The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-11-30
A Democratic Pow Wow.
auditors Statements Campaign Docu-
ments. Plans for Congressional Gerry
[Kennebec Journal. !

@Kennebec Journal.
Two things developed at the meeting
i the Democratic State, committee,
Wednesday evening, at the Augusta
House, one being what amounted to a
aractical admission by Governor Piais-
ed that the monthly statements OF State
auditor Stevens are nothing more or less
han what the Journal has claimed them
ight along to be, mere campaign docu-
uents, and the other confession that
The Democracy of Maine had practically
IN its race in the State, by the hatch
irg of a scheme for re-distrctlng the
tate, which is to make at least one sure
democratic Congressional district, no
natter how the rest of the State goes.
The meeting was held behind closed
.oors in Room 219 of the Augusta House,
ut considerable of what was said and
one at the meeting became quite gen.
rally known before the last member OF
The committee had left the room.
The Importance of the meeting may be
ealized from the fact that both Cover
nor Plaisted and Senator johnson were
resent at the evening session. The
MEMBERS of the committee present were:
hartman John S. P. H. Wilson, repre-
eenting Androscoggin county; Oscar K.
Wish, Portland, Cumberland county;
frank E. Mace, Great Pond, Hancock
county; Joseph Williamson, Augusta,
hennebec county; William P. Hurley,
Rockland, Knox county; Joseph P. Tuck
IT, Wiscasset, Lincoln county; Bertrand
). McIntire, East Waterford, Oxford
ounty; William F. Curran, Bangor, Pc
aobscot county; F. w. Hartnett, Bath,
Nagadahoc county; Eben S. Littlefield,
Belfast, Waldo county. Other Demo-
rats who attended the meeting were
Judge Fred Emery Beane, Hallowell;
Philip Howard, Rockland; Niles L. Per-
ms, Augusta.
The matter of direct primaries, the
bject for which it was declared that the
t0mmittee meeting was called, occupied
uut very little time in its deliberations,
and at an early stage Of the deliberations,
Tor some reason or other, Gov. Plaisted
aunched forth into a defence of his adj
ministration, repeating his oft reiterated
statement that he had freed the State
rom debt, and here it was, that the
monthly statements of Auditor Stevens
appeared in their true light. '1t's get
ing so now the Republican papers do
not print the State auditors monthly
statements, but they make them squirm
some," the Governor is quoted as say
lng, thus practically admitting that the
stevens statements are campaign docu-
ments, gotten up for the express pur-
pose of attempting to make the opposi-
non ''squirm some.
1t was when the matter of the special
session was discussed that the PROPOSE
ION of re-districting the State in accord
ance with the new Congressional appor-
uonment came up and several Of the
speakers, who discussed it, advised the
taking of one sure Democratic district
out of the four, which brought forth the
statement, '1t's our last chance to get
something"-
The sure Democratic district, by aid of
which it is proposed to keep Hon. Daniel
J, McGillicuddy in Congress as long as
composed of Androscoggin, Kenrebec,
Sagadahoc, Knox and Lincoln. The lst
District, according to the plan, is to re-
main as it is, while new Sd District is
to be made up of Oxford, Franklin, Han
cock, Waldo, Somerset and Piscataquis,
and the new 4th District is to include
the present 4th District, minus Piscata-
quis.
Inc liquor question was ulScuSSeu, IL IL
understood, and all agreed to stand by
the proposed legislation that has already
been discussed by the leaders of the par
ty, some slight modification of the Iowa
law, nominal prohibition, but with an OPP
portunity for those who pay liquor tax
to be exempted from the penalties of the
aw in the larger municipalities, and in
the smaller ones also if a majority of the
voters wish.
Those who took leading part in the
discussion at the committee meeting were
Governor Plaisted, United States Sena-
tor johnson, State Assessor Mc1ntire
and Judge Fred Emery Beane. An ex.
ecutive committee was appointed before
the meeting adjourned, consisting OF