Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-26

They heard there was q meeting of the
Democratic State committee somewhere
in the ''innards' of the big Augusta
House. They paid for their own supper
and after that went into big conference
nothing and took part In no proceedings
which appealed to them as in any way of
importance to themselves or their constit-
uents. Then they sat around until it was
time to go to bed. Some of them left
home the day before, paid their own rail-
road fare and hotel bills in Augusta and
went back home the next day after the
conference. three days behind In their
work and about SIS behind in the finances.
They don't know yet what happened to
them or why 1t happened.
One of them was bewailing the loss of
time and money without apparent result
and 1t was intimated to him that perhaps
something was going on that he didn't
tumble to, since he was a new man. He
replied that that must be the way of it,
for her certainly did not see or hear any
thing that interested him except that ne
go acquainted with some of the fellows
he is going to see and talk with every
day for three months after the first of
January.
The part of the proceedings that this
gentleman didn't tumble to was the
general circulating among the MEM
bers-elect that some Of the wise ones
did to sound them out on the trade
proposition. The men behind Just
managed to talk enough to draw from
the members-elect a statement as to
how far they would go in trading off
their own men in order to insure a
friendly council for Governor Curtis
The wise ones found out and they will
give their orders as to what they want
done at the joint caucus which will lie
held in the hall of the House the eve
ming of the first Wednesday in jan
uary. Then this gentleman who don't
know what he was called to Augusta
for last Tuesday, will find out all about
it,
Unless som thing new appears to up
set the conclusions reached by the men
who have looked into the matter so
far, all this talk of trading will have
been wasted. The Republicans cannot
hope to elect anybody to office unless
they make the Democrats better Of
fer than the Progressives under the
majority rule and that they won't do.
Under the plurality rule they will be
in no worse position. Under the ma
jority rule the. Progressives are in a
position to hold up the Democrats
for almost anything they want. I'm
der the plurality rule they are in the
same boat with the Republicans, with
out a chance. If there is any DISPOSE
ton to join drives with the Republic
cans, the two parties together cannot
muster a plurality. They could only
make tie. At least one of the Pro-
gressives is quoted as saying that he
will have no trade or traffic with the
Republican party under any circum-
stances, SO this situation is not likely
to arise.
An Augusta lawyer ventured the
suggestion that where it is not desig-
mated that plurality shall elect, a
majority is always necessary But
every Legislature can throw precedent
to the winds, unless there is some-
thing more substantial to hold 1t down.
AS one man observed: "It might have
been the custom to vote for attorney
general on pink ballots. but unless the
| constitution forbids, the Legislature
could use green ones 1t surely has
been the custom for the man with the
most votes to be declared elected to
State Office and he has always had a
majority for there have been but two
candidates to vote upon when the
question reached the floor of the joint
convention. This time there are more
than two candidates, but nothing has
been discovered yet to prevent. the man
who gets the most votes from being
declared elected