Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-06
Established 1U
Tuesday, November 6, 1906.
Today's Election.


all the election excitement weeks be-
hind us, only faint echoes of the great
struggle reach us as we read the Bos-
ton and New York newspapers. and we
have little conception of the intense eX-
element which prevails in those sec
tons where the battle is the hottest.
In AZ of the As states of the Union
there are elections today. and al
though congressman are elected in all
of these AZ states and governors and
legislatures in over half of them, still
the popular interest is centered al
most wholly in the fights in New York
and Massachusetts,, and it is from
these two great states that the returns
will he most eagerly awaited this even
ing. In some of the other states not
ably Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and
New Jersey. the campaign has been an
exceptionally lively one and there is
great local interest in the outcome, but
the country as a whole has it's atten-
ton centered ON the two states men,
toned.
Shall II be Hughes or Hearst in New
York? The verdict of the people Of
the Empire state today means much
more than the selection Of a governor
for the next two years; it is vastly
more than the choice between two men
for a high official position. If any
body does not know what Hughes
stands, for, he needs only to be told
that Hughes stands for what Theodore
Roosevelt stands for; that sums up the
situation in New York. Party lines
have been much broken in that state
and 10 the support of the Republican
standard bearer. who has a united
party behind him, have flocked thou
sands and thousands of decent Demo-
Gratis and sober-mindcd conservative
citizens who place principle above party
and who are unalterably opposed to the
radicalism. the rottenness, and the riot
for which Hearst stands. 1t Will not
be enough for the people of New York
to elect Hughes governor today by a
comfortable margin. In the name Oh
decent politics. decent citizenship anu
decent manhood they should bury
Hearst and Hearstism under major
ity Of at least 100000 votes. 1t is not
too much to say that today's election in
New York is a test of the fitness OF
the people of that state. and conse-
uucntly the test of the fitness of the
people of our whole country, to govern
themselves
Tho victory of Hearst would be more
than Il party calamity, more than
disgrace to the state of New York; 1t
would be little short of a revolution ana
a menace to our form of government
With the millions which he has freely
expended. with years of persistent cf-
fort in arousing class hatred, and by
cxtravagant promises and pledges
which he would never be able to fulfil
Hearst has won a great following IL
New York. In this following arc
thousands of honest dupeS. In it alst
are tho dissatisfied the grafters. the ig
norant, the anarchists and all the riff
raft and fotsam of the political world
The. menace Of such a candidacy is mo-
to be overestimatcd and those who have
nominated and who have worked fol
the election Of Hughes have realized
well what the victory of Hearst would
mean.
The appeal of President Roosevelt t.
the voters of New York. uttered by thu
lips Of Secretary Root. was remark
able and epoch making incident of thu
camuaign His characterization q
Hearst was crushing and whitening
and must have brought to their sense:
many of the deluded followers of that
demagogue. Such an utterance was
never delivered before by President Of
the United States in the course of g
political campaign. but it was amply
justified by the eXigencies on this oc'
CasioE.
In Massachusetts Moran seems to be
nothing but weak imitation of Hearst
WHOSE tool he is. and the reelection OF
Guild seems assured. the only question
being the size of the majority. On mr.
state elections in the history of the
country have things of such nationa
Importance hinged as on the election.
in Now York and Massachusetts, today
The interest which the whole countr,
feels in these elections is we'll justified
and there may well be anxiety in tn,
hearts Of all patriotic citizens until tn,
victory of the right is assured.
People may ask "What is the good n
1t alp but every American is prou