Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-03-11
Road "our Letter Box" This Issue.
Our Portland friend, Mr.. Cummings,

Our Portland friend, Mr.. Cummings,
returns to the attack biting wildly
in all directions. He exactly proves
our argument Gas we believed he
would, that the logic" Of the few in
tolerant Progressives who are fighting
bIindly to proiong the life Of the move
ment, without considering the means.
is abuse Of former associates-and
they are siaughtcring the movement.
From the very first that tendency has
| characterized the utterances OF few
bosses and radical writer's. Repub-
licans were good enough associates
until they refused to be utterly subju-
| gated to the will of an ultra-radical
element, and then they instantly be-
came thieves" robbers" 'hypo-
critics." liars and, presumably, Sec
ond story men and Apaches.
Men like Mr.. Cummings, who can
think Of nothing bad enough to say Of
their former political associates, have
ruined the Progressive cause in nearly
every state of the Union, by discredit-
ing It.. perverting the public under
standing of its principles and purpose.
and effectively and inevitably giving
the lie to all it's high professions Of
Christian spirit. The Editor Dingleys
and the George w. Singers and the
F. d. Cummingses have promptly and
effectively accomplished that which
honest Republican patience and bro
therly love could not have attained
In . score Of ars-disapprobation Of
the leadership Of the progressive move
ment In Maine as group Of disap-
pointed seekers and would-be dicta-
tors.
Holmes said: 'I find the great thing
In this world Is not so much where
we stand, as in what direction we are
moving. To reach the port Of Hea-
ven. we must sail sometimes with the
wind and sometimes against it-but
we must sail, and not drift, nor lis at
anchor"
Our friends may stand" at Arm
ageddon or any other port on the tenn
perance question, but If they do noth-
ing but throw mud at those who are
earnestly and persistently trying to do
something-and who this year have ac-
complished more than everbefore-they
will not help the cause of progress
or make a single step along the DAM
ascus Road.
Our Portland friend robs his posi-
tion Of all force or respect by ignor-
ing the good work done in the past
nine months In enforcing the law
which he claims to favor. He abuses
the good with the bad, and seems to
think he is rendering himself and his
associates service by so doing. But
he is not. Many honest Christian gen.
tieuen, men who believe in Justice and
fair play. turned to the Progressive
faction TO rebuke their old party. They
are not misled or held to their new
alliance by wholesale denunciation of
the Dineiey-singer order.
Our Portland friend refuses 10 speak
for his party on the prohibition and
enforcement question. or to grant a
word Of approval for the good accom-
piished under the Haines enforcement
regime Of the past nine months We
would call Mr.. Cummings attention to
the letter Of Progressive which ap-
pears in the Portland Press Of Tues
day morning. Mar 10. Believing that
the rank and file Of the Progressive
faction will best answer such as Mr..
Cummings and Editor Dingley, and
Editor Singer Of the Damariscotta
Herald, and the few self-constituted
dictators. including Mr.. Perkins we
ask these last gentlemen referred to
not to indulge in too much bitterness
toward those Progressive brothers
who see clearly. like Mr.. John II. Kill
lam. whose letter to the Press we are
taking the liberty to publish immedI-
ately following that Of Mr. Cummings.
Properly Dingleyized, this man KILL
lam Is a traitor. snake in the grass,
a pretender going with the Progress
sives to betray them with a kiss at
critical moment. a Hale-Burleigh-
Penrose-H -Haines- Borah- -Cummins- Her
sey- y-Simpson-Aldrich- Taft -Milliken cuss
from Bitter criek.
Read our Letter BOX" this issua for
enlightenment on topics Of the hour.