The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-08-25

campaign. lie DtlllOtldliC party Ad5
good organ In which to set forth
their ideas--the Sentinel--and they
are making the most of 1t. The
Portland Argus Is also hammering
away. The Republicans are weak on
this score. or the papers, the Port
land Press seems to be doing the
best work. The work of the Augusta
Journal is painful-it is senile or kid
dish, one of the two, and of no more
weight with thinking men than Puck
and Judge. 1t misses the good work
of the late Clarence Burleigh. The
Lewiston Journal long since lost its
power over the voters. The citizens
of Maine regard the Journal as the
party buster" and If the Republican
party goes down in defeat in Septem-
Der the Journal will have much to
account for. Many have not forgot
ten the way the Journal slashed the
party In the Cobb-Fernald fight.
So matters are evened little. While
one party excels in stump material
the other makes up in aggressive lit
erary organs. If the Sentinel keeps
its editorial head and gets over the
idea that every third man in Maine
Is a stark natural fool as suggested
by its display of the contrasted finan-
cial balance sheet of Maine, it can
accomplish much good work. Mean
time, the people of Maine are doing
a good bit of independent thinking.
Everywhere over the State Is met
the frequently expressed opinion
(from Republicans, mark that that
the time Is ripe for a change. Sum-
a. kIa To- oil yni
men maintain stoutly that If that day
has really come when any one man
can be forced upon party as can
didate then they will desert the
standard bearer. Whatever may be
said to the contrary, it is the clearly
expressed opinion of the voters that
Gov. Fernald was never the choice of
party leaders and party supporters.
The Rickers foisted him upon the
party. While they admit that the
Governor may in truth be Governor
and that the Rickers are not in any
way debating still the idea is very
generally held that it would be a
mighty good thing il there could be
little more dictation.
Now why do the people feel as they
do about the outcome of the Septem-
Der election? One can readily get an
answer to this question by asking the
people themselves. AS this is impos-
sible for our readers, we bring you
the reasons they give.
First, as intimated above, they do
not think Gov. Fernald of a calibre
sufficient to stand at the head of a
great State like Maine. They will
grant you that he is mighty affable
man to meet-almost too affable-and
that he can deliver good speech,
out they do not think he Is able to
write good speech or to direct the
work of large progressive State like
Maine. They believe he was forced
upon the State by E. P. Kicker, of
Poland Springs.
Secondly. they do not like his ad-
ministration. They will give you
many reasons why; few they men
ton emphatically. Republican after
Republican will state that while they
turned down still they are thorough
ly Disguised with the way it was
done. The Governor, according to
these men, was not fair to Carleton
and Carleton deserved fair treatment.
And Republican after Republican will
tip back in his Office chair, bring his
hands together with a snap, and ex-
press his utter disgust with the Gov
ernor's appointment of his brother
in-law as State librarian. 81 under
stand" said a prominent politician,
that the new librarian is totally un-
fit for the position; let's pass over
that phase of the matter; think-think
of Fernald putting in that appoint
ment in view of 1000 get-by! 1t was
the most indiscreet act that he could
possibly have committed. 1t tells me
that we have got man in the Gov
ernor's chair who can't exercise good
judgment in even relatively small
matters" That is fair summary of
hundreds OF other comments.
But a third matter which has to do
with the future administration of
Governor Fernald and which Is dis
turbing the legal fraternity of Maine
is the rumored retirement of Justice
Whitehouse and the substitution of
man who does not stand high in the
estimation of the honored profession.
He is a close friend to the Fernald
family, just as Prince was a brother
in-law. II the legal fraternity of
Maine should become thoroughly con-
vinced that the Governor intended any
such action, they would vote in
solid body against his reelection this
fall The feeling in this matter Ia ex-
tremely acute and the rumor-if, in
deed, II is such,-is doing vast injury
to the Republican party. A leading
attorney of Aroostook county init
mates that a certain justice 10 remain
ing on the bench against his own
will but as a martyr TO a righteous
cause: II he retires. the Governor is
to appoint his friend" to the bench.
As a rule. the Democratic clap
trap touching the States finances and
appropriations is cutting very little
figure in the campaign. 1t is too
complicated matter for the average
mind to grasp. Citizens of the State
have faith to believe that no public
oficer would squander the States
money. The fact that the Democratic
party representatives in the Legisla-
ture voted for these appropriations
dispels much Of the moonshine that
Pattangall and Plaisted shed upon
the great questions OF the day.
To conclude, the disposition Of
many-s great many-voters in Maine
IL to cut the head of the ticket but
to save the Legislature. They are
kindly disposed to Powers and want
to sec q Republican anyway In the