Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-12

! A Maine Republican newspaper of re-
teent date contained this item; president
| raft has urged Republican senators to
vote for reciprocity and not allow the
| bill to be passed wholly by Democrats"
proof positive that this is Republican
measure, hut the President fears that it
viii become a Democratic measure, to
the injury OF the Republican par " which
II certainly will be under any conditions.
since in the elections of last year, the
republican party went Democratic. the
hue OF matters political has changed
very materially, and il is sef-evident
fact that the people have lost confidence
IN the President and the Republican adj
mlnistratton, and that this measure was
a move on the part of the President to
regain the confidence of the people, but
this cannot be done by the ratification of
this treaty!
If there are any who do not understand
the position the administration has placed
itself IN by not carrying cut the part
pledges, they should read some of tht
numerous magazine articles that have
been published during the past year and
half, including THE Tottering Political
Machines" by hudson c. Welliver. i'll
Hamptons for November. 1910. and es-
pecially, The Collapse of the Taft Ad-
minstratiOn' by the same writer, in the
october llampton's If the platform of
the Republican party had been lived up
to, If there had been a square deal in
revising the tariff, a decreased duty on
nearly everything excepting Injuries
there would have been no need of reel
procity between the United states and
any other country. If this treaty is rati-
fed, II will simply be a step toward
there is already some talk in favor of
reciprocity with some of the states of
South America. and why not?
During the last state campaign the
Republican Press, Republican speakers
and politicians were absolutely sure of
Republican victory. the only question WAS
the size of the Republican majority,
some predicting Governor Fernalds re-
election by 1900. instead there was a
slump of about 1000 votes from the
election of 1905 the result. a Democratic
victory secured by votes of Republicans
II is well known fact the result of city
elections is always in doubt, one party
being about as sure of success as Is the
other. but a very large majority of the
country towns in which the voters are
farmers. are almost invariably Repuhi-
can. In the election of 1908, very many
Republican farmers voted for Bro. Gard
ner for governor, but few expected many
Republicans to vote for Piaisted, but a
week or two before election many far
mers stated positively that they should
vote the Democratic ticket and they did
It has been claimed by some that the re
suit was because of the 'SturHis law, of
IresuhmisSion and prohibition. but strange
1y enough, Massachusetts and New York
gave much larger Democratic ma1or1ueS,
and in neither of those states were these
questions an issue. The result of the
election in Maine and several other states
was not q vote of confidence in DemoC-
racy. hut Of dissatisfa elton and want of
confidence in the Republican administra-
ton!
1t may seem somewhat strange, on first
thought. that the Democrats III Congress
are SO strongly i'm favor of reciprocity.
Ia Republican administration measure;
and yet it is not There are lust as in
teligent men in the Democratic party as
in the Republican, men who can see as
far into the future, and the democrats
are. also PLAYING politics and these
ratified and DroypS to he detrimental TO