Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-10

The businesslike way is to treat ex-
listing evils according to their nature
and need. and not at one fell swoop
20 reverse the entire policy on which
our industrial system is based, wreck
ing the virtuous in a blind effort to
reach the vicious. One experience of
this sort ought to suffice for more than
20 years.
State Issues.
Mr. Shelton said that the Democrat
ic papers objected to making State
issues prominent in this campaign, al
though their speakers on the platform
were already trying to answer the
charges which. they knew would be
made. If there is any one thing more
obnoxious to a Democratic statesman
than all others. it is a discussion of
his public record.
The Democrats charged. two years
ago, that the State was collecting ana
disbuTsing too much money They pro-
ceeded to collect a couple of million
dollars more than the previous adj
ministration and made appropriations
.aggregating more than those of any
other two years since the Civil War
Promise Intended to be Broken.
The present administration deliber-
ately sought ts win its election by
openly promising most rigid enforce
ment of the laws to influence one class
while the other class secretly under
stood that Democratic success was
its plumber. The result has been
complete surrender of the State TO
outside interests. The Democratic
platform promised enforcement of the
laws. Mr.. Plaisted in his letter of
acceptance endorsed the platform. In
his speeches he repeatedly told the
public that he would enforce them,
that they should not vote for him if
they didn't want the laws enforced.
After election and to keep the sup
port of honest thinking men in both
parties until resubmission resolve
could be passed by the Legislature.
these promises were repeated by the
newly elected Governor and by his
party associates. Mr. McGillicuddy
told the people at the Court Street
BAPTIST church in Auburn the law
Should be enforced and the Demo-
Gratis propose to do it," The Sentinel
said that "any other course would be
anarchy The Argus said: "The
dictum has gone forth that any man
or woman who sells liquor after Jan.
list q91D does so at his or her peril,
and they will be regarded as enc
mics to the public order and dealt
with wherever and whenever they are
found"
These strong words had the desired
effect in keeping the friends of law
and order in line until the resolve was
passed Then the disguise was thrown
entirely off. Just four weeks to a day
after the Governor signed the resub-
mission resolve he approved the re-
peal of law which authorized him
to remove a county attorney who
has persistently failed to perform his
legal duties" Then he told the State
genealogical Society that the reason
why he did not enforce the law was
that it had no teeth. And last March,
he publicly declared that he did not
promise To make Maine dry, because to
have done so would have been to win
his election on false pretenses.
The administration had betrayed
Mr.. Gardner, who had vouched for its
sincerity in the campaign, if he be-
lieved its candidate sincere. 1t had
betrayed Mr.. MeGillicuddy and the
Sentinel and Argus. if they were sin
cere in their prophecies. But not
word of protest have we heard from
any of them. They all now endorse,
not the promise, but the performance.
Did they expect anything else2 Are
they really disappointed?
And then they withheld the an
nouncement of the result of the spe-
eial election until the secretary of the
State could take counsel with the
United States Brewers Association in
Chicago. He may have been called
there on account of his reputation as
an orator. l don't believe it. He may
have gone to represent some lawful
business interest of Maine. don't
believe it. He may have gone there
to take further orders from the whole
salers. Two weeks after his return.
the Governor announced the September
vote and his intention to call an ex-
ira session of the Legislature. to try
to get liquor laws (which are capable
of honest enforcement" And that is
the kind of enforcement some people
thought he meant when they voted
for him in 1919