The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-05-16
rHE1 ISSUES OF MAINE IN SEP
TENDER.
(Lewiston Journal.)


The Democratic press of Maine is hav-
ing hard time to get an audience on
their rehash of the finance and "a Bank
rupt State" campaign which did them
service two years ago.
A writer of such fluent English and
such delightful play Of wit is conduct
ing press bureau from Augusta 80
vigorously that one might wonder why
he fails to hold his audience as of old. Is
his song no longer welcome? Has the
Jester lost the cap and bells? Or is there
suspicion that he is taking, for partisan
uses, the high-salaried time that proper
ly belongs to the People in an office that
demands not merely perfunctory service
but also something more? This would be
one reason why the people paid no longer
any attention to this rigmarole of insinu-
geration that is being put forth daily.
pie We're showing signs of being very,
very tired of that estimable and prolific
person.
But there is something else. Parties
are but men. When men keep their
word they make good. When they break
their word they lose their hold on the
public confidence. To-day the issues in
Maine State political life are simply this
has the Plaisted administration lived
up to its promises on the one great issue
in Maine public life? Has it made good?
And the answer is no. 1t promised by
platform; by campaign promises; by the
governors inaugural; by uplifted hand
In high places, to see to it that the laws
were respected and enforced by the duly
elected officers. We have shown this in
many ways, in exact reproduction of the
very words of the administration; by
parallel columns; by liberal extracts of
the speeches of the leaders, To-day
what is the condition of Maine? 1t is
outrageously and rottenly given over to
the control of the criminal classes in
large area of the State. The influence
and the sympathy of the Plaisted adj
minlstration is with the open saloon.
The chief end and aim of Plaistedism
has been to legalize the saloon. Plaist-
edlsm has simply broken faith with the
Folks. 1t won two years ago on false
pretences. 1t fooled five thousand vot-
ers. Most of those voters are so mad
that they don't like to think about it
to-day. They are disguised with the
whole business. They simply say that
they don't propose to be fooled again.
To-day, we are up against Condition
in Maine. Here in Androscoggin, multi
tication is menace to the life and hap
plness of decent people. Men are
being shot down in cold blood at the
doors of their homes Women are pur-
sued by thugs and hold-up men. Masked
creatures lie in wait for the very angels
Of Mercy at the doors of our hospitals
and seek to lay upon them violent and
profane hands of lust or murder. limo
cent people are robbed by night in their
beds and the saloon sends out it's ennis
saries to villify and malign. The rum
shop entertains the official and the COM
moner alike and is not disturbed. They
hardly draw their curtains over their
thousand dollar bars. And we are not
alone. Waterville, in which the Socrates
and the Alcibiades of the Democratic
party reside, is a shameful example of
deliberate and intentional notification;
or else the ui:contradicted stories of re-
cent occurrences are false, Portland is
no better. Statewide is the growing
sentiment of revolt at these conditions.
1t is struggle for the Home. 1t is a
for Public Safety. 1t is strug-
gle for our very lives and liberties. And
no pretty humor or fanciful tales about
things that happened long ago will di-
vert the people of Maine from determi-
nation to clean house in Maine next Sep
tember There will! be but one par
amount issue. And whether man be-
lieves in license or prohibitions; whether |
he believes in the saloon restricted, the |
saloon prohibited or the saloon wide |
open, he will not entrust any longer the
decision of that question to those who
have made mock of our laws and en-
throned in Maine that spirit of nullitica-
ton, which, as Gov Fernald said in his
''rises like menace or stalks
behind US like an evil thing in the
niuht -