Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-10
Mr.. PattannaII Aaqrieved.

| mr. PsttanGall Ag9rleVeo'
| Editor Kennebee Journal,
1 clip from your issue of today the fol-
lowing article:
zSkowhegan. Me. Aug. Especial
The Imperial Democratic leaders, &C
cording to all indications, would like to
defeat prohibition in somerset county
, Hon w r. Pattangal and Dr. Jones OF
Watervilte, with Hon Oscar Fellows OF
Bangor, with some Of the Democratic
leaders of this town We're at Hotel Co
burn thursday evening. Whete they were
i'm conference and talked over the s1tua-
ton. They found that somerset county
is strong for prohibition.
1t is understood that one OF these demo
cratic leaders from WaterNlIle stated
. rev Gays ago. that the leaders OF the
Non partisan League. SO called. conc 2ded
that somerset county al the eleeueh
sept Il. would go Tor prohibition %, by
majority of at least 1000 NoieS. Iese
leaders, it is understood. have tried TO
engage a leading Republican OF TINS
county to work during the rest or the
campaign to defeat prohlbltlo,n1 oo ana II y
said they offered this man sl"t rms
man could not be bred II is heileNed,
under any condition. tie Is Workihs hafd
to retain prohibition. believing mat as
business man he will be well repaid II
he retains the prohibitory law.
OF course / realize that you are not
responsible for everything that appears
in the news columns of your paper. at
the same time | assume that you do not
desire to have any of your correspondents
impose falsehoods on you
SO far as the article in question is con-
cerned. it contains one very absurd and
improper statement which ought to be
corrected. -namely that some leaders
of the bipartisan League offered a
leading Republican of Somerset 5000 to
work against prohibition.
| am member of the league. | am
familiar with it's work. I know that no
such offer was ever made in its behalf.
know that no such offer was ever au-
thorized by it. l know thai no such offer
was ever made by either of the three gen
tlemen whose names appear IN the quoted
aEtfcfe If such an offer was made, your
correspondent knows who made 1t and
to whom IL was made. 1t is your duty TO
have him produce his man or admit that
he was lying. AT least that is my con-
ception of your duty and l believe that
it will be yours.
As for the other matters mentioned in
the article, Mr.. Fellows, DR.. Jones ana
myself were at Skowhegan on August 3
and met several gentlemen there who
are interested in removing prohibition
from the Constitution. There were both
Republicans and Democrats present
Your correspondent can get a list of their
names if he likes by applying to Mr..
Fairbrother who acted as secretary OF
the meeting. A temporary organization
was effected at that meeting, the officers
chosen being men of high standing in
both parties Among them were Frank
Bucknam Republican member of the
~ Mr. Parker
for many years chairman of the board of
selectmen of Skowhegan, and Frank
Thompson. at present representing Skow=
hogan in the Legislature. These two lat
ter gentlemen had been enrolled, without
| their consent as members of the No
| License League They stand squarely
against constitutional prohibition.
From what | learned at Skowhegan and
from reports from other sections of Som
erset county l shall be somewhat sur
prised if majority of the votes in that
county are not found in the Yes col
umn on election day, but ! am not fool
ish enough to think that either you or
know very much about that. Our guess
is as good and no better than that of an
other man possessing equal opportunity
of acquiring information on the subject.
The fight for and against the retention
of the prohibition amendment in the State
Constitution is TO be decided in few
| weeks 1t is an important night. You
and | differ as to what the result of the
contest ought to be. There is. however,
one point upon which We ought readily TO
agree, that is, that there is no good rea-
son why the contest cannot be carried
| on in a decent way and without either
| side devoting too much time to lying
about the other.
Yours very truly.
w. r. PATTANGALL.
Waterville. Me-. Aug. s.