Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-12-12
BY HIS FRUITS SELECT YOUR
= CANDIDATE

A loyal Republican, indeed the man
in the street. the average person
who wishes to enjoy the benefits of
good government, be he Republican
or Democrat, Is really interested in
having the affairs of Government
properly attended to by Congress and
the Administration without any I'M
necessary delays or other difficulties.
This may only be had by the, Con-
gress and the Administration attend
ing to those duties with an eye
single to the welfare of the country.
All this Is not possible If thoughts,
ambitions and schemes pertaining to
q national election to be held next
? year are permitted to interfere, to
lay this matter aside, to give undue
prominence to another to encourage
pickering, to interrupt proceedings
- with long winded campaign bunk and
. MI the Congressional Record with
campaign speeches never delivered
within the halls of Congress. 1t was
fervently to be hoped that active
campaigning would be deferred, but
not so. 1t was fervently hoped by
her neighbors that Mexico would get
along without another war right
away, but not SO. This sort of
progress, this peaceful performance
of work waiting to be done, does
. not suit personal ambitions.
In other words, we, the people,
about whom the demagogues profess
so much, are expected to allow our
selves to become their puppets. How
do we like it?
= We cannot deny the right to seek
political promotion. We can, and
should, require the seekers to make
plain their reason for so doing. If
then we find that personal aggradize-
ment is their only excuse for upset.
ting affairs, We surely are not called
upon to support their political am
billions.
Already the so-called insurgents
are playing the game" in Congress.
In this so-called game the parties
engaged in throwing monkey
wrenches into the machinery have
not one good excuse for so doing.
Senator Hiram Johnson is given over
to promoting his presidential ambi-
tons to the neglect of his duties in
the Senate, assuming those duties to
be as onerous as is commonly sup
posed. His saying that he does this
in the name of "progressiveness"
amounts to nothing. He is strug-
Cling for no vital principle He Is
struggling for Hiram johnson. For
that reason he is interested that the
administration of national affairs
under President Coolidge shall not
be successful.
This is not an altogether new role
for the senator. He was not very
helpful to Hughes and the Re-
publican ticket in California once on
a time. 1t will be possible for him
to spell" the Democrats in their
criticism of the Administration. He
will have the wealthy backing of
such men as the big chewing gum
manufacturer, Wrigley, and Mr..
Lasker, and the adroitness of Frank
Hitchcock. Just Why those wealthy
men are backing a candidate in op-
position to the principles laid down
In President Coolidge's message is
not yet apparent, but is open to a
guess. That they will be able to
create considerable disturbance is
quite probable.
1t will be well for the voters to
keep in mind what the President
advocates in the way of legislation,
to decide for ourselves whether we
approve 1t, for Republicans to de-
eide whether they wish their party
to endorse it, and IL so endorsed, 1t
Is unable to put it's principles into
effect, those who prevent this should
be held responsible.
There is a spirit Of unrest in the
country. There are those who would
seek success by aggravating that UNI
rest. They should be held respons-
ible for SO doing, should be required
to give their reasons, and be Judged
according to what their reasons
actually prove to be.