The Republican journal., 1912-03-28
THE GOVERNORS DILEMMA.
Bangor Daily News.l.

Bangor Daily News.1.
Had Governor Plaisted realized that
the Republicans of Maine-rum Republic
cans as well as prohibitory Republicans,
had accepted the vote cast last Septem-
Der in favor of wide enforcement
that the sane and thoughtful members
of both parties had accepted the vote of
last September as final and decisive-if
not decisive by great majority-had
our kindly Governor realized that all the
old rum" Republicans of year ago
were coming back to the extra session
as Neal Dow prohibitionists, it is doubt
full if the extra-special session had ever
been called. Redistricting, two million
dollar loan and bitterest kinds of parti
sanship might have gone to the dogs or
gone over to the next regular session,
sooner than risk flat defeat from the Re-
publican minority in the present extra
session. For the Democratic majority
in the legislature and the Democratic
managers in Maine, count heavily upon
making great outward show. However
false and misleading the doctored and
unexplainable financial showings may be
they will only seem to make good and
seem so real loud and emphatic that they
must be trotted out and put through
their courses every month, or oftener.
The Governor presumes to draw large
ly upon his imagination when he states
that the prohibitory majority of Maine
last September was not factual index
to the actual sentiments of the Maine
voters at that time.
The Governor also goes far out of his
course, when he says in substance that
the legal voters in the country towns of
Maine did not know how to vote with in
telligence.
Possibly the Governor and his allies,
the rumsellers of Maine, believe they can
afford to insult the clearly and country
people of Maine and classify them among
the jail birds and criminals and 'Indians
not counted" This is something which
the voters of Maine must determine at
the polls next September. AS rule it
does not pay any party leader or candi-
date openly to call the country vote in
any community dolts or fools.
The terror among Republican office
holders-the fear of losing their fat jobs
is now over. Enough have withstood
the assaults of greed and selfishness to
cast clear majority for prohibition. It
is begging the question and crying baby
to claim that the rum element in the
State was defeated last September be-
cause the temperance voters were lack
ing in intelligence.
The temperance voters of Maine are
not all fools, as the Governor implies.
They did not come from Missouri and do
not "have to be shown" Such an i'm
plication is an insult to Maine manhood
and to Maine womanhood.
The Governor has certainly wandered
far away from his former pledge of
Making all Maine as dry as covered
BRIDGE" since counting and declaring
the returns from last September's cleo
lion.
He is quibbling and splitting hairs and
evading the real issue before the people.
1t is conduct unworthy of the gentle
man he claims to be.
If the designing and tricky probibi-
tlonlsts were able to pull the wool over
the country voters eyes, the way the
u overnor claims they We're, why has not
the newly-made Governor turned his new
corrupt practices act upon them? That
was what this act was placed upon the
BOOKS for-to secure purity at elections. :.
Why does not the Governor undertake
CRIMINAL prosecutions against these coun- !
try dolts and numbskulls; incidentally. |
why does not the chief executive mapis-
trate OF Maine go ahead and carry out
what he promised to perform nearly two
years ago make all Maine as dry as
covered bridget"
He confesses he cannot do it, although
he has not tried. He gives up to Demon
Rum without contest.
AS one Of the most capable Republic
can lawyers in eastern Maine worded the
present situation few days ago:
1.-The Governor now has a choice be-
tween two methods of securing prohibi-
ton in Maine. He can get it by legisla-
ion, or by notification. He has chosen
notification to hold the vote of the out
aw rumsellers.''