Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-09
Editorial Comment
The Third District Campaign.
portland Express


1t is entirely legitimate for thu
Democratic newspapers To encourag e
the nomination of Progressive as
an independent candidate for Congress
in the Third Maine District. Thar
they should do so is to be expected
and therefore their efforts in that di
rection are discounted in the begin
ming. II a Progressive candidate had
been in nomination against Mr.
Goodwin and Mr. Gould in the cleo
ton last year, and that Progressive
candidate had received 500 votes,
Forrest Goodwin would have been de-
feated and Samuel w. Gould re-
elected to Congress. This year, if the
Democrats can induce a man to go
before the people labeled as an indie
pendent Progressive, if he is able to
secure a thousand or fifteen hundred
votes. more or less the result will
be the election of Democrat to
succeed Forrest Goodwin.
Normally the Third District is op.
posed to the Democratic party. The
Democracy has one chance of winning
in the special election to come, ana
that one chance must he furnished by
Il
government, and who is strong enough
Ia secure a few hundred followers, all
of whom are also opposed To the DEM
ocratie party. The Democratic aim Is
to cater to this third party movement,
to give it all possible encouragement
and help. The Democratic ehestnuts
are in the fire, if the campaign, is
fought on the merits of the Demo-
cratic doctrine. The question is, are
there Progressives enough in the
counties which make up the Third
District, who will allow themselves To
be put in the position of pulling those
chestnuts out of the fire. we SHAH
see whether cajolery and fattery Is
effective among the voters of the dis
trict.
In the meantime it is interesting 10
note that in all parties the day of
the rule of the boss is ended. Citizens
of Maine do their own political think
ing now. Both the old parties nave
been taught that the voters neither
need nor desire to have their thinking
done for them. They delegate to no
man or group of men, the right TO Jay
ont n political course for them to fol.
low. This is as true of the men VINO
count themselves To be Progressiyes as
il is of their neighbors, who still re-
tain their political affiliations with the
old parties. 1t does not SIGNIFY any
hint even of the popular MIND, wheh
those who assume TO be leaders an
nounce party purposes. The purposes
If the people, be they Republican,
Democratic or Progressive are cher
ished in the minds of the great mass
of the voters and are not eonceh
trated under any one mans hat.
We are entirely willing to abide by
the decision of the voters. Ii a ma
ioritv of them desire that the Demo-
cratic ticket, when selected, snail rep
resent that district in Congress, ana
that the district shall go on record as
in favor of the Democratic tarif leg
islation. il is the. privilege OF the ma
iority TO rule and it makes no diner
ence whether the voters cast theil
votes directly for the Democratic can
lidate or indirectly for him by the
of some other candidate. The
,nlv necessary thing is that it be
understood that the pro-
posed tariff legislation is on triai anu
hat the vote must be against me TAR
IF measure and therefore for the Re-
nublican candidate. or for the tariii
measure and therefore for either OF
INV other candidates who may go pe-
fore the people. And if this is under
stood. neither foxy editorials in Demo-
ratio papers, nor any other influences,
,a, we believe. prevent the election
If q Republican.