Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10
argest Political Convention Ever Held in History of State

as a protest against the leaders and
leadership under Grant. 1t has sur
vived the Greenback Movement of
1873, which grew out of opposition to
the policy of the government in re-
Stunning specie payment. 1t conducted
the affairs of this government in a
safe. sane, business-like and success
full manner for more than so years, ex-
cepting only the two terms of Presi-
dent Cleveland.
Experience, Ability, Patriotism.
If experience, ability, patriotism and
successful achievement count for any
thing it would seem that the Republi-
can party is a safe and competent
agency to entrust with the affairs of
government.
Has it accomplished its purpose?
Has it finished it's work? Surely in
national affairs it never was so much
needed. Standing for protection these
many years, always opposed to free
foreign competition, always UNFOLDING
the dignity of the country with a firm
and consistent foreign policy, it has
come upon a time when it sees a
party in power, which declares that
our policy for the protection of
American industries is unconstitu-
tional and which has put upon the
statute books a law approaching free
trade as nearly as it dared-not only
that, but a law which stultifies its au-
thors by unjust and sectional dis
elimination in removing the equaliz-
ing protective tariff duties from the
products Of the Northern states while
it retains the benefits of them for
Southern products. Either We are 60
ing to be hurt in cur business by this
change of policy or we have been
totally wrong and misguided in the
economic ideas and theories that we
have contended for and prospered I'M
der for many years.
In State affairs where We have
stood for honest and economical gov
eminent, enforcement of law wise and
progressive legislation with reforms
end changes adapted to modern con-
ditions of society, we find the other
parties preparing to make an attack
upon the constitution, one avowedly
for the purpose of changing the set
tied policy of the State concerning
prohibition. and the other in a way
that would not only include this, but
would open a channel for other
vicious and hasty changes in the con-
sttution that all good citizens will
view with alarm when the matter is
understood. In the face of these
things can the Republican party be so
recreant in its duty, so unmindful of
it's history, so false to its ideals as to
surrender in the face of the enemy?
Why. we haven't begun to fight! We
shall, in this campaign, occupy strong
er moral, economic and political
ground than we have for many years.
Instead of going cut of business we
are going into business on a broader
scale. The fixed ideas on certain
large issues, like the tariff and the in
tegrity of the constitution as it is,
which are held in common by major
ity of the voters of this State. acting
together and choosing its representa-
tives under the name of the Republi-
can party, cannot be shaken loose nor
can that large group of citizens,
which constitute the party be stam-
peded and scattered by incoherent
shouting and waving of arms. Nor
can the 10000 voters, which constitute
the Republican party in this State be
sweryed from their purpose of estab-
fishing and maintaining their policies
of legislation and principles of govern
ment, by the dragging across the trail
OF minor matters about which there is
no substantial disagreement or the
capitalizing of the rancor which grew
out of the Chicago convention.
When a protective tariff. which
takes care of our industries is re-
established; when our foreign policies
are back to the American standard;
when our State constitution is safe
from assault, the Republicans of the
State will talk about going out of
business, but not till then.
Progressive pr;ncinloS