Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-20

ipouiiG 10 be loss that SHOWS, dtlcl
: the wheels have whirred i'm variouslN
timed revolutions to suit the PAGES Of
more than one vocation.
Even the mighty w. r. F. does not
shine with the pen as he used to do
The cares of the attorney generalship
of cunning the fortunes of a city, OF
ldictating the policies of a great party
land of editing a mighty organ have
worn ruts into the mentality which
once caused "The Maine Democrat
to sparkle.
Recent re-hashes are fairly good
but Patt has lost much in the delivery
Iof his punch. We weep in conse-
Iquence. for the sage of Meddybemps
has faded all too quickly. Just when
1.-THE eastern Maine comet of journalism
fought to flare the brightest across the
political heavens, it shows marked
Idecadence.
Two years ago in February Editor
Pattangall inveighed against man
who could be kept on the defensive.
He had no use for candidate who
had said things, one way or the other,
or at least candidate who cared a
rap what people thought of him. JUST
now the Democratic dictator is get
ting worried, because all his associates
are on the defensive. to the extent of
dipping his pen once more.
But there's something in the ink.
Even a lay reader would recognize it.
The Pattangall ink is thinner than of
old; perhaps too much preseryative
to keep it from souring. but it's thin.
One might almost suspect the Fassett
had been opened. so poor rethash
of the old style is served.
In February. 1910, Editor Pattangall
of the Maine Democrat, said; "Democ-
racy is not going to die. 1t may SUI
fer from temporary illness--but it
will survive. Democracy is a great.
big. important affair. while obadiah,
Gardner, the Maine Democrat and the
editor thereof. might all pass away
tomorrow and the world would hardly
notice the difference"
So true. So true, THE Democrat"
DID die and Gardner and Pattangall
have not. up to the moment. but the
Democrat is missed more in Maine
newspaper offices than both of these
would be. We had even hoped that
some of that Ito Maine Democratic
leaders, elixir of life such as revived
the Franklin Journal. might be fed to
the ghost of that soul of would be
Democracy. the Democrat. Alas. we
have bunch that il could never come
back Not even the Wirth OF Jacol
could restore the body to Pattaagall
ink. 1t is too thin: too sad re-hash,
Te be sure the same old style is fol-
lowed. in the same old way. but it is
stale when compared with the col
umns of other days. In 1910 the Dem
ocratic Dictator could hardly have
been eoerced into threat or promise
he confined himself towel. just Pat
Itangallism.
The other day the oyerworked Wa
terville statesman essayed to come
back and dabbed at an unlabeled col
umn on platforms 1t was supposed
to be funny" but it wasn't the old
spontaneous funny" of those other
days. no more than is the poor pro-
hibition whiskey of which the Demo-
Gratis tell u.s. like that other wondrous
stuff which licensed saloons are said
to offer.
Yes, the Democrats are worried,
Like Gardner in 1910, all are on the
defensive The mighty Pattangall
feels the pressure. He sees the fabric
woven by the deft Lamont torn to
shreds by few plain facts. He sees
indignation on all sides because the
leaders of Democracy have violated
every promise made on the stump.
His Divining Rod commission, after
raking over 80 years of Republican
administration for campaign material,
have discovered that State Treas
urer once deposited his personal check
for State funds-and the Pattangall
aggregation must defend the cost of
these investigations in a regime of
economy"
Mr. Pattangall must explain to the
people of Maine the loss of thousands
| of dollars in fees because he insisted
on saving the salary of an assistant
attorney general
Mr.. Pattangall sees the necessity of
| convincing the people that this notori-
| Gus era of open notification and braz-
| en- encouragement of violation of law,
is the kind of an administration which
| Democratic leaders promised; that yo-
| ters took Democracy at its word and
elected them because they (the voters
| wanted rumshops, dives, gambling
l