Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-19


i sentiment Of this district on the is
/ sue. If you can think of any good
reason why minority sopinion should
| be indorsed by electing its exponent
should like to have It,
There is, however an assistant
Democratic candidate. who. possibly,
may so divide the protection vote that
/ fhe principal Democratic candidate
| may be elected.
| why is this gentleman running
Why does he force his name on the
ticket without the backing of
primary nomination, when it is evil
| dent that it will help the election of
Democrat? 1t ought to be for good
reason. II must be for one of three;
EITHER he wants the personal honor
or to help the Democrats, or because
he represents and wants to carry on
some principle different from those
held by any other candidate
Il hold that persons count for noth-
ing as against principles No mans
ambition in this contest should be
considered for moment. If Mr.. Law
renee does not have some reason for
running. other than his desire for
office. he should receive no vote but
his own.
Il cannot believe that Mr.. Lawrence
has wedged himself into this fight on
purpose to help the Democrats. al
though he did so well knowing that it
must have that effect.
= What different principles then does
Mr. Lawrence stand for? The burden
is on him to explain. His only good
excuse for being in this contest must
be that he stands on the other side
of line, which is clearly drawn be-
tween us He refused an offer to sift
us down to one candidate against the
Democrats, l offered to go into the
primaries with him and let the peo-
pie take their choice. He declined the
proposition. If he does not stand for
some basic principle different from
those stand for, he has no excuse for
running and should withdraw. 1t
should be some vital, fundamental
principle to warrant his letting us in
for chance to be represented by
Democrat, holding the views of one
third of the people of the district.
1T seemed to me that the main is
sue of this campaign was the tariff.
| think so still With the exception of
the currency question, I know of no
question at the present time of any
compared with the tariff,
II Mr. Lawrenee's views differed from
mine on that vital present issue. he
had right and it was his duty to
get into this contest so that the people
favoring his views as against mine
could vote for Inn as against any other
candidate.
Il informed him before his nominal
tion that l stood for the general prin
siple of protection with provisions for
elasticity by means of a non-partisan
expert tariff commission. Afterwards,
when he accepted his convention nom
nation, he stated exactly the same
views, so there is no difference be-
ween us on this fundamental ques-
ion
IF it would be any advantage in
out our opinions to send Mr..
Lawrence to Washington rather than
myself / should be the last man to
stand in the way. l showed this,
think, when / offered to take your
opinion by a vote as to which one of
us should be the candidate. In my
opinion it would be futile for us in
this district to send him because he
would not Join the group. the real OPP
position party of 127 Republicans, who
are withstanding the 300 Democrats in
Congress. but he would add one to the
Progressives now rapidly diminish
ing in the West 1t would not be the
most emphatic expression of our
opinion.
'The fact is that Mr.. Lawrence, as
soon as the vacancy in this delegation
occurred. remembered that $4,000 peo-
pie in this district voted, last fall for
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Lawrence hopes
to be the political heir of Mr. Roose-
welt and to fool those 1900 people into
voting for him on the ground that he
represents something higher and better
and nobler than do some other business
men and citizens of the district, like
myself. This 'holier than thou doc
trine may be overworked. l have not
forgotten that I was working my arms
off for the Workmen's Compensation
bill last winter when, as we are in
loI iltu III d lctNeT VI MI. X. "A. ExuuN
Il man of unquestioned standing, who
ably represented the labor unions at
Augusta, Mr.. Lawrence was opposing
1t. OF course it affected the wages in
his factory just the same as it did the
wages of men employ in the woods
You gentlemen know as we'll as
that there We're other reasons for Mr.
Roosevelts vote. He was the mos
picturesque and popular figure ir
America. The force of his great per.
sonality carried millions of men with
him. That was one reason. Mr.. Taft
became thoroughly unpopular with his
own party. He was no politician. He
personally favored legislation, which
we believed was detrimental to our in
terests up here. The proceedings o.
the Chicago Convention. at which III
was nominated, were Objectionable t.
many people. These were the princi
pal reasons for the vote for Mr.. Roose
welt. Do they apply to Mr.. Lawrence
The question answers itself. Withou
doubt the Progressive movement voices
certain dissatisfaction with the Re
publican party, or it's leaders, growing
out of the Chicago Convention, bu
they have been we'll punished. Man!
of them are gone. The Roosevelt re
volt has done itS work Without doub