Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-06
kENNEBEC CONDITIONS
Republicans Confident and the Demo
Gratis Torn Asunder.
- "a -
portland Press.)


election a little over a month away
and the opening of the campaign but
a fortnight distant, political conditions
are rapidly taking shape. Each day
sees things looking brighter, and as
the Republican county leaders close in
on the canvass they grow more and
more confident.
These leaders will admit that follow
ing the March elections, and even well
into the summer the situation was
complex, but now that the campaign
is nearly here party lines are strength
ened with a snap.
The Democrats were basing their
hope on Republican disaffection that
would lead to apathy at the polls, but
as the canvaSserS go out into the
country towns they find that there is
neither disaffectiOn nor apathy. The
rural voters are not saying much, but
they are making not out-of-town or
stay-at-home engagements for election
day. They will be on hand with their
ballots and they will make single
cross thereon. which will be i'm the
square over the Republican ticket.
The Democrats had a clever little
scheme to round up the supposedly
disaffected by organizing "independent
Republican" clubs to vote the Demo-
cratic tickets. But it didn't work, for
Kennebec Republicans knew their own
minds and have never and do not now
need Democratic assistance in ballot
marking. Furthermore the scheme was
prematurely exposed and the Demo-
cratic organizers of independent Re-
publican" clubs will find the weather
very frosty. ... -.t
There is another thing which mill
tates against the success of the DEM
ocratic independent Republican"
scheme and that is the fact that the
Democrats are very busy trying to
prevent the formation of independent
Republican" clubs within their own
ranks.
1t is no secret that the city of Water
vile. the home of the Democrat ya
standard bearer, the Hon. Cyrus w.
Davis, is rent and torn by Democratic
disseSsiOn. A year ago the Republic
cans would have conceded Mr.. Davis
a plurality in his own city Today even
the Democrats admit that he will
have to work hard to break even. The
trouble arises over the political differ :
ences of His Honor. Mayor Jones and
Fred w. Clair. Esq, who has held Of
flee and Yields power in local politics.
different between two party leaders
in Waterville would be bad enough,
but when one of those leaders happens
to be chairman of the Democratic
State committee the quarrel takes on
general interest. Mr.. Clair is SO much
at outs with Mayor Jones that in the
State convention at Bangor he tried
to defeat his election as the Kennebec
member of the State committee. 1t was
then made plain that Mr.. Clair Is by
no means alone in his fight for he mus
tered dangerous number of votes
against Mr.. Davis personally selected
State chairman.
Strenuous efforts are being made to
placate Mr.. Clair though it is not on
record that Mayor Jones himself has
been kodaked in the act of holding out
the olive branch. That isn't the way
DIR. Jones is built. He is a most es-
Unable gentleman but he is a kenne-
bee edition of Gibraltar when it comes
| to being set in his ways. His friends
may smooth the ruft1ed feelings of Mr..
SIdII put thNy VIII IiVDdDiy hdNV ~ wv
it without any assistance from the
mayor.
And it is also true that while the
friends of DR.. Jones may bring back
Mr.. Clair to the fold of the faithful
| they will be pOwerless to drive i'll his
| following. The Clair following is large
| and it is slow to move but once il has
moved and taken up "a new position IT
| is as eternally set as Mayor Jones
| himself.
1t is this situation which faces Can
didate Davis in his own city-a sitna-
ton which makes it somewhat inl-
probable that the Waterville Demo
| Gratis will have any time to fare forth
and organize independent Republican
| clubs.
| Here in Augusta the brunt of the
Democratic fight falls on the broad
but already overloaded shoulders OF
Col. Frederick w. Tlaisted Col
Plaisted is putting in the better part
of every "a hours making Augusta 6
| very coed mayor. A portion of his re-
manning time is necessarily devoted t
| the PRONUNCIATION of Democratic doc
| trine through the columns Of the New
Age which he ably edits. The segment
of the clock dial still remaining is
further divided by the conduct Of the
county campaign which falls to him a:
county chairman and his own persona
| pursuit of the Office of sheriff. Wher
a gentleman-even with the energy
| and willingness of Augustus goot
i colonel--is a acknowledgements mayor
editor of a political paper. chairman
of his county committee and candidate
for sheriff, the reader must go int
the realm of higher mathematics t
find what time he has to go out ant
organize 'independent Republican,
clubs.