Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-13
A Call to Christian 49,.

Governor Cobb's addr( before
the Deering Club of PortSd last
Friday night. which the paL& have
borne to every corner of tff state
and beyond. was far-and-aN tho
most notable of his public ut Ances
his inaugural not excepted. Adessed
to a Republican club, by ma aiect-
ed upon a Republican platforNa nd
looking for reelection to prepYier-
ance of Republican votes. it is far
from being party deliverance. \
plausible plea for party continuxe
but rises to a breadth and diaN,
that must delight every though&
fair-minded citizen of Maine, no mS
ter what his party affiliations nA)
be. In it the Governor plants his3
self firmly upon the rOckbed principN
of law and law enforcement, and tiA'
slogan that he sounds forth viii
quicken the flow of sluggish blood
from Kittery to Caribou. ~
Some of Gov. Cobb's friends, alarmed
at the present condition of unrest
and incertitude in the Republican
ranks. and fearing for his political fu.
ture i'm consequence, have recently
been at the pains to go about explain
ing that he is not really a prohibi-
zionist, that he does not believe in
the prOhibitOry law, and that his main
object in getting the Sturgis bill passed
was to render the law so obnoxious
as to bring about it's repeal Those
same well-meaning but slightly mis-
informed-and fmisinforming-frien
may well pray for the gift of speedy
forgetfulness to descend upon those
who have listened to them, for with a
few brave clear-cut sentences the
Governor has discounted their ex-
planations put to shame their half
apologies i'm his behalf, and placed
himself sGuarely and unequivocaIly
before the State as an out-and-out
friend Of the prohibitory law. Here
are his words:
Il am opposed to local option, and
license. | believe that enforced pro-
hibition. the kind that many counties
enjoy today. and many more might
enjoy under the control of local Of
ficials were it not for political cor
ruption. is the best and most satisfac-
tory method to regulate the Iiuuor
problem in Maine. This view may he
narrow. provincial and unpopular. but
it is my own and l stand by it,"
As one of the newspapers most viru-
Iently opposing him and his policy
says. THAT seems to be explicit
hibitionist.''
We'll. it is. Gov. Cobb has given
the people of Maine reason to believe
that he is no cunning trickster. jug
Cling with words. but that he has "A
straightforward fashion of saying
what he means and meaning what he
says. And many believer in law
not merely the prOhibitory law. but
all law-throughout the State will be
reaSsured as he reads this utterance;
not because he has ever really doubt
ed the position taken by our chief
executive. but because it is good to
have some things reaffirmed at times
We are persuaded that this address
will win assent and approval from
the thoughtful citizens Of Maine ire
spective of party. AS we have said, it
is something other and more than a
mere party utterancC; else it would
have small right and place i'm jour-
nal like ours. 1t is clear, definite
declaration of principles. and a plain
forecasting of the lines on which the
battle of the polls is to be fought this
year. Let the names of the ostensi-
Die contestants be what they may, the
issue is the law which has for a half
century blessed our State and sent
its fame to the ends of the earth. On
the one side is notification. whether
in the form of resubmission and re-
peal, or of lax administration or nom
administrations: on the other is law
observance, law enforcement The
call is not to Republicans or Demo-
Gratis, but to Christian voters and
thoughtful men desirous of the best
interests of the State. In a very spec
ial sense the cry this year is not,
Line up with the party! but Lime
up with the principle.''