Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-18

WHO nave Ottn elected On lHe SAINT
ticket with Mr.. Haines with a pro-
! mise made or implied to vote for Mr..
! Rurleigh. Then, MIR Taft and his as
ahciates broke their pledge to the
| American people to revise the tariff
downward and to carry out the Roose-
Welt policies. Some of the congressman
| felt in duty bound to stand with Mr..
| Taft, Others felt in duty bound to
stand by the people. Now, Mr.. Bur-
| leigh after the September election, be-
gan an indirect campaign against Mr..
| Roosevelt when he had expressed no
/ opposition to Mr., Roosevelt in the
| campaign for nomination in the
| Republican primary | know that
| he gave men of progressive con-
Nictions to understand that he was not
| opposed to Mr.. Roosevelt and so secur-
sd their support in the primary, He
faced one way at the time of the June
| primary and faced the other way after
| the September election. Now, some
legislators will feel that they are in
duty bound to vote for Mr.. Burleigh
and other Legislators will feel that they
ere in duty bound to stand by the peo-
pie. Those congressman who support
ed Mr.. Taft have, to a large extent
been retired by the people, voluntarily
or invountarily; while those congress-
men who stood by the people have for
the most part been rewarded openly.
So will it be with our legislators.
Mr. Burleigh's record in Congress
shows that he belongs to the old school
of politicians who regard politics as a
game The time is at hand when politics
shall be the struggle of the people to
solve the problem of governing them
selves. Mr.. Burleigh's record in Con-
Sress shows that he has not stood by
the people. His conversations at the time
of the June primaries and his showing
of his real colors after the September
election prove him unworthy of the trust
of the people of Maine. Are the Pro-
gressives of the Maine Legislature 60
ing to vote for a man, for whom their
consciencesS tell them they should not
vote and then turn to the people of their
respective districts and say.#s'We are not
to blame, you told US to do it, and Il
promised you to vote for him and ] had
to keep my promise" Would such an ac-
ton as that be the action of brave
man?
At the time of Revolution there were
those who felt in duty bound to support
the king of England and there We're
others who felt in duty bound to break
their oath of allegiance to the crown.
The arguments of those who stand by
Mr.. Burleigh are the same as the argu-
ments of those who stood by George III.
Is the breaking of the oath of allegiance
to Mr.. Burleigh by the Progressive legis-
lators, When lie does not stand for social
justice wrong, when the breaking of the
oath of allegiance to the king of England
by the Continental Congress when he
failed to stand for social justice was
right?
Mr.. Milliken proposes that for the
purposes of carrying out the pledges of
the Bangor platform, the Progressiyes
should enter the caucus of the Republi-
cans. The Progressive Party al the first
election in Maine in which it opposed
the Republican Party had a plurality
over the Republican Party of 2l,9iS and
in approximately eight-ninths of the
ken not propose that the Republicans
should enter the Progressive caucus? 1t
would surely have BEEN as fair a pro-
posal as the other. The point is, that
the members of one political party do
not have the right to vote in a caucus or
meeting of any other party. So far as
know, no such action has ever been pro-
posed until this winter.t A man is what
he is, and believes what he believes. and
hescan not change his belief by covering
it up. If a man is a Progressive how can
he tcail himself a member of another
party? Now why can not the Republi-
cans in their caucus agree to support the
measures which are introduced to carry
cut the pledges of the Hanger PLATFORM
Why can not the Progressives in their
caucus agree to the same thing? Why Is
a common caucus. necessary. unless it be
to elect certain officers in the House and
Senator If in order TO carry out the
pledges of this platform it be necessary
to.hase d caucus of all members of the
legislature, elected on the same ticket
with Mr. Haines, this caucus should bear
neither the name Republican nor the
name Progressive, but it might be desig-
mated as the caucus of, those supporting
the administration l. e., the Administra-
| 'tion caucus | fail to see the necessity
of such caucus bus that is a matter
for the legislators to decide. l consider
the conduct of Mr.. Haines since his cleo
ton as admirable for its fairness. AL
though / do not know whether he VIII
declare himself a Republican or Pro
gressive. / hope for the good of the peo-
pie of Maine that his administration will
be success and am in favor of hav-
ing everything done that can be honor
| ably done to make it success.
This fact must be borne in mind 1t Is
as impossible for a true Progressive &c
call himself a Republican for any pur-
pose. as it is for a true Socialist to call
himself Democrat man may change
| his party but he has no technical oil
moral right to claim allegiance to par
ty of which he is not a member
| Now, I wish TO refer as briefly as pos
sible, to the protest of Messers. Hich,
| born, Irving and Dunpack, The protest
| begins with an attempt to show that the
Progressive State Committee has no au.
thority to act, delegate convention
manner of choosing its members. Every
Progressive recognized the convention
| which appointed, the Progressive State
Committee as cony sdli n. I'm Iner'
1
The essence of their second paragraph
| Is contained i'm the statement, "Ru'
| surely it (the convention) could hardly
have assumed to choose State Commit
| sartv not than born A party
els born in a state when it is organized
in that state. This convention ORGANIZED
| the Progressive Party in Maine. How
| could it have organized the party with
| out appointing a state committee Wltf
power to act? 1t did, without presump'
| tie- aopoint such a committee.
The Progressive State Committee has
| not voted ito urge upon the Senator'S ans
| Representatives elect the amazing pro
| position of violating the Statewide pri'
mary in the matter of United states
| senator" The secretary Of the commit
| tee can doubtless furnish these gentle
i men with the text and the meaning O
| the vote taken by the committee. 1t Ger
i tainly had nothing to do with the Demo
/ cratic Senators and Representatives
elect I DO not think it had anything u
do with those Senators and Representa-
i tives-elect who may choose to ally them
| selves with the present Repuphcai
Party. / have already shown that NJ
member of the Progressive Party i
| bound by Republican or Democrati'
| Primary Every legislator has his choic'
| of standing for what he believes 10 o.
the welfare of the people, or OF standins
Cor what he believes to be the welfare o
| iOh x1yIp hafp we'd the people.