The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-11-28
THE UNITED STAT ES SEN
ATORSHIP.
What the Democratic Lewiston Sun and the
Independent Republican Lisbon Enter
prise Say of it.
MAINE SENATORIAL CONTEST.

| MAINE SENATORIAL CONTEST.
Progressvesm has come to stay, Mr.. Bur-
leigh, Col. Hale and Mr. Peters in Maine to the
contrary, notwithstanding. Should the Steam
Roller overthrow what is a natural plurality of
81 progressives in joint ballot in the Maine
legislature-elect, such outrage would but only
intensity the progressive protest of Maine
against those bent on rule and ruin. They
will perceive in 1914 and in 1916, as they have
ascertained already that the steam roller is
devoid of practical reason and political COM
mon sense. How absolutely the nation ad-
heres to progressive ideas is shown in the fact
that the Burleigh-Taft candidate for the pres
idency got but about SO per cent of the coun-
try's total VOTE More significant yet. is the
fact that after suffering defeat at the hands of
Taft, Wilson cooperating. the progressive
party and the progressive platform never stood
SO strong as today, as shown at the ballot box
from Maine to California where the progress
sives have beaten both the old parties united.
Lewiston Journal.
| In June of this year primary election was
| held, under the new primary law adopted in
| 1911. At that primary election Republican
candidates were nominated for the Legisla-
ture. and Republican candidate was nomi-
mated for United States Senator. All the men
nominated by the Republicans at that prim-
airy were Republicans; or they were playing a
fraud on the Republican party and violating
| the primaries law.
that at the primary the voters of each party
express their preference for Senator. They
I instruct the candidates of their party who get
elected to the Legislature to vote for that man
and no other for Senator. That is the peoples
way of electing their Senator, As plainly as
/ H. - Al
June primary, directed the Republicans they
nominated for the Legislature to vote for Ed
win {. Bureigh They were as much bound
to vote for Buregh as the Wilson Presidential
Electors elected in November are bound to
vote for Wilson.
Suppose the Presidential election had been
close, like that of 1876; so close that one cleo.
toral vote changed would change the result.
Then suppose one of the Wilson electors elect
ed in Maine-elected by Democrats to vote for
a Democrat-suppose one of those electors
had given his vote TO the other party and SO
betrayed the trust entrusted to him. Plain
bad faith; as dishonorable as taking one mans
money and giving it to another. AS dis
! honorable as to take mans money and refuse
to turn over the goods for which the money
was paid. Bad faith. And of all the wrongs
one man can do another, bad faith is about the
worst. Bad faith strikes at the foundation of
society. 1t is on good faith that civilization is
| built up.
1t doesn't make the bad faith any less bad to
say that those candidates for the Legislature
when they got the nomination, were not really
Republicans. They were either Republicans
or imposters In accepting the nomination
they undertook to vote for Burleigh. AS
bound in honor to vote for Burleigh as the
express company is bound to deliver the pack
age to the addressee.
At the September election a majority of the
Republican nominees were elected. That is,
it is Republican Legislature 1t is not per-
Missile to those men elected as Republicans
to say that since the election they have got
converted, and now are not Republicans, but
| Progressives. No more than the express COM
pany can say that since accepting your pack
age it has got converted and has decided to
turn over your package to your enemy. The
Republican members of the Legislature of
1913-that is, the men elected On the Republi-
can ticket in September-are in honor bound
to elect Edwin c. Burleigh to the United
States Senate.
Nor do we believe it will profit the Demo-
cratic party of Maine to get their candidate
elected by deal with the men who were elect
ed as Republicans and now choose to call them
selves Progressives. It was a Democratic
/ Legislature that passed a primary law; the
primary law now in force was adopted by the
referen dunn which had been urgently approx
|
vocates of popular election of U. S. Senators.
Edwin c. Burleigh had the popular election of
| the Maine voters near as the State law can
now provide When Democrats join with dis
loyal Republicans to defeat the will of the
people as expressed in the manner the Demo-
Gratis helped to devise, they display Demo-
cratic bad faith to those theories of popular
control they have advocated SO loudly.
The only way to carry out the purpose of
the laws of Maine as they stand today is to
elect Edwin c. Burleigh to the United States
Senate.
As to the Journals reference to the Novem-
Der elections. it must be remembered that
there is no provision in the primary law for
setting aside at the Presidential election the
/ decision reached by the primary election. All
the more ridiculous to claim that the results in
other States should change the decision reach
| ed in this State. The voters of Maine have
said, IN the manner provided by law, whom
they want for U. S. Senator. Their only
authoritative decision on that question was
given at the June primary. The Presidential
election has no more to do with it than has the
decision of the British Parliament as to home
rule for Ireland.
The rules of the game have been adopted;
rules that both parties toadied to; now if you
have any true sporting blood in you, play the
game according to the rules. Take your med
icne
1t belongs to Burleigh. If you don't like
Burleigh, it's good enough for you. If you've
got your fingers pinched in your pretty new
tangled machine, till you are sick to your
stomach, it's good enough for you. Shouldn't
go monkeying with election methods that we're
already better than you can invent Don't
whine. Don't 60 back on your pretty ma
chine just because it turned out something
you don't like the taste of. Take your medi-
cine.-Lewiston Sun.
WHERE'S THE FAIRNESS.
The Entefpti be has been; is now and prob
ably will continue to be opposed to Edwin c.
Burleigh as U. S. Senator. We have our rea-
sons for this opposition. but at the same time
it would seem that Mr.. Burleigh has been hon.
estiy and properly nominated and in all sense
OF fairness ought to be the choice of the Leg
islature for the position.
But t he party who is shouting about the
square DEAL" seems only to practice that
principle when it seems to be policy so to do.
The State election was fought and won be-
fore the Bull Moose party came into existence,
and the men who accepted the election to the
Maine Legislature either the Republican or
Democrat platforms and will now desert either
OF these parties to support Bull Moose schem-
ing isn't worthy the support of any decent
citizen.
You know the old saying is that there is
"honor among horse thieves" but soon one
will be compelled to believe that such a COM
modify is missing among politicians.-Lsbon
Enterprise.