The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-08-08
DEMOCRATIC ECONOMY"

If the State Of Maine had occasion to
use strip of paper 100 miles long, and
was obliged to buy that paper and hire
it cut up into 19-inch lengths and hire
each of these short lengths printed,
counted, made up into packages, ad-
dressed and shipped to every city and
town in the State-well, if all this were
to be done we would think it quite a job
and quite an expense, wouldn't we?
Now if some one with authority to do
it should increase the amount of paper
to be purchased (and the work CORE
spondingly) to more than 800 miles-a
strip of paper that would reach from
Fl. Kent to kittery-we would think
said person in authority had pretty
strong reasons for increasing the States
expenses now wouldn't we?
Well, he had
Our secretary of State, in strict OBJ
servance of the letter of an untried law,
instructed the Waterville Sentinel
which was acting under a void and lille
gal contract, to print more than one
million ballots, at State expense, for use
in the primary balloting.
1t is interesting 10 note, at this point,
that this marvel of official eXactitude,
the Hon Cyrus W. Davis, secretary of
State, was the erstwhile State printer,
while holding the office controlling the
work which, as contracting party, he
would do. When the Kennebec Journal
called the attention Of the secretary of
State to this paIpable violation of the
law, he fought bitterly to maintain both
positions. The Governor and Council
refused to invoke the law, which carried
penalty, and referred the matter to the
Supreme Court The latter body de-
cided, unanimously, that the law was
plain, its intent obvious, and that it was
a wise provision by deliberative law
making body.
Thus this strictly lawabiding State
official was obliged to apparently sever
his connection with the publishing com
pany, with which as its head he had con-
tracted as State printer. The Governor
and Council then made Temporary"
arrangements for State printing until
legal and permanent contracts could be
made.
This temporary" arrangement with
w na1,ic'
licIy acknowledged to be under control
Of Hon. William R. Pattangall, attorney
general of Maine) has continued for
eight months. Under this illegal con-
rinuation by official and private CONN.,
vance, Mr. Davis as secretary of State
has obeyed, in all its manifest inconsist-
ency, the primary ballot provision with
such results as we shall mention below.
For the sake of the Davis-P attangall
printing plant, the State of Maine, be-
cause OF its June primary balloting,
must settle for seven times as many
ballots as were ever cast in any one
election in the State.
More than one million ballots were
printed and distributed for the primaries
of 1912.
The paper used weighed 20 tons.
More than 100000 Socialist ballots
were printed and sent out; while in the
election OF 1910 only 1641 Socialist
votes were cast
In 1910, Franklin county cast eight
Socialist ballots. To that county for
the primary balloting this year, 6240
ballots were sent-7SO times as many
as there was any likelihood of needing.
In 1910, Piscataquis county cast
three Socialist ballots; 1920 Socialist
ballots were sent there for the pri-
maries.
In 1910, three hundred towns and
plantations cast no Socialist vote; to
these towns were sent So, $50 Socialist
ballots in June, 1912.
In 1910, sixty-eight towns cast one
Socialist ballot each; to these 68 towns
we're sent $4,000 Socialist ballots for
the primaries.
In 1910, thirty-eight towns cast two
Socialist ballots each; to these 38 towns
were sent 10, 500 Socialist ballots.
The above are but few specimens of
Democratic rigid economy" and Zen
forcements of law" Here are some of
the Pattangall- Plaisted "strict business
principles.
Why does not the State auditor issue a