Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-24
WITHOUT PUNCH!
White Hopes Of Democracy
Haven't Much Promise.
Gossip Of The Day With Curtis
and PattangaII Taking Count.
Haley Not Likely to Enter--.Morey Is
Recepiive.-.keegan and Mclntire.

Receptive...keegan and Mcintire.
The Democratic politician leans be-
ligerently over his cluttered desk to
state that his party has plenty of
strong candidates for next summers
election that the Democratic organ
ization isn't worrying any over who
will run for the Republicans, and that
many surprises are due before the
fight is on in earnest.
All of which is quite true, and put
in very concise form.
A long time ago a man was bitten
by n dog. A shiftless resident of the
same town was brought into court,
charged with being responsible for the
dogs lack of diplomacy. His defense
vas as follows
In the first place, that dog O mine
never bit no man in his life; in the
second place the man he bit is an on
cry, low down cuss an oughter been
bit, an, in tie last place, he amt my
dog anyway"
Now, in the first place Democracy
has plenty of strong candidates. but
each so unsuited to a half dozen other
| factions as to be impossible; in the
second place, the organization isn't
worrying over the Republican candi-
/ dates because it hasn't time enough to
do its own worrying in good shape,
and, in the last place, there amt any
Democratic organization anyway!
Several months ago, before the spe-
! cal election, to be exact, w. r. Pat
tangau had things pretty much his
own way Having adopted anti-prohi-
bition as his own little pet terrier the
| otlltT lduS were IoICtu TO cOHle over
| to his dooryard if they would watch
| the pup sic up and roll over and drink
| from its masters hand without chew
| ing off a thumb for free lunch. Even
| Oakley c, Curtis, mayor Of Portland.
! and apparently the strongest man in
sight for the Democratic gubernatorial
ncmiration, placed MS ante with the
rest and sat back to wait for his turn.
| Oakley slipped through a coal investi-
CATION with colors not very seriously
! damaged. Mayor and State Senator
Morcy, who fostered the investigation
to remove Mr.. Curtis from the path to
the State House executive chamber,
suffered accordingly and the Pattangall
camp found it advisable to treat with
the Portland forces.
PattaneaII's Way Out.
1t is hinted that negotiations did not
| develop TO the liking of the Kennebec
dictator-Cumberland proved stingy
with its ephemeral patronage!-and,
Pattaugan sought a way out. He de-
prived Sam Gould of the primary nom
| ination to succeed the Hon. Forest
| Goodwin to Congress, aided the Pro-
! gressives to launch their ticket, join
ed the third party in meetings in the
same hall and did everything possible
| to sew up the election out of the Hon.
John A. Peters reach.
Pattangall is still figuring out the
way it happened, and trying to find
enough of his shattered fences to keep
the Office fire going.
| That, of course, left Oakley in vir-
| tual control of the field. His policies
are much like those of Pattangall as
regards enforcement of the law-fur-
| ther weakening factor being found in
| his position before coal investigating
| committee in the last Legislature. But,
| for the moment, he seemed the ideal
| Democratic candidate. Then Sheriff
Scully died and Mayor Curtis stood
revealed in his true light. 1t wasn't
pleasant spectacle for aw-abiding
citizenry A flood of liquor and scores
of inmates of houses of ill-fame i'm
mediately left Boston to take advan-
tage of the change they had been in
| formed would take place in Portland.
| But such storm of protest arose that
/ Curtis was driven to face about and
make a pretence of respect for the law
/ And those who We're cognizant of con-
ditions in Portland at that time know
what a hollow pretence it proved.
But Mayor Curtis went ahead plac-
ing his State wires and, in his spare
time, made preparations for plural
ity of at least 1900 or 100 votes to
manifest his strength in his own city.
The fight was waged on the issues OF
] prohibition and support of Gov. Haines