Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-03-18
FOR GOVERNOR.
Col. Frederic E. Boothby, of Port
land, Announces His Candidacy.

Col. Frederic f. Boothby, of Port
land, Announces His Candidacy.
| Col. Frederic E. Boothby, Of Portland,
has announced himself as a candidate for
the republican nomination for governor Of
Maine. In his public letter announcing
his candidacy, Col. Boothoy says:
~ have had many letters from various parts
| of Maine and interviews with many men in
| Portland who have urged me to become a can
didate for the republican nomination OF gov
! ernor / have given the matter my consider
! alton and / have finally said to my friends
! that IL they desired ii I would allow them to
use my name. l shall also in reply to the let
tiers l have received from zarious parts Of
| Maine announce my candidacy.
Il realize that am entering the contest for
this nomination at o late day. II is usually
the custom for a man who seeks a nomination
for governor of Maine to lay his plans months
and even years in advance. He visits all of
the prominent men in the State and seeks
their support and undoubtedly obtains prom
Uses of support of them long before the gen
eral public knows he is to be candidate. For
this reason the late conner in the field is handt-
capped and may find that many who would
Ot1SFWlst welcome MS dEt tics AF
by pledges made months and even years in
advance.
In this case am actuated. not SO much by
personal ambition as / am by desire TO meet
with the wishes of my friends all over Maine.
/ appreciate the handicap | am laboring un
der in announcing myself at this late day as
a candidate for the republican nomination,
but have assurance that will he welcomed
-, +ha fail nd T hal m haFnrp ms nj ~
this state with one advantage anyway: have
not been candidate long enough to make
any promises or to tie myself up with aay
special interests.
As to the platform on which base my can
didacy 1 have only this to say: believe in
the wisdom and good judgment of the people
of Maine and | know that they want A good.
conservative, business adm nistration of
public affairs. As 20 the questions which
have agitatei this State for years have only
to say that the legislative branch Of our state
is thoroughly competent - handle these IS
sues.
at seems to me that the whole tendency now
seems to be to take away from the people the
power of government, TO remove far as
possible from the common people the right to
say what sort of a government they shall
have. do not favor legislation OF this kind.
| have been brought up in community where
every citizen has had the right of expressing
his views upon all questions and where his
| expressions on public matters have been
| given due consideration. The common peo-
| PIE of this State are to be relied upon. Their
| Judgment about all matters is usually in the
| end the right solution of al! problems and if
should be honored by the republican nominal
| tion for governor of Maine l should want to
| stand upon platform which would recognize
| to the fullest extent this inherent right OF
the common people to govern themselves,
| their own counties and their own municipali-
ties they see fit.
SIT will at once be charged that am cor
| poration candidate. Ny many years of ser
| vice with the Maine Central railroad will ct
| once be considered u have placed me on the
side of the corporate interests as against the
| people of Maine. To such critics as thoss I
| anticipate will be heard from, feel that can
| with some degree of pride point to the fact
that for three successive terms | served the
| largest city in this state as It's mayor. aud
was never charged By its people. certainly as
| intelligent community as there is IN NJ aine.
of having riisused my Office TO further the in
terests of any corporation, be it railroad or
any other against the interests 81 the people.
ION the other hand claim that having in
these many years come into close contact
with all of the prominent business men of
this State, know their needs and appreciate
their desires well as does any other man in
Maine. There is hardly a hamlet in this
State which have not vi, tied, and in the
greater part of them have friends. The re-
quirements OF all sections well under
stood By me, and am certain that the bust
ness men of Maine would recognize the fact
that were l in the executive Office of this
great State their interests would be safe
guarded by one familiar with their affairs