The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-07-14


hibitory Law Delusion and Snare.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.l
Saco, July 13.-"Honest SAM Lord,
who in spite of his endeavor to have a
straddle currency plank built for him at
bangor, was nominated for governor on a
Tree silver platform, has come out with a
formal acceptance of the nomination. In
MS letter, which is addressed to Mr..
Alewellyn Barton and other members of
the notification committee of the state
convention, he heartily Endorses the
Chicago platform. The letter is as fol-
lows:
Agreeable to my promise made in ac-
cepting the nomination as the candidate
for Governor, now through you give to
the Democrats of Maine my ideas regard
Ing the issues pertinent to this campaign.
Regarding the first plank in our plat
form which reads-"An unqualified in
dorsement Of the principles of the Chicago
platform" l have to say that I cannot
see any reason why any man who is q
believer in the great and imperishable
truths OF Democracy should leave his
party because of the Incorporation Of said
plank into our platform. In all of my
associations with men and during many
years Of careful observance of things
political, I never knew of an instance
where party platform was thoroughly
satisfactory in its entirety to any intelli-
gent man. Platforms should be con-
sidered as a whole, and not plank by
plank. And yet if you take the Chicago
platform plank by plank you will find
more true Democracy promulgated than
In any platform submitted to the people
for years. The great and underlying
principles ofsthis platform seek to bestow
benefits upon the common people, the
poor and lowly and the wage earners Of
the country. No platform ever suited the
masses better and no party ever had
better, truer, or o more Conscientious
and able leader than did the Democratic
party in 1896 in William j. Bryan, who
stands today in the hearts of Democrats
as second to no living patriot in this
differences Of opinion regarding the cur
rency plank in said platform is an undis-
puted fact, but I am utterly at a loss to
see why any Democrat should in this
campaign, become estranged from his
party and give aid and comfort to the
opposition. Most assuredly no Democrat
who believe in the cardinal principles of
Democracy can find any place in the
Republican party where he can feel at
home.
l heartily agree with the sentiments
expressed In our platform regarding the
war with Spain. After the destruction
of the MAINE" by which dastardly act
SO many of our good and true men were
murdered, / can conceive of no way in
which the war could have been avoided.
In all of our wars, soldiers Of Democratic
faith have stood shoulder to shoulder
with those of other party affiliations, and
have always been conspicuous IN deeds
of yalor. All honor to the brave and true
men Of Maine who so promptly responded
to the call of our government for volun-
teers. May this war be prosecuted with
such vigor and Judgment that our boys,
after having faithfully performed all of
the duties required of them, may soon be
able TO return to their homes and asso-
ciate with US as they were won't do to in
the past
The balance of our platform meets with
my approval. But there are many things
to be considered which could not, in the
interests of breyity, be embraced in a
platform of principles. One of the prin-
cipal reasons for the establishments of
civil governments was that the common
welfare of the people might be promoted.
Now 1t seems to me that many of the
laws of this state act in an entirely con-
trary direction.
The wild, extravagant and entirely I'M
called for expenditure of the public funds
has served to increase our taxes while no
benefits have been derived by the people.
Extravagances that betoken ruin to the
best interests of the State are everywhere
apparent. The pernic1ous practice of
creating useless offices for no other pur-
pose than tc reward party workers has
been INDUCED in to such an extent that
the State is fairly honeycombed with
them and the people by taxation are
mazda tn cI1ffQr w ic Of
robbery.
The workings of the prohibitory law
are, or should be, SO we'll understood by
the people of the state that it would seem
a waste of words to refer to it. Its man
ner OF enforcement or rather non-enforoe-
ment, presents an exhibition of fraud and
hypocrisy of such colossal proportions as
should cause every prohibitionist and true
temperance man to blush with shame.
1t is we'll known in what manner the
rings OF the dominant party use it, They
not only by downright bulldozing control
the rum vote, SO called, but they have, in
the past, SO deceived and deluded the
temperance people that they have also
secured their votes. How much longer
VIII tae true temperance people of this
state allow themseles to be made the
dupes OF law breakers? 1t would certain
ly seem that If anything could open their
eyes. the knowledge of the open and
flagrant violation Of this law, which O
little intelligent observation would give
them, would do SO. What lam entable
state of AFFAIRS, when tricky politicians
are allowed to control the destinies OF the
people of the good Old state of Maine by
such wicked system of monstrous fraud.
You might well have engrafted in your
platform stronger resolution, and
charged the perpetrators with the crimes
hourly committed in connection with the
non-enforoement of this law.
II there is any class of people in this
state who are entitled to consideration
from law makers and those in authority
1t is that class who earn their living by
the sweat of their brows. The times are
very trying to these people. With shut
downs and cruel reductions in wages, it
has been extremely hard for some of them
to exc out an existence. In the laborlng
classes lie the hope and safety of this
country and it seems to me that there
must be something radically wrong in
state and nation when honest labor has
to beg for chance to earn enough to
keep body and soul together,
There is an utter disregard shown for
law by certain privileged class in our
state that bodies no good to the public
welfare. Many of the men who assist in
L..