Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-02
Editorial Comment
That Covered Bridge.
(Bangor NeMsl


Standing proudly on public platforms
before larger or smaller Maine audi
enccs-all Intelligent and clearly men
| and women of Manufactured Frcder-
lex W. Plaisted of Augusta wearing
good clothes and bearing 2 fine, up
standing presence-as grave as he
could be for so young and lively a man
raised his right arm to Heaven-or
toward the roof of the building III
which he was speaking, and waving
his manicured hand to and fro in his
| most Impressive manner, cried aloud
| and in his most dramatic tone Of voice:
Elect me Governor, this fall. and |
| pledge YOU that l will make all Maine
as dry as covered bridget"
He declared this. and in these very
words in Augusta. Waterville. Bangor,
Rumford Falls-probably from the
platform of every city and town in
which he spoke. Such an open con-
fession of prohibitorv CONVICTIONS
coming from the leader of a party
| committed to free rum. was hearten-
| ing, and full of cheer for the temper
ance people, who feared many things
They received the pledge of an honest
and truthful man, who was the son
| of an honest and brave man. VITA
cheers at times, and always with ap-
piause. Colonel Plaisted made good
impression at every place in which he
spoke. knowing who We're behind him
and putting up" for his election,
some of the conservative ones doubted
his ability to carry out in fun all he
mad promised. but of course he was
a truthful man, and would never dare
to make such a pledge to the people
in public, unless he intended to full
fill it to the letter. Thus Colonel Plais-
ted made his whirlwind campaign
through Maine. and came home to find
himself elected
Now and again there was a confirmed
Pufist ana Stickler for style, who Won
defed where the colonel picked up that
o1ten-repeated phrase-"As dry as COW
e nPea ~ bridge Na; II was not exactly
as dry as a contribution box or "as
dry as Maine rum-seller't: though the
colonel and Mr.. Patangall had not yet
th heu gate OF the Later PhFasas dry
that when the energetic and emphatic
colonel was repea ting, "as dry as a
covered bridge to his charmed hearers,
he was thinking of the old Bangor toll
bridge, which, although covered" for
most of the way has not been dry" for
many years, and could not he strictly
dry, even in the midst of a protraeted
Bangor at the other.
Political controversy aside. it seems as
II the Governor really meant to make all
Maine as dry as a covered BRIDGE II
were about time for him to begin lie is
a young man of many estimable quail
ties. AT heart he seems to mean well.
What he might do if the WaterviIle
gang into whose hands all Maine
seems to have been delivered what he
would do If that bad Waterville gang
would let him aione-is of course I'M
known; but il is pretty sure he would
have done much better than his very
best up to date.
Press reports from papers of both par
ties show the "dry-as a-covered bridge
notion has not gone far in Maine. Lewis
ton is wide open, Waterville is not only
wide open but there is little niger sit
ttlng on top of me safety valve at every
bar. a liquor dealer of WaterviHe is
building over his premises and putting
on new front" be ready Tor more
business. In two liquor places i'm Bangor
they are putting. on new fronts, Old
bars are undergoing repairs, and new
bars are opening. The liquor business
seems to be most prosperous. No full
carloads of liquor have gone from Ban
son is young. If the quality of Maine
liquors were as pronounced as the
amount. the famous covered bridge"
policy of the Governor would startle all
Maine.
While Commissioner Buckley is chasing
brown-tail moths through Vassalboro
and making ready to get after the open
indecencies at the Maine agricultural
fairs. and while commissioner Bracket is
looking for an immense sale of hunting
licenses, the Governor has quit saying
anything about his covered bridge"
and the Boston liquor firms are flooding
all Maine with their advertising circulars
Offering whiskey, rum and other intoxi-
eating beverages so cheaply that 1t is far
less costly for one to have his liquors
come to his home by express, than it is
to patronize the Maine bars, which con-
tnue to resemble covered bridges" so
far that no one can enter or pass through
one of them, without making heavy pay
ments for his information.