Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-18
The ARGUS and Fast Day.

wear CT more behind the times again
1t announces that the Maine Assocla-
ton of Letter Carriers is to meet
Augusta Fast Day. Considering tha'
the laws are printed in the kehheoec
Journal Office this is somewhat pecu
liar. for everybody else except the ON :
| cial State paper knows that Fast Day
I was abolished year ago. Inc letter
| carriers will meet on Patriots Day.
| April 10Th. next.-Portland Argus.
One Of the wise men of the 10Th GEN.
tury remarked that it is better not TO
know so much. than it is to kno"
| too much that is not so. Inc es-
| teemed Argus is plainly afflicted with
another bad attack of knowing things
that are not so. and even goes to the
extreme of assuming that everybody
else except the official State paper II
| in the same unfortunate mental con-
dition. Now let us point out lie"
things which indicate that the Argus
has not used even one of the 100 eyes
it assumes to have: % The kenne-
Dtt JUL ildl has liOt N-'>
Maine association of letter carriers Is
to meet in Augusta. Fast Day; CD Inc
said association is not to meet in AL
gusta, this year. though the Argus ana
other papers have spread misinforma-
ton to this effect; CD Fast Day was
not abolished. a year ago; CD The
laws of the last Legislature which were
published in the supplement form by
the Argus. as we'll as all other Maine
papers. do not mention Fast Day. di-
rectly or indirectly.
1t is true that when the last LeGiS-
lature met. there was something Of an
agitation for the adjustment Of Fast
Day, for everybody recognizes that the
original spirit OF the day has been lost
sight of in its modern observance, or
lack Of observance. But the judiciary
committee made the interesting dis
covery that it was something over
which the Legislature had no jurisdic-
tion Fast Day has existed for genera
tons, only by the custom of the Gov
errors proclamations. 1t was never
established or recognized by our laws.
and therefore there was nothing to
was taken, and when April came
around Governor Hill. being unwilling
TO be the executive to drop the old Gus
tom. issued the usual proclamation.
which was published in the newspa-
pers. If the Argus will refer to its
files it will find that there was as much
of Il Fast Day in 1903 as there was the
year earlier. or 10 years earlier. 1t will
doubtless be the same this year.
AS to this years meeting of the
Maine letter carriers. we may be per-
mitted TO announce once more that il
will be held on Fast Day. 1t will not
be held upon Patriots Day. April 49,"
as the Argus announces because there
is no such holiday in Maine and that
date vas not considered when the ar
engagements We're made. The meeting
will be held in Gardiner-not Augusta
and the secretary of the Gardiner
branch assures the Journal that the
meeting will be neld upon whatever
day Governor Hill designates AS Fast
Day. probably April IS.
We have tried to point out in the
most friendly spirit few of the many
mistakes which the Argus managed to
crowd into the brief item quoted at
the opening of this article. We do this
not because Che matter is an important
one or because there was need Of Set
ting the Journal right on the matter
at issue. but because of our great con-
Germ for the reputation of the Argus
for care and accuracy and because we
are Srieved to See it fall so far into
error. We recommend that it spend
the coming Fast Day in Il prayerful
purusal of its own files for last winter
and spring: taking moment at high
noon for the registration of Il solemn
resolve to quit the business of hunting
for the moat in the other fellows eye:
and in the evening thinking up some
thing cutting to say Of the Biddeford
editor who suggests that in view of
Portland's official recognition Of Cir
Gus Day on May 80. we may now ex-
pect a Portland movement for the abo-
lition of Memorial Day.