Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-17

IL seems impossible for our esteemed
contemporary, the Bangor Wing, TO con-
ceive Of any question In this broad uni
verse Of mind and matter that can be
looked at from any other than partizan
standpoint. We allow no paper 70 90
before Us fn devotion 70 the Republican
party; but we do believe that
lhere are few questions broad enough
for all parties 70 stand upon. and we
conceive the Australian ballot system to
be one Of them. Our contemporary
appears 10 have forgotten the vigorous
charges Of bribery and corruption with
which It followed up the election Of
Governor PIalsted. The JoUESaL
stood with it then. It has seen no rea-
sonz to revise its opinions since. IL
believes now, just as firmly as il
ever did, that money was used In that
election 10 an unprecedented extent
With an Australian ballot Law in force
at that time we are confident the Rspab-
llcan party would have been successful
But what has wrought this wondroas
change in our Bangor contemporary
Only few years ago It was shouting
bribery and fraud In faring headlines
At this late day il discovers that
Maine Ia the particular state In the
Union where these evils do not exist
We confess that 10 our mind the CONVEX
sion Of Saul Of Tarsus was not a whit
more startling than Ia this remarkable
change Of front On the part Of Our
esteemed contemporary.
The Wing assumes to think that our
advocacy Of the Australian ballot Is All
effort TO secure IA little cheap applause
from the opposition" We will inform IL,
however, that We do not have to go out
side Of our party for that From all
parts OF the kennebec valley, the
Republican stronghold Of Maine. have
come words Of commentator and
cheer from men who have been
TOR many years at the front
In the contests OF our party. We are
inclined TO think, too, that our position
does not go unspplauded by Republicans
even in the wings own section. The
most powerful farmers organization Of
eastern Maine vigorously endorses our
position on this question. II We are not
mist iken it's members are very largely
Republicans. We repeat, what we have
said before, It has been, to our mind, Il
grave mistake to undertake to make this
question partisan one. IL cannot be
done. A very large and powerful sec
ton OF the Republican party Of this
State endorses the secret ballot A
majority OF the Republican papers sus
tain il. We believe that it would win
largely today on a vote restricted
TO the Republican citizens of the State.
The Wing imsgines it detects incon-
sistancy-to select mild term-in our
present position, and our editorial reioic
ing over the result Of the September
election. Now We have never said that
we believed bribery was praetced
to any appreciable extent in that elec-
ton. There was no incentive TO it.
It was an off-year election. The
opposition was wrangling over
the license question and did not make as
vigorous Il ght as usual We believe that
the vote polled was as full and free ex
preston of public opinion," as any ever
polled 10 the State. But because we adj |
nit this we do not 90 further with our
contemporary indicating what we said |
when Plaisted was Overwhelmingly |
aver that there has aerer been any intim- |
idation or bribery In this State; and that !
the almighty dollar Is aerer a factor In |
our political contests. We know better
than that, and so does the Wing.
We have stood with our contemporary |
in many hard fight for the Republican
party. We admire its courage and 10y |
atty to what it conceives to be the high
est interests of lts party; but upon this |
question Of the secret ballot we differ
from il, widely and honestly. We be |
lieve that the Australian system of vot |
ing Is In the line of progress, and that |
because this is 30, the highest interests |
of the great party of progress demands
that it -h0uld give to it cordial sup
port.