Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-12
The Grange Vote.


The attempt of the Democratic man
ayers to get the vote of Republicans
in the Maine country towns this fall
by batting their hook with the candi-
dacy Of a man for many years at the
head of the Maine state Grange, has
proved d dismal fzzlc. From all sec
ing report that the Republican coun-
try voters are not to be fooled that
way However great the respect
which the members. of the Grange
have for Mr.. Gardner as an individual
and as an official of their order, they
are too Intelligent to be deceived as to
in this campaign. They understand
that his nomination was an attempt
to work" them, and they resent such
an insult to their Intelligence and
their party loyalty AS showing the
attitudc of the Maine Patrons of
Husbandry toward the candidacy of
ME- NTdTuIltl, we az Slttu " SiNt pV~
low extracts from a letter written by
a prominent member Of tn" order re-
siding i'll Pressure Isle, who well I'M
derstands the conditions i'll Ayoostook
where there are more than % Oranges
with d membership of over 5000 He
has taken the trouble to look into the
4 l,, ri toc
at was no doubt expected when
Obadiah Gardner, past master of the
state Grange, was nominated for
Governor by the Democrats that he
would draw many Grange voters to
his support,
Has their expectation been realized,
or will it be?
"'This is q question often asked.
q can give an opinion Of how it is
in Aroostook and think Mr.. Gardner
has lad no better friends in any part
of tn" state than in our county and no
more of the m IN any other county.
at the time OF the Republican coun-
ty convention held in Caribou in
July, there CHANGED [" meet six lead
ing Changers standing in a group.
They We're leading and influential
members in their respective Oranges.
having hcl1 the highest offices and
most of tho number were members of
the state Grange.
"They represented strong Oranges
ana towns, one being d member of the
Houlton Grange, one the Caribou. ono
the Fort Fairfield. one the Ea&ton ANA
one the Pressure Isl" or MaySvtlc
Grange. The question came up about
the support Mr. Gardner was to re-
ceve from the Grange and every one
of the number are his personal friends
and have been hrs admirers. Not one
said lie should vote for him. but all
said they could not support him.
During the entire summer in meet :
ing with hundreds Of Changers in
Aroostook, men from Il. many as ten
towns. have not found Il member Of
the Grange, who has not been a Demo
crat and voted that way. who has said
that he should vote for Mr.. Gardner.
on the other hand. | have found SET
eral Grange Democrats. who have said
they could not vote for Mr.. Gardner
because Of his temperance resubmis-
sion position.
| cat the Northern Maine fair ] took
particular pains to inquire Of many
prominent and intelligent Changers
| from different parts of the state and
they without an exception said they
knew of but few if any Changers IN
'''oir CrH nges, who would vote for Mr.
Gardner"
| The Pressure Isle man goes on
to say that Patrons generally believe
that Mr.. Gardner as an nx-Stato
master, places them in a false light
when he stumps the state as the nomi-
nee of a party which demands result
mission and assails the prohibitory
| law. Going further. he says that the
| friends of Mr.. Gardner among the
Aroostook Patrons shave been sur
prised that he should enter upon a
campaign Of vilification. vituperation
and personalities In closing he
says: This has not, in this section Of
the,~State met the approval Of the
Grange voters, nor has it won votes