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��EDITORIAL MEMORANDA.

��applied to the life of young girls and boys, which is utterly atrocious, which robs so many of them of their childhood at the age of ten or twelve, and converts them to simpering, self-conceited flirts and men of the world, ruses, and independent of control, a depraved and pitiable breed of 'little women and little men'; add finally that we have now a population of twelve

��millions dwelling in cities, and exposed to those deteriorating influences which notoriously belong to city life; give the child these conditions to grow up under, and can you wonder that he or she 'devi- ates from the type" of the sturdy Anglo- Saxon pioneer who settled this conti- nent?"

��EDITORIAL MEMORANDA.

��We are glad to note the announcement of a "Dictionary of New Hampshire Bi- ography." the preparation of which work has been undertaken by Rev. Silas Ketch- um, formerly pastor of the Congrega- tional church at Bristol, a man of large culture and historical and antiquarian re- search, who from his tastes and habits, as well as his great interest in everything pertaining to the history and progress of the State, is eminently well qualified for the faithful performance of the work. In a future issue we shall have something farther to say relative to the proposed work.

��During the past year quite a number of the prominent citizens of the State in the various walks of life have been called to their final home. Among them were some of the ablest and most distinguish- ed in their several professions and occu- pations. Among the more prominent may be mentioned, Hon. Daniel M. Chris- tie of Dover, the Nestor of the New Hampshire bar, Prof. Alpheus Benning Crosby, one of the ablest physicians and surgeons in the entire country. Rev. Dr. J. H. Eames of Concord, the distinguish- ed Episcopalian divine, and President Asa D. Smith of Dartmouth College, well known in the educational world.

��The prevalence of political corruption in our country, manifesting itself in vari- ous forms, and especially In that most deplorable phase— the' barter and sale of the elective franchise — has long been viewed with det;p concern by all patriotic citizens. That it is even more prevalent in our own than in most other States, is

��a lamentable fact that cannot be gain- sayed, and yet we are not ready to con- cede that our citizens are more suscepti- ble to corrupting influences than those of other States. The truth is New Hamp- shire has long been a sort of political stamping ground for both of the great contending parties. The closely balan- ced relation of the parties in the State, and the fact that the New Hampshire elec- tion, coming as it does first in the year, has always been regarded as the " signal gun" of the political campaign, fully ac- count for the lamentable degree of cor- ruption manifested in influencing the re- sult. This has originated in a compara- tively large extent outside the State. Unprincipled partisans in all parts of the country, and especially at the federal capital, have exerted themselves to the extent of their power, and with little re- gard to the character of the means em- ployed, to carry the New Hampshire election for the one party or the other for the sake of the prestige to be gained, and the influence of the result upon elections to follow in other States; so that ours has been made, to a large degree, the •' scape goat," so to speak, for the politi- cal iniquities of the country at large. Fortunately this condition of things is to continue with us no longer. After the election now nearly at hand New Hamp- shire will not be called upon to open the political campaign of the year, but will fall into line with the great body of States holding their election in November. The change will be generally hailed with joy, as a relief from undue partisan excite- ment, and extraordinarily corrupting in- fluences.

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