Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-08-17
AUGUSTA LOCALS
Be AGGRESSIVE
Urges Judge Maher at
Republican Club


Stirring Speech at orsanization's
/. Smoke Talk and Get-tosether--
! Fair Sex Turn Out in GoodIy
! Numbers
/; The meeting Of the Augusta Re-
! publican Club, Monday evening, was
fortunate in having exceptionally in
teresting speakers listened to with
the closest attention.
! The meeting was called to order
by Hon. Willis E. Swift the presi-
dent of the club. Mr. Swift briefly
reviewed the work of the club which
now comprises between 800 and 900
members and congratulated the club
on the interest that had brought out
so good an attendance on such sui
try evening.
He introduced as the first speak
er. Mr.. II. E. Bronson. who is repre-
senting the National Committee in
/ the club work in Maine. Mr.. Bron-
son said he had found a good deal
/ of enthusiasm throughout the State.
The Augusta club had been organ
| lied before he came 20 his work in
( Maine and what 1t had already done
was being referred to by other clubs
/ in the State in a very com plDaentary
way. This year the Republicans had
the privilege of having the women
associated with them. The Govern
lnent of this country is no better
than the people who make It. Each
{ man and woman is a vital part but
must act through organization to get
results. They are organizing in Maine
and it means at least 10000 ajori-
, ty for Colonel Pa-khurst. Over in
And-oscoggin county the club work
is progressing finely and he declared
that when Judge Brann and his
crowd get through they'll and they
are licked. II have wired the com
nittee in New York Have faith in
{ Maine "
In introducing the next speaker
President Swift took occasion 10 re-
fer to his splendid work IN the last
Legislature. He said what Judge
Maher had accom- piisAed there mer-
tied the support OF every citizen re-
gardless OF party.
Judge Benedict z. Maher made q
ringing speech that held the closest
attention Of the audience for an hour
and a half, interrupted By applause,
and reviewed the situation and is
sues in this campaign IN very eff
q ~ il =. f..I T.
pubiicans will hear better cam
paisn speech this fall.
There is no occasion this year, said
Judge Maher, for the Republican
party to be on the defensive. There
is nothing to defend in the record
and every reason to be aggressive.
He spoke Of the two functions Of
the government, one the business
function and one the human side
On the business side look at IT, Dur
ing the terrible stress of the four
years, with the constant rising costs
and increased demands there had
been such wise economy in the man
| agement of affairs that the tax rate
had been increased but two mills.
| This was as though man doing an
eight thousand dollar business had
increased his expenditures by one
hundred dollars, the same percent
! age. This had been possible because
a Republican legislature had enacted
a budget law, and Republican adj
/ ministration had kept the State
within the limits.
On the human side we have a gen.
uine health department and there
! had been 4 diminution in the death
rate due in some degree to the eff
forts of this department in preven-
I tive measures.
! He referred to the effective work
with the tuberculin tests reducing the
| percentage of cattle affected 10
I three per cent. as compared with
! some of our neighboring stares with
I of the Stata there had been cooper
alton between the State departments
and the town and city units. The
Republicans in this campaign should
stand right out and say that sue
J cess had been due largely to full
time service from the chief executive
down. The Republicans have 40
apologies to make.
Then there had been the enacting
Of the weekly payment law and the
4s-hour law would come next. In our
. highway department the work had
fallen off due to war conditions less
than in any other eastern state; the
increase in the cost of construction
had been less. The overhead charges
of that department had been the
least Of any state east Of the Mis-
sissippi river; in Maine four to five
per cent. and in Massachusetts about
fourteen per cent.
Our banking department should
give a good deal of satisfaction to the
people Of Maine. Our Republican
legislature had put teeth in it's blue
sky law. it was enforced by our bank
commissioner and we had had no
Ponzi financiering in Maine.
The record Of our Adjutant Cen
erals department had been accepted
as models in Washington, and the
speaker related thu efficiency shown
and the readiness with which Maine