The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-09-10
An Appeal to Roosevelt Men
Bv col. Frederick Hale Of Portland

BY (OL. rIeOetACA 1A4sS "
Col. Frederick Hale of Portland. the
Maine member of the Republican nation
al COMMITTEES, at rally in Damariscotta
last week addressed himself particularly
tn the voters who supported Theodore
Roosevelt at the presidential election in
1912. giving several reasons why they
should assist in the election OF the Re-
publican ticket at the coming State
election. Other speakers were Governor
William T. Halnes, Fred NJ. Lawrence,
ESQ. and the Hon. Robert =. Luce, for
mer lieutenant governor OF Massachu.
settles. The rally was largely attended.
Col. Hale said that he was not schedul-
ed to speak at this meeting, but he had
been urged to do so by some OF the men
who had Joined with him in 1912 to help
elect Roosevelt delegates to the Repub-
lican national convention at Chicago.
Col. Hale said he wanted to talk largely
to these old Roosevelt supporters, who
might be in his audience or elsewhere
about the State. 1t made little difference
whether they were Republicans or Pro-
pressives, whether they staid IN the Re-
publican party in November 1912 when
Col. Roosevelt started new party, or
whether they followed Roosevelt into the
new party, his message to them all was
the same. a.
On the face of the returns in the pres
iden tial election of 1912 Col. Hale said it
would look as though the Republican
chances in Maine and IN the second Con-
gressional district were pretty sum. IF
my figures are correct" said Col. Hale.
"Lincoln county cast $50 odd votes for
m fr>r RI
1900 for President Wilson, but two years
OF the very excellent business admins
tration Of Governor Haines and TWO years
OF the very deplorable business admins
tration Of President Wilson have shown
us one tting-we don't want any more
of the Democratic party. either In the
State or in the nation"
If it were simply question between
the Democratic and Republican parties,
Col. Hale went on to say, there IS little
question what the result would be, but
unfortunately we have to reckon with a
third party whose strength is entirely
unknown. From the returns in the last
presidential election one would suppose
that it was the second party in the State
at least. The claim was made in the
eters-Pattangall contest in the third dis
trict last September that the Progressive
party was the second strongest party in
hat district, but the results did not bear
this out. The Republicans doubled their
vote in that district and elected their man,
and the Progressive vote fell off more
than one-half. To greater or less ex-
tent the same thing has happened all
over the country. The Republican party
which was badly shattered in 1912, and
which many people at that time believed
to be dead party, has revived and is
coming back into its own again.
"NoW want to say few words about
this change and the reasons for it," said
Col. Hale. During the latter part of
President Taft's administration felt, and
a good many of the rest of you felt, that
the Republican party was getting into a
rut, that it needed change, new leaders,
new methods and new ideas; in other
words that it needed to be more progress
sive. Accordingly when Theodore Roose-
welt threw his hat into the ring and an
nounced himself as candidate for the
Republican nomination for the presiden-
cy many of US in this State gladly went
in for him and we carried Maine. Every.
thing looked fine. We had most har.
monlous State convention, adopted a
magnificent progressive platform, ano
everyone went home in the best of spirits.
Then came Chicago. We all remember
that fight, it's results and the split after
wards when Roosevelt left the Republi.
can party and started new party of his
own. Then came the question of what
you and l., who were Roosevelt men,
should do. Should We throw off our Re.
publican allegiance and go over, bag anc
baggage, to the new party, or should we
accept the nomination of President Taft
and stick with the party? Or should we
while we still counted ourselves Republi.
cans cast our vote for the man in whom
we believed-Theodore Roosevelt-eve
though he had left the party in which we
believed, the Republican party. The
question was no easy one to decide.
confess that in my own case put in {
good many hours of thought over it
The way did not look entirely clear tt
me. My reasons still held good abou
the need of reform in the Republican
party-mind you am talking about the
of the Chicago convention was general,
considered victory for Barnes of New
York and Penrose of Pennsylvania ant
SUlIle OIueIo VI tuSiI llhep anu ulu lo
like Mr.. Barnes or Mr.. Penrose. | dit
not want them TO lead any party wa
connected with. They stood for 'stant
pattism' and even retrogression and
wanted progress. am not making any
apology for what did or why l did it
but my case was just like that of hundred
of you Lincoln county Republicans. Yo'
wei ghed the matter just as did ant
you came to your own conclusions JUS
as l did. My conclusion was to remain
with the Republican party and supper
its nominee although he was not my per
sonal choice. l believed that there wa
good left in the old party, that it wa
bigger than Mr.. Barnes or Mr.. Penros
and that it would soon rise above them
had seen new and progressive crow
get control of the Republican party il
Maine and l believed that that was tn
sort of party that | would tie to ant
stick to. Many of you did not. Man.
of you voted for Roosevelt while still in
tending to remain Republicans. Some
not believing that any good could be lef
in the old party, went over entirely t.
the Progressive party. l can't blam
them. 1t was simply question O.
judgment. 1t was somewhat OF lot
| r,.H %ho question oo RI What sort Of