Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-12
Chairman Read Takes Exceptions.

Chairman Read Takes Exceptions.
Editor kennebec Journal:
In the issue of the kennebec Jour-
| nal Of Saturday. January 9Th, there
appeared the following:
Since the recognized legitimate
Progressive leaders, Irving T. Vernon.
| Halbert Gardiner anG Morrill, Drew,
| have left the capital. the Progressives
are under the constant attention Of a
/ candidate for the berth Of a prominent
! department head. 1t has not escaped
I the attention of the observant who
! passed through the State House cor
ridcrs that this gentleman is chummy
| with the Democrats and takes special
comfort in the political companion
/ ship of Charles T. Read, the DEM
/ ocratic State chairman who is busy
/ these days looking for Republican or
| Progressive small enough to be pulled
| through the small key-hole Of the con-
/ ven,ion deadlock.
! ON all sides runners are flying that
! this candidate has been promised the
Office he seeks. if he can persuade a
| Progressive to crawl through that
I deadlock key-hole into the lap Of the
| tleman is diplomatic in his converse
tions, but indiscreet in his associations,
! for it is unwise for one in his position
! TO closely associate with leaders Of the
party against which he has stood for
many years, at just the time he is
! commonly believed to be very eager
/ for an office in the gift Of the Gov
! ernor if the Governor can win Dem
/ ocratic council.
/ Believing it unlikely that their can
! didates for elective State office have
an opportunity of election at the hands
/ of the deadlocked convention, one or
more Progressives may vote with the
1 Democrats for John E. Bunker, but
/ there is hardly a man in the capitol
! who really believes the referred to
politician can find Progressive small
! enough to make the shift for him. It
/ has been freely stated that the Pro-
gressives have agreed not to vote With
/ the Democrats and though this pol
! itician may make some Progressives
! believe there is a provocation for 1t,
| a Progressive cannot be found who is
/ not emphatic against such deal.
| Now. and suggested by the above
! quoted article, 1 desire to state that,
| since September 18th, last. when it
| was announced that the Progressive
legislators-elect intended to vote for
/ candidates Of their own party for all
State offices, have not known. heard,
expected. or supposed that they had
altered their purpose, except on the
part Of one member, and he is now a
Republican and voting with that party
/ in the legislature.
That since the legislature convened.
! January 9Th. l had not spoken to a
man Of the Progressive faith whom
! I understood to be a candidate for
I any Office. relating to such office; That
l have not talked with any member of
the Progressive party concerning a
single Office to be filled by the legis-
lature or by Governor Curtis.
That / feel that / am we'll within
the limits of truth when l state
that l believe the combined time that
! 1 have spent in the immediate COM
pany of all Progressives at the State
House. during the past week, would
aggregate twenty minutes.
Now put conversely, this state
| ment should relieve every Progressive
member Of the legislature Except the
one referred toy and all other members
Of the Progressive party of any need
| of public resentment of the asper-
sion contained in the Kennebec Jour-
nal article and render that article
pointless, if not something wicked.
, But better than the protests of
either the Progressives or myself, let
US consider the events Of the week
last past in the joint legislative con-
yent:on. In that convention, all mem
bers balloted ten times in an attempt
to elect Secretary Of State. In
every one Of these ballots, the Pro-
gressive members have held the bal
ance OF power. In Ave ballots, they
! might have Joined the Republicans
and elected Mr. Alexander. In Ave
others, they, or any one Of them might
have acted with the Democrats and
elected Mr.. Bunker In all ten Of the
ballots, the Progressives, or two of
their number. might have allied them
selves with the Democrats and still
have elected Mr.. Bunker. In two of
the ballots. one Progressive deserted
his party and Joined with the Repub-
leans because he feared that he could
not best serve his county If he acted
otherwise: and yet but q very few
weeks since, that same man was pre-
posing to trade his vote with the Dem
ccrats for a good snug ONCE at the
| State House.
Now, my friends Of the people of
Maine, l wish to ask you which OF
the two old parties has succeeded in
finding a Progressive small enough
to be pulled through the small key hole
Of the convention deadlock" And also
wish to ask you il it seems possible
for the Progressives to have acted
more manfully than they have? And
hence, is it possible for me to have
done the naughty things that the
Kennebec Journal mentions?
Biddeford. Maine, January II, 1915.
CHARLES +. READ.