Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-11

and of other leading Democrats Who
stand for moral and Christian
progress, who openly accuse their
party Of adopting policies and Of
lodging moral issues. for the sake Of
appealing to the rabble-
The Democratic party. as a party.
stands convicted Of alliance with the
liquor interests for the sake Of the
saloon control CT ward politics and IL
Uterate and urprincipled voters. Dem
oc-atic leaders. including the greatest
Of the present day Democrats, Pres
ident Woodrow Wilson, have lodged
the issue Of woman suffrage in
cowa-oly uanne--as they did in the
Democratic Legislature Of Maine.
Democracy would shun, the liquor
question 10 one side, for a few years
longer. in order that friends OF their
political organization OF gres, money
influence and connected with liquor
interests, may be for q few years
longer protected in their exchange Of
the souls and bodies Of American men
and women for coin Of the realm. In
umateiy associated with the liquor
problem IS the question OF woman
suffrage, for the great majority Of
the great heart OF American Christ
!an!ty lies n the bosom OF woman
hood. and irrevocably opposed TO the
liquor traffic and al such immoral
forces. That is why. as a party, Dem
ocracy is lodging woman suffrage
II CUR friend is not satisfied with
this iasIalGnsnr OF differences be-
tween The parties. We promise him a
wholly different, and quite important
grist at our next sitting. At least, We
along the practical lines, which in the
end, Will land him safely, SO far as
politiea! questions are concerned. He
speaks OF the Chicago convention and
the ''unscrupulous steal" He should
know. If he would take the trouble 10
look into tbs history Of such con
ve2cons, tia, the methods Of the Chi
cago convention TO which he refers.
were precisely the same as those
which had prevailed UP TO that time
in ali such conventions. The same as
prevailed in the convention previous
% that, and which resulted in the
nomination Of Theodore Roosevelt. We
do not defend the system, ard No
Progressive can be more pleased than
We al the abolition Of such & ques-
tionab!e method OF conducting that
pa-, Of the affairs Ct great polit.-
cal party. We are glad Of the denun-
citation Of the system and the arous:ag
Of the people 20 the evils Of it in such
a manner as 10 do away with il. Few
men could have so quickly and com
p!eteiy wiped il on the mode OF p-o-
cedure Of party conventions after be-
ing 50 long in vogue. But We deplore
the results Of that upheaval Il has
resulted II boundless distress, and e
hating Of tie progress Of the Amer
lean people 10 al extent that IS be-
yond human estimate.
With our Pi,tsfeld friend. We are
glad CT such political explosions as
do away with reac,ionaries, ana 50
called 'old-guards." Some q these
men who have been named as stand
pats are bound TO come hack after
a manner. for brief period, because
Of disgust with q scheme Of radical
ism that was bound 70 be cTe.done
and which caused public sentiment
20 rebound to the other extreme But
the whole effect has been marve,ously
for general uplift and wider grasp
Of political ard civic affairs, and a
keener appreciation Of the duties Of
citizenship. IN order that odd guards, "
stand pats 'reactionaEes," rad
icals,'' 'iudiv!duaists" or i. ". VS.
may Tot flourish Il is necessary that
such men as our Pir:sfeld questioner
and others OF high moral and Chris
tan purpose, get together and WORK
together to take their places az the
polls. and TO crowd out and aver-r.de
the questionable element. II is his
duty. as II is ours. TO look these Ques-
tons sQuarely in the face. and when
we cannot get I'll that We ideaIze, let
Us take the nearest we can get to it
by way OF compromise. for a time,
with these things which we cannot
control.