Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-28

| coyerics and write to Eckman Labor A.
| tory, Philadelphia. Pa, for addltionai
Legislature was Il resolve changing the
state paper from the Kennebee Journal
| To the New Age
Up 10 that time the New Age was
unknown. The Governor at the time Of
| the new administration was the acting
proprietor Of little weekly sheet here
| in Augusta called the New Age. n mis-
nomer. 1t printed the paper from type
| it borrowed from the Kennebec Journal.
and the Office boy did the work. The
| devil, of course, was round the office
! all the time Qaughter) and he took the
| place of the editor while the editor pre-
/ sided as the Governor of the State
! Now when that resolve came before
the judiciary committee, we looked it
| over and good natured Joe Williamson
said: 1t is a matter of party spoil. this
! State paper, We should have it | said,
| Yes, Joe. for one member | think you
| are entitled to it," and ! thought then,
: and | think now, il is n matter that
| the party in power should control. have
/ the say about. Aud we made no objee-
| ton. We gave Joe a unanimous report.
| It went into the House and Senate and
went through flying as part of the
| spells Of office.
! TO he sure, il was not very wise
! move. We didn't want To make any
| kick about it-becaHse if we are going
| TO make a paper the State paper, we
| ought to take a political paper, Of
course, that is natural, but we should
! take some sheet that has some stand
| ing and some circulation. We could
| have taken the Portland Argus, or the
| Waterville Sentinel at that time, and
| made it the State paper. and it would
! have looked0ia little more decent, but
| then zee couldn't turn aside from the
| Governor. and we said, if it is an adj
| ministfation measure, you know, why
put it through-and we did. Well the
| Governor, while he attended to the du-
| ties of his Office, had the benefit of the
! $1,000, during the past two years.
| And then the administration changed
again and the Republicans were in the
majority in both houses.
! Mr.. MORi3f Of Androscoggin: Won't
the senator repeat that, please2 G.augh-
| ter)
| Mr.. JERSEY: ! will say in answer
| to the senator from Androscoggin that
| perhaps | was in error 1t was so lfn-
! dcrstood that we We're in possession of
! both Houses. Perhaps the Senate was
! the only one in which We had the actual
| possession. But in the first hours of
| the Legislature. acting under that false
presumption, perhaps. | put in a bill
! changing the State paper from the New
| Age to the Kennebec Journal, or put it
| back again where it belonged. and
! didn't suppose there was any Democrat
| in this Legislature who would rise ana
smite that bill on the ground that we
We're playing politics. ! was mistaken
| also there.
The bill went through the committee
all right, because even the Democrats
| on that committee thought it was proper
| spoils of office and We ought TO have il
They gave MS a favorable report and it
came into the Senate. and not a Demo-
crat, even the senator from Androscog-
gin did not rise up against it. because
he recognized as a matter of principle,
a matter of politics, we were entitled
to it, and Of course he didn't make any
fight in the Senate or in committee over
the matter-let it go on to the House,
for it is no use to fight for a principle
in the Senate, you understand, the place
to fight for your principles is in the
House-I am speaking now from the
Democratic standpoint. We had post
master in the Senate. 1t was a wicked
matter of course to have a postmaster
in the Senate. He ought to be unseated
But the senator from Androscoggin.
and the other senators of the Demo-
cratic party said, although it was a
great principle TO fight for they would
not fight for that principle in the Sen
ate. they would allow that principle 10
he fought out in the House TO make
a fight for such n principle in the Sen
ate of course--dont do it. And so the
state paper went on to the House.
Well the Democrats forgot about two
years ago. and they got together and
had a caucus on the State paper and
decided that the Argus shouldn't have
it, that the Sentinel shouldn't have il,
but that it should remain where it was,
for the reason that the editor was out
of his job and he would have To dis
charge the dcYn ana go BACK ana 40
the work to make a living, and he wasn't
sure of getting a job. and of course it
wouldn't do to leave an Ex-Governor
ont of n job, any way of some kind.
Well. that is all right if they didn't
want 10 play the golden rule with MS.
| underst stand the golden rule is not used
by the Democrats in this Legislature.
That is abolished. They are good fell
lows enough, but as far as the golden
rule in politics is concerned they do not
recognize it. So they did not--when it
came into the House they stood man to
derstand. Well, they could not accom-
pish 1t that way. They had to have
some help, and so they looked around
for the Progressives III the House. | do