The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-02-26

necessarily every principle that every
Progressive candidate for office may have
put into his platform, but progressive
principles generally and such as the
spirit of the age demands, thus leaving
no excuse for a separate Progressive
party. And (2) the old leaders and for
mer office holders should efface them
selves. do not mean that they should
leave the party or lose their interest in
its success, but that they should not try
to dominate it or force their ideas upon
it, but recognize and assist such new
leaders as have arisen or may arise, and
allow the party to be guided by men who
have not been so much identified with
the things and the methods which,
whether justly or unjusrly, have become
unpopular. The time has passed when a
coterie of politicians can get together at
Rockland, at Lewiston, at Bangor, or
elsewhere, and distribute the county Of
fees among themselves and their friends
and shape the party policy to their own
liking and for their own benefit. The
time has passed when representatives
from those lotteries can meet at Augusta
or elsewhere and determine who shall
be Governor, Senators and Representa-
tives to Congress and hold the various
offices of the State, and lay out accord
ing to their personal desires the policy
upon which the State shall be run. And the
time has passed when few men from
the several States can meet at Chicago
or St. Louis and do the same thing for
the nation. Because of those things,
more than anything else, Knox county
has been kept so strongly Democratic
and almost all the other counties in the
State in recent years, have gone Demo-
cratic. Because of the resentment due
to those things, more than for any other
reason, Democratic Governor and Leg
islature were elected in Maine IN 1910,
and a Democratic President and Con-
gress were elected in the nation in 1917.
In order to triu nph in the coming cleo
tons, the Republican party has got to
be, like Cresar's wife, above Suspicion,
and it is pleasure to note that the lead
ers of the party are realizing the fact.
The old leaders and officebolders have
been able, many of them have been patrl-
otto, son,e of them have been selfish, but
all of them have had their day, for season
at least, and, unless specially called by
the people, they should step aside. One
of the most encouraging features of the
great gathering at Augusta in January
was the large preponderance of young
men and new faces at the meeting. With
such men TO the front in the State and
the nation, If they place patriotism and
fair play above selfishness and greed, the
country will not be long in returning to
Republican principles and Republican
rule, and to larger prosperity upon,
sound protection basis, not protection
that is unnecessary or unreasonable or
framed for the benefit of especial inter-
ests," but sane, reasonable, and scien-
tific protection which shall adequately
care for the interests of American capt.
tai and American labor alike, under the
direction of a permanent, nonpartlsan
Tariff Board, "a protection that is wise
business proposition and not the foot
ball of palitics, as it has been to so large
an extent in the past.
REUEL ROBINSON.