The Portland daily press., 1898-07-14
CANDIDATE LORDS LETTER.

CANDIDATE LORDS LETTER.
The Hon. Samuel A. Lord has written
a letter accepting the nomination for
Governor recently conferred upon him by
the Democratic State convention, and ex-
pounding his views on various cues
tions. 1t is needless to say that he en-
dorses all that was said in the Democratic
platform, and adds plumber of views
which ne thinks were omitted from that
document for the sake of brevity. He
says he cannot see why anybody who is
believer in the great and imperisha bic
truths of Democracy should leave his party
because Of the incorporation in the Bangor
platform of plank giving unqualified en-
dorsement to the Chicago platform. Plat
forms, he says, are to be taken as whole
and not plank by plank, and considered
this way Mr.. Lord thinks moro true
Democracy will be fou nd in the Chicago
platform than in any other ever adopted.
Mr.. Lords idea seems to be that if there
are more things in the platform that the
Democrats do believe than that they do
not, then they ought to gulp down the
whole of it, what they do not believe as
we'll as what they do. This certainly is
an ingenious way of making platform
acceptable.
He pauses but short time over the en-
dorsement of the Chicago platform. how.
ever, and is evidently glad to leave the
subject for others which put less strain
upon his ingenuity. He is for the war.
head over heels, and can conceive of no
way in which it could have been avoided.
Democratic experience in years past is
making the party very shy Of criticism Of
war. 1.-THE balance Of the platform also
meets my approval" is tia curt
and comprehensive way in which he dis
poses of the resolutions in regard to rail-
road fares and mileage tickets. Having
finished what was actually in the plat
form he proceeds to put in the things
that were left out for the "sake of breyi-
ty.' One Of these is the 'wild, extrava-
CANT and entirely uncalled for expenditure
of the public funds - 1t will he news to
the people of Maine that there has been
wild and extravagant government
expenditure in this state but
as Honest Sam" says SO of
course it must be SO. Tt will be news
also that there are lots of offices created
simply to give partissns jobs, but ''Hon-
est SAM says that is SO also. Assuming
his statements to be correct, does anybody
imagine that any reduction of expendit-
ures and offices VIII be effected by placing
their control in the hands of party that
is as hungry and thirsty as the Hon.
Warren II. Vinton recently represented
the Democracy to be? Does ''Honest
sam" imagine that if the cold to ed boys
OF the Democracy should get chance at
the fire they would insist on its being
put out or recommend that the amount
OF warmth to be got out of it be curtailed
But for the sake of brevity the state
convention would have declared that the
lobby is menace to the welfare of the
state and unless men are elected to the
legislature who refuse to be bribed or
caJoled the stability of the government of
our state Will be seriously imperilled.
Mr.. Lord supplies this omission, and he
thinks "this condition of things should
be changed" We agree with him, that
The lobby is too great a power, and that
legislators are too prone to listen to it.
But what is tbs remedy? Is it the cleo
ton of legislature made up of men who |
give hearty approval to the doctrine of the |
Chicago platform that 1t is all right to |
cheat the creditor out of half of his debt |
by the trick of debasing the currency? |
Are men who subscribe to that sort of |
doctrine likely to purify our legislation
and prove less susceptible to the blandish-
ments of the third house?"
Undoubtedly evils exists and there is
room for improvement in the manage.
ment OF state and county offices. Mr..
Lord has pointed out some of them, but
he offers no remedy more
practical than the turning over of the
state to the Democratic party which was
long ago relegated to the rear
because of incompetency, and which
has grown worse instead of better since
its retirement. The people of Maine are
altogether too wise to expect to gather
grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.
They will never look for reformers in the
ranks of those who have expressed an
approval of tho Chicago plat