. In speaking of the 

 relation of these cases to the abolition of the 

 death penalty, the Governor expresses anew 

 his " firm belief in its humanity and wisdom.' 1 



The volunteer militia of the State consists of 

 one regiment and three unattached companies 

 of infantry, and a battalion of light artillery. 

 The Richards Light Infantry of Gardiner was 

 added during the year. There is a cadet or- 

 ganization in the Colleges and High Schools, 

 and several companies joined in the summer 

 encampment at Augusta. 



The marble statue of General "William King, 

 the first Governor of Maine, to be presented 

 to the Government of the United States, and 

 placed in the Statuary Hall at the National 

 Capitol, has been completed by the artist, 

 Franklin Simmons, at a cost of $8,000. It 

 was presented in January, 1878. 



A Temperance Convention was held at Au- 

 gusta on the 23d of January and two following 

 days. Among the resolutions adopted were 

 these : 



Resolved, That the manufacture and sale of intoxi- 

 cating liquor is a tremendous mischief in every C3tn- 

 munity where it is tolerated. It is at war with every 

 legitimate industry, eating out and wasting the 

 wages and earnings of the people, and the wealtn 

 and resources of the State. It injures and ruins the 

 health and destroys the live* of the people ; and its 

 sole effect IB to spread poverty, pauperism, insanity, 

 degradation and crime, broadcast in society. Its in- 

 fluence is to drive out from the 'community every- 

 thing that is good, and to substitute for it every- 

 thing that is bad. It spreads an inexpressible misery 

 and wretchedness among hundreds of homes which 

 would be prosperous and happy but for the malign 

 influence of this active agent of evil. 



Resolved, That it is the duty of every good citizen 

 to yield obedience to the laws of the land because 

 that is necessary to the preservation of good order 

 and peace in society. And that it is also the duty of 

 Government to prohibit and suppress everything 

 that is inconsistent with the welfare and happiness 

 of the people. 



Resolved, That more than any other evil more 

 than all other evils the liquor traffic inflicts misery 

 and mischief upon society; more than any other 

 crime and more than all others, it deserves the rep- 

 robution of all good men and the punishment of 

 law, because it is truly "The gigantic crime of 

 crimes." And we respectfully and urgently call 

 upon the Legislature for such further enactment as 

 will effectually crush the crime. 



The State Convention of the Republican 

 party was held at Augusta on the 9th of Au- 



gust. The following platform was reported by 

 the Committee on Resolutions, of which Sena- 

 tor Blaine was a member : 



The Republicans of Maine, assembled in State 

 Convention this 9th day of August. 1877, make the 

 following declaration of their political aims and 

 principles : 



1. The United States constitute a nation and not a 

 mere confederacy. The successful issue of the Revo- 

 lutionary war founded the nation ; the successful is* 

 sue of the war for the suppression of the Rebellion 

 preserved it. The union of the States as one nation 

 must be maintained for all time, against all foes, at 

 any cost. 



2. Citizenship is national. Its allegiance and ob- 

 ligations are national. The property of the citizen 

 is taxed for the support of the National Government ; 

 his services are demanded, and if need be his person 

 wounded and maimed and his .life sacrificed in its 

 defense. In return it is the most solemn, moment- 

 ous and imperative duty of the National Govern- 

 ment, by the extremest exercise of every constitu- 

 tional power, to extend protection to every citizen, 

 native and naturalized, white and colored," whether 

 menaced by tyranny abroad or by political persecu- 

 tion now shielded under the heresy of States' Rights 

 at home. 



8. Local self-government in all matters that are 

 local must be strictly adhered to. In no community 

 in the world has this been more completely attained 

 than in the town governments common to the New 

 England States, and the experience of wellnigh a 

 century has taught every loyal and liberty-loving 

 citizen that there never can be a conflict between the 

 legitimate powers of the nation and the legitimate 

 powers of each State. 



4. The most kindly and fraternal relations should 

 bo cultivated between all sections of our common 

 country, and peace, good-will, quiet and harmony 

 have always been most cordially desired and labored 

 for by the Republicans of Maine. They believe 

 these great ends can be secured only by the freest 

 exercise of political opinion, and the most unre- 

 strained liberty of party organization. They, view 

 therefore, with solicitude and alarm, the complete 

 consolidation of all political power in the sixteen 

 Southern States in the hands of those who precipi- 

 tated the rebellion, while white Union men are per- 

 secuted into silence or banishment, and the entire 

 colored race so practically disfranchised by force and 

 fear th'it, in Congressional districts where they 

 have more than two-thirds of the voters, they are 

 unable to elect one of their own race, or a white 

 man in sympathy with their interests. The thirty- 

 five representatives in Congress and the thirty-five 

 electoral votes apportioned to the Southern States 

 by reason of their colored population are thus 

 wrested to the sole aggrandizement of Confederate 

 power in the National Government, and the late 

 rebel soldier in Georgia and South Carolin'i, in Mis- 

 sissippi and in Louisiana, iathus enabled to exert in 

 the administration of Government more than double 

 the political power of the Union soldier in any 

 Northern State. 



5. The action of the Democratic House of Repre- 

 sentatives in refusing appropriations for (he army, 

 except upon conditions that deprived the COIP- 

 mundor-in-chief of the discretion vested in him by 

 the Constitution, was wholly unjustifiable, dungcr- 

 ous, and revolutionary. And it i striking com- 

 mentary on this evil and perilous courae thnt two of 

 the States, whose entire representation in CongrcM 

 aided in defeating the army bill, have been ninco 

 compelled under the pressure and violence of mob- 

 law to call on the National Government for such aid 

 as only the nrmy can render. 



8. The Republicans of Mnine arc now and always 

 have been in favor of every wise and salutary mea- 

 sure tending to the purification, integrity, and in- 



