The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-06-23
DEMOCRATIC BOSSISM.

DENIOANAllN DO0Ol0Vl
After all that has been said by the
Democratic organs and orators of boss
ism and ring rule in the Republican party
their State convention held in Augusta
last week was the most fragrant exhibit
tion of bossism ever witnessed in Maine.
1t was an open and insolent defiance of
the evident wishes of the rank and file
of the party. In 1908 Obadiah Gardner
of Rockland, the Democratic candidate
for Governor, received 66, 27S votes, the
largest vote ever cast in Maine for
gubernatorial candidate of that party.
In 1904 Cyrus w. Davis of Waterville
received so, l46 votes, and in 1906, 81. BOB
votes, and in each year his candidacy is
said to have been promoted by lavish
expenditure of money. Mr. Gardner had
never been known as a politician. He
had served for many years as Master OF
the State Grange, and in that capacity
had won the support of many Republi-
cans. whose votes carried the total be-
yond the normal Democratic strength
without the potent influence of large
campaign fund. Yet, despite his prestige
as a vote getter, ard in violation of
time-honored political usage, he was
turned down in the convention and a
professional politician nominated at the
behest of four men-W R. PattangalI
Charles E. Johnson and Cyrus W. Davis
of Waterville and D. j. McGillicuddy of
Lewiston. These are the bosses of the
Democratic party Of Maine today The
most active and aggressive member of
this quartet is w. R. Pattangall, who
began his campaign against Mr.. Gardner
in the legislature two years ago, con-
tinued it in The Maine Democrat,
weekly newspaper which Mr.. Gardner
says was started for that purpose, and
since the demise of that journal in the
Waterville Sentinel, of which Cyrus W.
Davis is the chief owner.
A special effort was made before the
convention met to get Mr.. Gardner to
withdraw, but he very properly refused,
declaring that he would not be driven
from the party by man who had been
himself driven from the Republican
party meaning thereby Mr.. Pat
tangal, who seems to Fave been actua-
ted by personal animus rather than
zeal for the party with which he is at
present affiliated. In this connection the
Independent Reporter of Skowhegan
says: elf the Democratic party ever
gets victory in Maine it will be under
the impulse of some other and better
and safer and saner and more consistent
leader than William R. Pattangall."
Mr.. Gardner bore his defeat with out
ward resignation and was conspicuous
figure at his own obseques; but deep
down he must be indignant at the treat
ment he received from the party he had
so nearly led to victory, and his friends
in all parts of the State are openly re-
'senting it. The Lewiston correspondent
of the Bangor Commercial says: 1.-THE
turning down of Obadiah Gardner has
.displeased large number of Democrats
in this part of the State, especially those
who are connected with the Grange in
terests,' and this is the sentiment ex-
pressed all over Maine
The proceedings of the convention it.
self are not calculated to favorably i'm
press the sane and sensible voter. They
are characterized, as the Kennebec Jour-
nal expresses it, by political malignity
and almost childish buncombe," and the
Independent Reporter well says: "Noise
and wild claims never yet carried the
State of Maine, and never will. 1t will
not in this year of our Lord, nineteen
hundred and ten"