Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-29
Friday, May 2e, 1914.
"The Independent Voters"

Those party newspapers Whlch uiscuss
whether or not Progressives are solhs 70
vote Progressive or Republicans are 60
ing to vote Republican or democrats Is V tbe
Democrat are sadly mistaken as 10 tne
temper and thought of the voter III theSe
enlightened days.
Man who have used Party for their
own purposes and who laugh IN ehell
sleeves at the poor fools who tran pc
hind them at their bidding are DONG
most of this kind of talk 1t is their sal-
walton, that people vote b1ndly; Inc Jay
of weak, greedy, unenlighteneG' auNeIi Il
tious leaders is over. Men of purpose
high moral character. self-poise, learn
ing and ability and the single purpose
of public good are in demand. me parry
leader is one with the Cannons ana the
Penroses. Maine will do more lndepeno-
ent voting in 1914 than ever before. she
is doing her thinking now.-Lewlston
Journal
Right you are and we are glad you
have at last found that out. We would
add to it that the people are not only
thinking, but they are sizing up the
men and parties who pose as having
all the virtues. Along this line our able
friend the Springfield Republican the
other day said something worth whlle'
Here is a part of it:
II is quite coincidence after
reading the vigorous speech of that
honest and excellent gentleman,
Charles Sumner Bird, to come upon
this passage in the Columbus (oD
State Journal: THE thing to do when
going into politics is to keep sweet.
Remember the country is not depend
ing on what you think. and so 1t is
other
fellow disagrees with you" The Ohio
editor who penned that is good deal
of a philosopher, and appears to be
person of mature years, as would ap-
pear from the following
We have a volume of political speeches
that we have gathered from campaigns
of 90 or 50 years ago, and they seem. to
one reading them now, like Few pages
of the Anabasis or of Caesars campaigns
in Gaul, so lightly do they eoalesce WITH
the life of today. And one can read IN
those speeches some doctrine that their
advocates zealously announced as abso-
lutely necessary to the perpetuity OF the
republic, now peacefully slumbering un-
der the mounds of oblivion. NO; don
let US get so excited over what we MINK
Let us keep sweet.
II is we'll to stand by your convlc-
tons, even to martyrdom, Il that
must be; but it is not good for man to
live at a white heat of anger and for
ever indulge in intolerant denuneia-
ton of the other fellow. 1t is strain
ed and abnormal condition, even un-
der the greatest provocation. When
Emerson came out of political meet
ing, looked up into the sky, and found
the stars saying to him: why so
hot. little man." he found the peace
of good sense Those who behold all
that is good. true and beautiful under
one political name, and all that is
hateful and unworthy under another
may fool themselves, but their bitter
speech is not converting to citizens
who possess any measure of judicial
sense. There are plenty of honest
men in all political parties
There is coming to be a cant of poll
tics, employed by those who claim to
be the only friends of the people,
that is in the way of ceasing to COM
mand respect. AS the Ohio editor
puts it, "the thing to do when going
into politics is to keep sweet"-that is,
to play fair, and omit to assert an
absolute monopoly of all political viz
tue and common honesty. 1t is not to
the advantage of any cause when
overmuch discount needs to be placed
upon political oratory. To give an /
immunity bath TO all who will come
under your banner. particularly any
who have money to bestow, is to
awaken cynical feelings in the minds |
of sensible people with an outlook
broad enough SO that they can afford
TO be fair in dealing with their OPP
pOnents Let US not only keep |
sweet but seek at all times to pre-
serve our good sense and play fair.