Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-17
ESTABLISHED 1925
Tuesday, March II, 1908.
Democratic "Fair Play"

SO much was heard before our recent
municipal election was dropped at City
hall yesterday, and our Democratic
mayor and his party associates stood
revealed as partisans, first, last and all
the time. There was first the matter
OF the presiding officers of the two
branches Both of these branches are
equally divided among the Repub-
leans and the Democrats, there being
four aldermen of each party and eight
cOunclmen of each party, and VI
course one side had absolutely as
much right to have both presiding
officers as the other. The fair thing
under the circumstances. as the
journal pointed out yesterday morn
ing. would be compromise, each side
having one of the presiding officers.
After several ballots had been taken
in the two branches without result, the
proposition for such a compromise
was made by the Republicans but any
appeal for fair treatment was made
in vain to the DemocratiG members.
a year earlier, under precisely the
same circumstances, a mon partisan"
Democratic administrator had hogged
both of the presiding officers and the
same kind of an administration propos-
ed to do the same thing this year
Consequently, having made their
protest and having appealed in vain
for fair treatment and a just division
Of the honors, the Republican men,
bcrs of the two branches, instead of
delaying the transaction of business
and prolonging the deadlock Indefinite
~ as the Democrats were willing to do.
Withdrew their claims TO either of the
presiding officers and allowed the
Democrats to elect both. SO much for
Democratic fair play and mon
craftsmanship" in this instance,
Then. Il little later, there came the
matter Of clecting a street commits
si"ncr for the western district. In
times past it has been the rule in the
Augusta city government to permit
each side of the river to name its own
street commissioner. This is Obvi-
ously the right method There is no
good reason why one side of the river
should select a commissioner whose
work is To be done wholly on the other
side. The people Immediately in
tcrcStcd are the ones to have the say
in such a matter and yet the man
elected for street commissioner in the
western district by the city govern
m"nt yesterday received the votes of
only three of the Is aldermen and
c"uncilmcn from the western side of
the river His election was brought
about however. by the votes of nine
aldermen and councilmen from the
east side Of the river supplemented by
the vot" OF the mayor himself which
was east to break the tic.
Was this fair? Was this nom
partisan" Was this just 10 the people
of the western district? or course it
was not, and there can be no sound
defense for the action of Mayor
Plaistcd and his Democratic colleagues
Yesterday. The representatives of
four of the Eve wards in the western
district voted against the reelection
of Mr.. Mclean, and yet he is foisted
upon the district for another term by
the votes of the representatives of the
east side wards, aided by the vote of
the mayor. This was not fair play. it
was not business. il was simply politics
ana the worst kind of politics at that
Street Commissioner Mclean has
been regulated by tho people of the
western district and he Is given his
place again in defiance Of their wishes
h" was given his place by the vote of
Mayor Plaisted. not in return for any
good work which he has done as street
commissioner. but in return for the
work he has done for the Democratic
organization of this city. work which
ne ana the street crews under his
have done on registration
days and on election days A.mayor
posing as non-partisan and as an Of
hcal believing in fair play and in
business principles. has violated all his
public pledges and promises and has
deprived the five wards of the western
side of the river of the time-honored
privilege of selecting their own street
commissioner in order that he may re-
ward out of the city treasury one of
ms faithful political lieutenants
In every case yesterday when there
was tie between the two parties in
the selection of city officials Mayor
fiaisted broke the tie by voting for the
nominee of the Democratic caucus
Ihere were several glaring instances
where such a vote was plain matter
OF politics and not of business hut in