Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-04
The Double Track canard.

campaign that it should be conducted
upon absolutely clean lines so far as
he and his followers are concerned.
His wishes have been observed. His
opponent has been fairly treated. No
unkind words have been said of him,
nor have any canards been circulated
! about the streets, in an effort to in
jure his candidacy Such usage should
have been reciprocated. We believe
that fair minded men-both Republic
cans and Democrats will agree to this.
| Unfortunately, however, Mr.. Johnson
has not been treated with the fairness
| that the position he has taken in this
campaign justly entities him to. For
the past two days certain prominent
Democrats who ought, in decency, to
be in better business, have been racing
about the streets glibly repeating a
| shallow falsehood concocted for politi-
cal effect and known as the double
track canard. We cannot hold MI.
Paisted personally accountable for
| this. We believe that after the con-
sderation shown him by many Angus
| ia Republicans in the past, in helping
him to three consecutive elections as
mayor-as long as any man ever held
| the office for a continuous period-he
| would not be a party to methods like
friends, in common with other men,
bers of their party, are gathered
around a candidate of their own in
every way worthy Of their loyal sup
| port.
Elsewhere in this issue we publish
communication from Hon. Geo. f. Ma
comber which effectually punctures
the cheap little double track canard,
and will we think bring upon its au-
thors and circulators the condemna
ton of the fair minded men of all
parties who believe that this should
| be a campaign OF fairness and de-
cency.
Mr.. Macomber has not owned a dol
| lar in the electric road for more than
two years, nor has he had any con-
| nection with it for more than 4 year,
when at q stockholders meeting Of
which he had no notice another man
was chosen in his place. Since then
Mr.. Macomber has had no more per-
sonal connection with the electric road
| than has Mayor Plaisted. The people
Of Ward 4 owe Mr.. Macomber a debt
| of gratitude for the firm stand he took
for restoring the electric road service
from Bridge street to the North End.
| In company with the president of the
Augusta Board OF Trade he went to
Mr.. Lynch, the attorney of the electric
road and told him squarely that I'M
| less this service was restored he would
go personally before the municipal Of
| ficers, and oppose any concessions to
the electric road Mr.. Macomber fur
| Their says that he is opposed to any
double track unless it is accompanied
| by the tearing up of the present rails
and the laying of deep girder rails that
would render every inch of the street
surface safe and comfortable for car
riage use. He signed the petition car
ried around by Mr.. Lynch. as did all
the other business men on Water
| street Wlln TWO
he felt that with proper rails moving
| cars would be less of a congestion to
| the street than whole lot of them
punched up and waiting in one place.
| Having no connection whatever with
| the electric road. whatever personal
| interests Mr. MacOmber has would
| naturally be opposed to the double
tracking of Water street He is a large
owner of real estate on this street and
ANYTHING that would hurt his tenants
| would hurt him.
| II we We're disposed to play politics
with this matter-which we are not
we might suggest that Mr.. Lynch, the
attorney and one of the directors OF
the Electric Road, who carried around
the petition for double tracking Water
| street has long been recognized as the