Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-06-13
Pledges and "Standine."

be a campaign of ideas and the views of
the candidates must be set forth with ais
tinctness. The Hughes campaign cannot
be conducted on the assertion that he is
an able man and a patriotic citizen Inc
people will demand to know more than
that And when they find out, 1t is by
no means certain that Mr.. Hughes will
develop the popular strength that his sup
porters are claiming for him-Watervllle
Sentinel.
1t is becoming evident that the
country prefers a man who has made
good" and has accomplished far more
than expected of him in every task
offered him, to the man who is profuse
in promises and pretenses (as a bait
for favors) which he promptly forgets
or repudiates as soon as elected.
Judge Hughes has made no promises
but he approves the Republican plat
form. He has not even thought it ne
cessary to assure the public that the
platform on which he stands lis not
molasses to catch flies but made to be
kept throughout the campaign and his
administration"
1t is doubtful if the Sentinel can re-
member as far back as the Baltimore
convention, but we have some leaves
call that one Woodrow Wilson prom
Used much: that he boosted of his own
and his party's promises to the coun-
try. And he solemnly gave pledge that
these promises were made to be
kept"
Were they kept?
Do the people, after the demonstra-
tons of the last four years, have any
more faith in the man of highfalutin
promises than in the man who stands
on his Americanism and his record OF
service?
So far as we are concerned we
should prefer Charles Evans Hughes
without a single utterance on govern
ment affairs, without a single express
sion as to his convictions, than the
man who has profusely promised and
pledged and then given the lie to every
meaningful assurance.
Read the SNUG pretense of our up
river neighbor-"The generalities Of
his statement do noc sufficiently define
them. The country does not know
where he stands"
Four years ago everybody (and q
few others) knew JUST where Wood
row Wilson stood" He stood GU.
like a skunk in fog on every ques-
ton prominently before the people, and
so the Sentinel resents the audacity OF
Judge Hughes in presuming to accept
into every last detail of his innermost
convictions.
The Sentinel has infinite confidence
in President Wilson because he
PROMISED, because he is ready to
promise some more. Let US briefly
analyze some of his biggest and best
promises.
First, he promised the people to
give them service untainted by any
second term influences, because the
platform on which he stood (and
which was made to be kept") pledged
the party to single Presidential
term.
Will he keep that pledge?
Mr.
and in the platform of his party
stood" out boldly for free canal tolls
for coastwise shipping.
And in the first session of Congress
after his election. in the interests of
the cross country railways, he drove
through the Congress the repeal of the
free tolls law.
Third, Mr.. Wilson pledged himself
and his party to reduce the cost Of
living.
Have they kept the promise? Or.
rather, has not the chief problem of
the country been to produce the cost
Of living?
Fourth, Mr.. Wilson was opposed to
q tariff commission and promised to
relieve the country of burdens of in
direct taxation without supporting a
tariff commission.
Now he has provided for a Wilson
ian tariff commission and added direct
taxation because revenues will not
support the government.
Fifth. Mr.. Wilson promised prompt
settlement Of the Mexican trouble and
elimination Of the worry Of Americans
over friends and property in Mexico
and along the border.
He kept that promise by bounding
the only responsible head Of Mexican
affairs to death. supplying the Mexi-
can banditti with unlimited arms and
ammunition, breeding utter anarchy
throughout the unhappy country and
subjecting Americans to heavy loss Of
Life. untold property loss and the
United States to a most humiliating