Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-19
Editorial Comment.
Broken Faith Brings Broken Power"
(Washington PostD

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For the first time in the history of our
nation a great. powerful political party
has been deliberately made the instru-
ment of direct reputation of pledge it
made to the people, and upon which it
obtained power.
The leaders of that party who hold
their positions through that pledge: who
obtained authority by solemnly accept
ing the party platform and vehemently
protesting their fidelity to the promises
it made the people, have established a
precedent that must never be repeated
in the national history and which the
voters of the United States will neither
forgive nor forget.
No political party could have succeed
ed in obtaining the approval of the vot-
ers of the United States in 1912 to the
measure of repeal which has just passed
the Congress.
The Democratic candidate knew that,
and so did all his party associates.
The Progressive candidate knew that,
and so did the citizens who voted for
him.
The Republican candidate knew that,
and patriotic Americans as all three
were, not one of them but plainly, I'M
equivocally directly stated to the. vot-
ers what he and his party proposed to
do for the interests of the people of the
United States in the operation of the
canal our people built and paid for.
We make this statement of facts that
cannot be evaded nor denied.
The Democratic candidate was elected.
The Democratic party was given power
The country knows that if the Demo
cratic candidate and his party leaders
had outlined the program of the repeal
that has just been carried out they
would not have carried five states In the
| Union.
There is a moral bearing. national
moral bearing, to this question and the
conditions by which the political power
was obtained. that The Post regards as
above and beyond all matters pertaining
to foreign relations, to transportation
corporation demands, or to any other
affairs connected with administration.
The faith of the men who voted for the
Democratic presidential candidate anc
the other candidates of the Democratic
party was of the purely biblical quality
as described in Hebrews, Xxi: l:
Faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.
The faith of 1912 was based upon the
pledges of the Democratic platform anc
the promises of the candidates.
The country has seen the Reputation
| of that pledge; a pledge which, If 1t hac
not been made. the party would not bt
in power.
AS to the promise. it IL sufficient fol
| the voters of the United states sto reac
the action Of the President and the ma
| jority of the Democratic leaders in Con
gress on the repeal of the exemption law
Thus stands the record of the party ano
the administration leaders from July
1912, to June, 1914. They made this rec
ord. The people did not.
The voters of the United States have
a keen moral sense as we'll as politica
power.
They will see to 1t this autumn tina
broken faith will result in broken power
The hand of the people of the United
States is ready to trace the words:
Meme, Meme, Tekei, Upharstn' as ap
plicable to the leaders who have brough
this humiliation to the party and tn
country.