Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-16
Fear of Democratic Politicians.

Fear of Democratic Politicians.
Keep the Maine Ballot.
The voters of Maine have been con-
siderable number of years learning :. 20
ballot. They are just becoming familiar
with it SO that the number Of defective
ballots have become greatly less than
when the first attempt was made to vote
by it.
The five Democrats who voted with the
Republicans in the Senate for the Mas
sachusetts form Of ballot were unwise.
Democrats in the House who vote with
the Republicans for this measure will be
unwise. A vote for the Massachusetts
form of ballot is a vote to put the Demo
cratic party in Maine in the same condi-
ton as the Democratic party in Massa-
chusetts which is utterly impotent when
1t comes to election of a state legislature,
simply because of the form OF ballot used.
-Biddeford journal.
What's the matter. Gus-can't you
learn to vote the primary ballot?
How long does it take a Democrat
voting?
II it takes a full generation for q
ballot. that party seems pretty near a
hopeless case.
On the other hand, our Biddefofi
reactionary of the wooden pillow age,
has often been told that the buns,
FOUNDERS and illiterates takes as nat
urally to the Democratic party as =
duck takes to water.
Have you ever wondered why vot-
ing system easily mastered by the
masses of the Republican party should
be wholly unintelligible to SO man.
members of the Democratic party?
Democratic politicians, and organs
Of the Democratic press under their
dictation, fear the Massachusetts bal
lot law because it will interfere with
their election day schemes; because
under it intelligence and honesty trl-
umph, as the Records says they did
in Massachusetts. This Biddeford
paper would make. the proposed
change in our system of balloting a
party measure and defeat it IN the
Legislature. Through this paper
Democratic politicians seem to be at
tempting to round up the Democrats
of the Legislature to defeat anything
that looks like progress.
That is in full accord with the ira
ditions of the party; that is why the
party is never a success when in
power-that party always has been, is
today. and always will remain, a party
of negative ideas fault-f1nding and in
efficiency. 1t can never stand as o
party of foremost intelligence, at
minds of advancing caliber. Except
for the opportunist politicians) be.
cause it is incompetent to lead off,
because it always. to the very last,
opposes every improvement, every
amendment to meet the demands OF
fairness and justice, every revision
that spells progress and wipes off the
barnacles of political graft and ma.
chine domination.
That Is why illiterates seek a COM
mon level in the Democratic party.
That is why the Democratic party
cannot learn to vote a new, safer,
cleaner ballot.
That is why such as the Biddeford
Record whine in alarm because Demo
Gratis of the Legislature stand square,
ly for measure of progress.
Summed up, the proposed ballot Is,
not unlike the present primary ballot
There is nothing difficult or compli
Gated about it. Any intelligent person,
can master the detail at a glance. ANY
man who can read, can vote it with
out assistance.
Under the Massachusetts ballot
many Of the political tricks will oe
discounted. Is that why Democratic:
politicians and their press tools are
alarmed?
To our mind, the five Democrats in
the Senate who were progressive
enough to defy party traditions are to
be commended and thanked by the
public at large. 1t is an evidence Of
the awakening independence and jus.
tice Of men in political affairs. Il
gives cheap politicians something to
think about.