Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-17
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
"The Dread Image of Maine"
portland Press. }

| Something is the matter with Henry
mistic speech at the opening of the Blue
| Grass fair at Lexington the other day.
| He said that party government, claiming
| to be the representative of public Obin-
| ion, was "a mischievious hunIbua:" that
| revelations of party corruption have
confounded the Republicans and brought
| the Democrats to their knees that
| ,tatemanship, yielding to the sentiment
tai and humane pressure of the times.
has turned doctor; that the Chief aim of
| the leader Seems to he to take a short
cut to the millennium" that lust now
ties which Of them shall get there first"
that In each of the opposing camps lin
dependent thinking is held to be treason"
that the moderate men, WHO united
might constitute majority, cannot get
together because of an artificial line
raised in the interest of the professional
irlacc-hunters." And he warns the people
against the intrusion of certain 'islns.'
which describe themselves as progress,
and muster under the standards IF what
the, call God and morality but which
fifty years ago went under a very different
mare" Among them he instances 'isms
which embrace the sum of all fanati-
ciSm and Intolerance, proposing that, in
stead Of the rich. red blood of Virginia.
ice water shall flow through the veins of
the people; isms which: in one word,
would blot Kentucky out of the galaxy
of stars and recreate her in the dread
image of Maine and Kansas"
w tHe WOTlU IS tlle colonel uflS-
ing At" And what does he mean by the
dread Image of Maine?" What is the
cause of this dark pessimism and this
wall Of despair? 1t must be the rise of
to be sweeping over Kentucky and neigh
boring states to the south like tidal
wave. Kentucky is in danger of being
made dry. Sumptuary laws are shutting
up the distilleries and breWeries. Mint
julep is threatened. If things keep on
the drinking of whiskey will yet be con-
sidered a sin. Are we not to BE- allowed
TO take our ease in our inns? 1t is u
prospect Ihat may well be appalling to a
Kentucky gentleman of the old school.
Prohihitionisin must be one of the isms
| asains. which Colonel Watterson is
| reasonable explanation of his remarks
| about ice water and the dread image of
Maine and, And by the way: why does he
| inquire. Is not the blood Of Kentucky,
| nourished by the spirit of corn and rye,
as rich and red as that of any other
STATE And what is there in the image
OF Maine that is so dread? Kansas, too
may be in a bad way. but the only COM
| plant we have heard coming from Kan
S si IS me scarcity of help to garner the
IT is true that Kentucky has some
things which Maine does not have. This
| Stdte' TOT instance, does not have Goa-
Pt' , mrd nnt and and politica, persecution
does not have Breathitt county. whers
leading citiZns may hire murder done
ana go unwhipt of justice. 1t has never
| Hau 10 surround courthouse with troops
and disarm those attending the trials
~ does not have night riders destroying
| the crops and burning the barns of those
VINO persist in selling their tobacco to
the trust and whipping the Offenders
themselves 1t does not have some other
Things winch Kentucky has. and it does
iaw-breakers in the city slums. but on
the whole Maine enjoys conditions OF
order and law-aoidingness. of peace and
| prosperity and degree of morality and
Intelligence such as some other parts Of
the country might we'll envy. The image
OF Maine, SO far from being dread" is
| adnnrahle- Colonel Watterson must have
been getting his information from tho vol.
low journals, and he must have taken
| something fer breakfast that day which
| disagreed with him.