Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-22
A SPLENDID RALLY.

Hon. Forrest Goodwin of Skowhegan,
the 81 District, addressed a splendid
rally, Tuesday night, in Hancock hall,
which was attended by over 400 enthu-
sitstic leaders,. who listened eagerly
to his clear and logical statements, and
went away convinced of the truth of
his statement that the Democratic par
~ stands. today. marked as the par
ty OF failure, of unkept pledges and
misstatements. He told the Republic
cans OF Ellsworth what he ehard Gov
ernor plaisted promise in regard to
enforcement and also severely criti-
cised the extra mill tax, which has
piled up 100000, which is now idle in
the treasury.
Hon. John A. Peters of Ellsworth,
who for the past two sessions has rep
resented Ellsworth in the Legislature
and is candidate for reelection.
presided at the meeting and declared
that the leaders of the Dmocratic party
in the State of Maine had proven
themselves incapable and unfit to en-
act or enforce laws.
Needless Extra Mill.
in opening his speech Mr.. Goodwin
said that he was going 10 state his
concmsions as to the Democratic adj
ministration in the first place and
then give the reasons. as he proceed
ed.
II want to say to you." said he.
that the Democratic party in this
State, stands, today, as the party of
broken promises. unllept pledges, of
failure and iaeompeteney; the party of
deception and misstaternents'
He then said that the Democratic
orators We're telling the people. as was
their press, half truths, but not the
Whole. As an illustration, he pointed
out how they We're claiming to have
found tax rate of five mills and
reduced it to four.
THAT is true" said he, but not the
whole truth. If the whole truth were
to be told, they would have said, but
increased it. in 1911, to six mills, or a
mill more than what we found when
we came into office They don't do
that. because to do it, would show to-
the voters of the state that they had
not decreased taxes. but had actu-
ally increased hem.
ut is a half truth told for the one
purpose of fooling you and the people
of the State"
He declared that the one and only
reason for raising the tax rate to six
mills in 1911, was to play politics. There
was absolutely no necessity of that ex-
ira mill tax in that year The real OBJ
of no al
pile up in the State treasury in Au-
susta. where it is, today. lying idle.
100000, which was the amount a mill
OF tax upon the property of the State
provided.
The SentineI's Graft.
Referring to the oft repeated
charges and by number of Democratic
speakers of the present, that graft
had been rampant during the Republi-
can administrations, Mr.. Goodwin
called attention to the fact that one
of the first things which the Demo-
cratic Legislature did. was appoint =
committee to investigate this matter
and that, though it worked hard, II
was unable to find a single case OF
graft in the 80 years of Republican
control
The Democrats had been in power
Is months, yet they said Mr.. Good
win mad perpetuated one of the great
est CRAFTS the State had known. 1t
was a single graft greater than all the
graft, which had ever before been
limited at in the history of the State.
This was the matter of printing the
ballots for the primary election. when
~, Xya nnnfrn11a6 no
alleged, by Mr. Pattangall, Governor
Plaisted, Secretary of State Davis and
Obadiah Gardner, printed 100000
ballots, upon the order of the secre-
tary of State, when under the law, the
legal number should have been but
ais 900. using 80 tons of paper, which
was dumped into the waste basket
land then charged for the work at a
price different from the legal one I'M
lder their contract, so that 1t took over
| $4,000 out of the State.
If more was wanted to show graft,
there was the case where the Water
VILE Sentinel had been paid $IS2.l.
for job where the honest charge
should have been but SIS. This bill
had been approved by Lamont Stev-
ems. that wonderful Democratic State
auditor.
When attention was called to II,
they said it was an error and would
be rectified. 1t had not yet been cor
rected!
IF they take s7S2.11 for SIS job
it is an error. If a Republican takes
a lead pencil, it is graft" (Applause-
Governors Broken Pledge.
AS he drew to close, Mr.. Goodwin
referred to the speeches of Governor
Plaisted made in this campaign, in
| which he has denied having promisej
\ to enforce the prohibitory law, saying
Continued on Page Eleven)