Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-08-19
STATE AUDITOR:
Roy L. Wardwen


James c. White. a member Of the
Herald staff. has been travelling about
MAINE and he reports sad condition Of
Eahairs. There Is an attempt to make It
appear that the trouble Is entirely due
ITO lack Of organization on the part Of
tho Republicans and that with proper
MANAGEMENT they would win. But that Is
{not likely to deceive anybody. The trou-
(ble is in the attitude Of the people nt9 VINO
lAny enthusiasm for the 6. o. P. and It's
candidates in this State.-Waterville Sen
ltinel
For some reason Jim" White was
mot asked to manage the Republican
campaign in Maine. In fact he was
mot even hired to do the clerical work
and thus be always available to ad-
wise the state committee. And so. in
his great love for the party and his
lundying loyalty to its interests. he
came up to Maine to see what he
could do on his own hook. After in
terviewing authorities in Lewiston and
Bangor-mebbe Hal Gardner and Dan
'Mack-he proceeded to tell Boston
how Patt is winning the Maine
night" how incompetent management
,(lacking the White perspicacity) had
sent the G. o. p. ship on the rocks.
Oh. yes; It was good copy"-for
ANY paper that would publish it-and
good reading for any reader who
didn't care about tie facts. 1t was
tho very sort Of copy that any news
paper hack would pick up among the
democrats Of this State, because it
was so needful to the Democratic ma
chine to inspire new confidence in the
ranks. at least while collections are
being made from Deserving Demo-
Gratis" who have been placed and as
sessed. It also served to show the
Norman Hapgood sagacity of Jimmy
White.
And. wonderful to relate. only "a
hours were required to transform the
status. On Wednesday the fat was
all in the fire: on Thursday the Re-
publicans of Maine had seen the error
Of their ways and had completely re-
formed. The apathy found in the
rank and file on Wednesday had been
succeeded by tremendous wave Of
enthusiasm on Thursday-and all be-
cause a Boston newspaper writer had
told 'em what to do and how to do it.
OF course 1t was a surprise and a
q RI nf nh
have had-well perhaps almost as
much political experience as Jim
White, and who have been following
very closely and with approval the
work Of the State committee in per-
feet harmony with district, county and
town committees. These men who
have been interested enough to keep
on the inside and to watch every de-
velopment from day to day. had been
foolish enough to think they saw in
tho conversation and the letters Of Re-
publicans in every part of the State.
moro promising outlook for the party
than had appeared or the surface for
many years.
But Of course these gentlemen had
not. up to last Wednesday. heard from
Jim White who solemnly admits to
wasting the most Of 72 hours in siz-
ing up all the conditions in the Maine
field.
And some Of these gentlemen who
are almost as deeply interested in the
success Of the Republican party in
Maine as is the Boston Herald. had
deluded themselves with the notion
that Chairman Ham had fully as
many friends among Maine Republi-
cans. among voters who respect him
and have confidence in him and who
win loyalty follow his lead and ad.
vice. as any committeeman in memory
mas had. But they didn't know until
ktnis week that Jim White didn't an.
--..s S-IG