Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-04-30
MAINE EDITORIAL, COMMENT.
The Coming Republican Convention.

(PortlaEd Press)
The call for the Republican State
convention and the calls for several ol
the county conventions have been is
used the time for holding the catcuses
tor the choice OF delegates is approach
ing, and naturally the fount of political
discussion is gushing forth afrcsh. 1t is
of intert st to note what some OF our con-
tcmporarieS up and down the state are
saying-not the city dailies, which have
not yet had much to say Fon these topics.
but the weeklies published in the smaller
cities and the large villages and which
;tre influential in their various sections and
no doubt reflect the local public sentiment
quite accurately. There is for instance
the Belfast Republican Journal. 1t con-
Siders that the State convention Will be
the most important for many years and
that the delegations should be made up
of the best men i'll the party, men of
ability and sound Judgment, representa-
tive men," For 1T will be for them to
determine the future policy of the party
to say whether it shall be continued upon
the present lines or whether it shall ma Ike
most unwise,' SO the Journal thinks. "to
pledge delegates to any special course.
They will naturally know the sentiment
of their counties, but should be free, after
an exchange of opinions with other dele
cations. to accent what would seem to a
ma iority to b. the wiscst policy" The
Belfast paper speaks for Waldo This is
the sentiment OF the far II,t, Chroni-
The platform of the Republican party
| for the next campaign will be just
| what the people demand. Neither the
State committee nor the congressman at
Washington, nor any other group Of men
will dictate our declaration of principles.
None of them want to. If the party has
| Il State boss We would like to know his
name: The people will control things
therefore let our V'iSeSt men be put for
ward in our caucuses. Let us select
able and representative men and send
them to Portland npledgcd and free to
contribute to the counselS of the party
without restraint and without prejudice"
Tile Ellsworth American may be taken
as the spokesman for Hancock county.
The American. speaking of the county
convention. called for June ;, says, thai
Mr. Mayo. the present sheriff, was elect
ed as a Democrat, mot because he was a
Democrat, but because majority OF the
voters believed he would enforce the pro
hibitcry law. He was pledged to enforce
| ment, and he has kept his word" Tn"
American takes il for granted that he will
be rcnominatcd by his party. AMI it asks
| whether the Republicans who voted for
him two years ago will vote for him
| again This depends. it considers on
whether they are afforded an opportunity
tn vote Cor 4 candidate of their own party
| VINO they believe will enforce the law.
There is no question" it says, but that
the sentiment Of Hancock county is over
Whclmingly tor enforcement. and II ex-
poets the Republican convention to re
1
right sort of man. HE can be elected"
As to the State convention the American
is clear that Governor Cobb viii be re
nominated. and ii joins the others quoted
in urging that care be taken in the Selec-
tiOn of delegates. Not for Il generation
has the Republican party had more se'r-
| Gus work to do than it will have ut this
| convention. Never in its history has it.
as the dominant party in the State, been
subject to more vrulnnt criticism. not
only by its antagonist. the Democratic
party. but also by many of its own res
| tive and impatient members as during
| the past few wears. To confOund its enc
mics outside its ranks and to placate its
| own rcstive members is the task set be-
| fore il ut the coming convention. That
| this may BE- accomplished it bchoCVeS eV-
cry city and town to select as delegates
| to the convention men who represent
best and fully the sentiments of their
| constituents. and who are competent "a
| give them adequate expression. On the
question Of resubmisson the American
| says:
| IAN honest difference Of opinion may
exist as to the wisdom Of reSubmisSion
| but for curse lveS-and we believe we rep
resent the sentiment of this section OF
| the State-it would he the height of folly
| to adopt q plank favOring it. If the time
| ever comes that it would be wise to do 50.
| it will rot be until strict enforcement
| throughout the State. uniformly applied
by the concerted action of all the sheriffs,
has been continued for Il sufficient length
| of time to demonstrate its effect. That
| enforcement IS possible in some sections
| all the time has been proven: that it is
nossible in all the sections some of the
| time has also been proven: but that it is
| possible in all the sections all the time
has not been tested. and until it is result
| mission is not to he thought Of
| Snch are the views of three OF tbs
representative Republican weeklies of the
State. which. so far as noticed. are the
first to discuss the subject of the State
convention. There can be no doubt that
| what they say is significant. They
seem to agree on the policy of sending
| picked and l,npledged men as delegate
| submission. ;, III. %Es u
Minister Of labor Treenar.-a of New
zealand. SAYS that Nrtler Jpunicipal own
ership in, that cs,intrvr thR work. nnnian =
never absolutely sure Of his job. ann'