The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-09-05
An Augusta Letter.
Correspondence of The Journal.


AUGUSTA, August 26, 1918 At the
present time Augusta people are giving
sideration and discussion of but two
matters. For about two hours after read
ing the morning papers they talk about
the war and then about politics till they
60 to bed. Augusta has been the polltl-
cal center of the State for SO many years,
that a knowledge of the progress OF a
political campaign is known there before
it becomes known all over the State. 1t
may not be uninteresting to the readers
of The Journal to know what the politi-
cal situation in the State really is. To
quote the language expressed on the
street "the Democratic campaign is shot
all to pieces" or in other words it is COL
lansing like a punctured balloon. There
are several reasons for this but we need
mention but three: First, that three men
have been trying to run the campaign by
lung power, while Mr.. Pattangall in
whose head reposes the brain power of
the Democratic party lies in his chamber
struggling back towards recovery from a
critical surgical operation. Second, that
it has been believed that the Democratic
candidate for Governor of this State was
a man of unusual ability and power. 1t
appears that thus far in this campaign
his addresses have lacked the clearness,
dignity and cogency which characterize
the public utterances Of Governor Mill
ken. AS a consequence, not few have
felt that he did not measure up to the
estimation which they had previously &C
corded him. Third, that Mr.. Newbert's
yarn about the Sanford lady, to which
we referred last week, has discredited
both him and his party. The political
event of the campaign in this section
was the meeting Aug oath, at Island
Park, some miles west of Augusta. 1t
was a Kennebec county run together OF
Republicans. People came across the
lake in motor boats, from Gardiner, Hal
lowell, Winthrop and intervening points
by electric cars, from the county towns
in automobiles, and from points as far
away as Bangor. The large crowd began
to assemble soon after ten o'clock and at
noon were served with bushels of beans
baked in the ground under the superin-
tendence of chef from the lumber camps
of the woods of Maine, and with noun
tains of hot rolls and doughnuts, and
oceans of hot coffee. By this time the
grove and open spaces were filled with
host of people who had come for the ex-
press purpose of listening to the speeches
of Gov. Milliken of Maine and Gov.
Brumbaugh of Pennsylvania. The speech
of Mr.. Milliken was in no sense politi-
cal speech, neither was it an apology.
Instead it was a modest, clear and con-
vincing presentation of the facts which
the Democrats have been so busily dis
torting. Every person who has listened
to the criticisms of the Governors
official acts should read this speech,
which was printed in our last ISSUE
Copies can be had by calling upon Capt
B, F. Colcord of Searsport or on b. o.
Norton of Belfast. Governor Brumbaugh
is a speaker who expresses his thoughts
clearly and every sentence contains some
thing worth utterance.
His speech was not political but was
eloquent and patriotic. It was such a
speech as makes men better nationa. citi-
zens The meeting was decided success
and the attendance showed that Republic
canism in central Maine is stalwart as of
old.