The Republican journal., 1910-08-11
FERNALD ON TRIAL.
An Editorial from the Bangor News that
Every One Should Read.

Our Democratic associates in trying t.
help conduct Maine along lines of decency
and honor have formally impeachee
Governor Bert M. Fernald of eXtrava
gance and of wilfully wasting the public
money; and he is now on trial at the bal
of public opinion. with certainty that {
fair verdict will be rendered on the nigh
of September IL. Nobody accuses Gov
ernor Fernald or his administration Of
graft. Even Auditor Hatch, when Super
intendent Stetson of the Maine common
schools, and Chairman Carleton of the
fish and game commission thought hin
to be very fussy, they never suspected
the Fernald morals. or dreamed that he
was wrongfully using the public money
for the Fernald enrichment. On the con-
trary, the most ardent Democrat ir
Maine-an Maine has many Democrats
who are very ardent, particularly when
they are candidates for high office-th the
greatest traducer of the Fernald rule has
not dared to accuse the Governor of per-
sonal or official dishonesty. In other
words, the sum total of the Female
scoundrelism is sort of Pickwickian dis
honesty-An affection which comes from
standing for long time in the glare of
the footlights without taking the pre-
caution to wear smoked glasses or other
artificial protection. For it is an alb
solutely known fact-known to the lead
ing Republicans and Democrats of Maine
alike-that never for moment was there
so much as suspicion of unfair dealings,
partisan politics or private or public
graft in the public or private acts of Bert
M. Fernald, either before or since he be-
came Governor of Maine.
Upon what then does this great Nc
GuilHcuddy scare rest? What has Gov
ernor Fernald done so horrible that it dis
tresses the pure and sanctimonious COM
bination of Pattangall, Davis and John
son? How can Democracy, which tried
Obadiah Gardner and found him guilty
of playing tricks with the Democratic
party, and practically expelled him from
the party by refusing him second nomi-
nation-how can ''fussy" party reject
the mild and logical Gardner, and turn
about and nominate Plaisted, and then
come out with scare heads about how
wastefu Fernald has been? Shades of
Alonzo Garcelon and the Maine Count
Out! how fondly do our interesting friends
strain at a gnat and make no trouble in
swallowing camel!
Fact is, however, Governor Fernald
has constructed more good roads in Maine
within the past two years than any of his
predecessors, or all of his predecessors
combined. Terrible sinner, is he not?
Since the enthusiasm for better roads
has spread nationwide, and every coun-
try school district is clamoring for better
roads, it would be passing strange if
Maine did not catch the contagion. 1t
costs money! Yes-most of the good
things the world has cost money. So
long as Maine has the roads to show for
its money. and the farmer. carting his
potatoes TO market, the rural free dellv
cry carrier and the millionaire riding in
his automobile, pronounce these roads
good and want more of them, it does not
seem as if Fernald has been so very
wicked in building more good roads.
But there is worse behind This bad
man Fernald has actually increased the
taxation on the wild lands of Maine, caus-
ing great suffering among the poor own
ers of the paper trust-so that the poor
and hitherto sadly neglected children in
the Way-back country townships can have
longer terms of schooling every year, so
that the teachers may receive better pay,
so that they may have new and modern
books, so that the child of one Of us old
cOuntrymen may have more and better
privileges than country child has ever
haG before in the world; and all the
money thus expended has come out of
the timberland trust and has not cost the
regular taxpayers one red cent. What
with more money for good roads, and
more money for schools-both of which
measures We're advocated by Obadiah
Gardner as well as by Bert Fernald-it
seems as if Maine were progressing at
lively rate from Fernald's "eXtrava-
gance, though it is very unfortunate
for the hopes of the Democratic party
that the Democrats should have turned
Mr.. Gardner down for advocating more
money for good roads and the common
schools, though the Maine legislature ap-
proved of Governor Fernald's conduct,
just as the Maine voters will approve
next September.
But" cry the hypercritical and hypo-
critical Democrats, "Fernald has been
disturbing the regular order of things in
our sacred almshouses and at our poor
farms He cannot let our insane people
and our feeble minded rest. We send
these unfortunate people to the aims
houses, where we expect them to die as
soon as convenient. We feed them on
bad victuals, and furnish them with in
adequate clothing, and offer them every
inducement to die. But Fernald had to
''butt in and have the feeble-minded
and the deaf, dumb and blind, taken away
to special asylums fitted up for their use,
so they may live longer and more hap
PLY, and bestow heartfelt thanks upon
Governor and legislature who provided
for the care of those who are forever in
capable of getting living for them
selves"
Governor Fernald did not become alb
solutely reckless in his expenditure of
the public money, however, until he in
vaded the sacred privacy of the city and
town poor farms, and our almshouses,
supported on the cheese-parings, eked
out by the overseers of the poor, and
pulled forth the helplessly and hopelessly
insane inmates-some Of whom had been
between freezing and starving for years,
and sending them away to insane asy-
lums. where they could dwell in COM
fC rtable and well-lighted rooms, sleep in
clean beds, and get plenty of wholesome
food to eat as long as they should live.
May God pity any pauper who is an in
mate of anv alnocho,1Se of Maine Nav