Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-12-21
Gardner and the GRANGE.


y Democratic newspaper gives the
| following report of an incident which
seriously disturbed the closing days
session of the Maine State Grange at
Portland
The feature of the grange session today
was an alteration in the corridor of City
| Hall between Senator Gardner and E. NJ
Frye of Bangor. Mr.. Frye told The Sun
representative that he was talking with
| friends about the Senator's speech of
Tuesday night and said that. Mr., Gardner
did wrong to attack Mr.. Copeland, an
other granger, in open meeting and call
him dirty nasty sneak"
Another person standing by defended
Mr.. Gardner and said he did not say it
| so strong.
Yes did, said the Senator who was
| nearby. Il called him a dirty nasty
sneak and liar and so is any man who
will write such letter as he did"
| Mr.. Frye defended Mr.. Copeland whom
the senator charged with writing derog-
atory letters and Mr. Gardner added
with Mr.. E. NJ. Frye's name signed to
| Them
II deny it," said Mr. Frye '.Ill wager
$4,000 that. you can't produce such a
letter signed by me-"
Senator ;lafdner said. .'Ilf wager 500
| that / saw such a letter.
| The resolutions endorsing a farmer for
/ u. >. senator were then discussed In a
| lively manner. Somebody said: This is
| no place to discuss a private Grange
matter" Mr.. Gardner said: "1his is not
a private Grange matter and ] will dis
cuss it before anybody at any time
The gentlemen then passed into the
hall and the controversy was ended but
/ the discussion has been continued wher-
ever Grange members met during the re-
mainder of the day.
| Mr. Gardeners bitterness and de-
cidedly unsenatorial language to bro
Their patrons, seems to have grown out
of the defeat of his attempt through
friends to secure passage of a resolu-
ton. providing that the Maine State
Grange endorse a farmer for the SEN
ate. The present senator's name was
not mentioned in the resolution but it
was known who was meant. State
Master Stetson at once declared the
resolution out of order and would not
bring it to a vote. The stand taken
politics. The friends of Mr.. Gardner
thought the State master had acted
hastily, but the majority agreed with
Mr.. Stetson and thought he did the
right thing.
That Mir. Gardner is bad loser and
always ready to denounce all the OPP
position in sight in Gardneresque lam
guage, is shown by reporters. In a
statement IL The Lewiston sun,
Thursday evening outside the Grange
sessions Senator Gardner said in re-
gard to certain matters that came up
in the Grange sessions that he had had
no part in any resolutions offered to
this or the 1916 session He said:
1.-TWO years ago questioned the wis
dom of the executive committee endors-
ing "a farmer for L. 5. Senator | knew
nothing about the committees action then
| until it was reported to me, but if the
action taken then was right why is it
not right now? How could the state
Master who signed the original resolution
in 1910, rule it out of order today?
| ut is being discussed freely through
the corridors of City hall and at the ho-
tells that politics is taking more active
part in this matter now than then, That
is why an attempt is being maze to sup
press it.
Il have had it said to me more than 50
times that the executive committee OF
the State Grange is working for a U. s.
senator who is not of the party that is
advocating a farmer"
II is not surprising that State Mas
ter Stetson and other Jealous Grang-
ers see the evil of political entry into
Grange affairs. MIR. Ststson's rigid
course. in spite of his personal friend
ship for Mr.. Gardner, is commended
everywhere. A patron said to the
Journal on Friday that State Master
Stetson's prompt dealings with THE sit
uation had won new friends for him.
and had strengthened the Grange as
a body.
The Grange is much bigger than any
mans ambition, and it will do well tc
continue its straight away course fol