Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-26
CANDIDATE PATTI
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| CANDIDATE PAII
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much Of a compliment. / could say
that Of Senator Brewster II he were
not tarred with the Ku Klux brush.
Il have no desire to assist in &C.
lecting the Republican candidate for
governor. From selfish motives I
would prefer that Senator Brewster
should be nominated. for am abso-
lutely certain that he cannot be elect.
ed. but would regret to see the Re-
I publican party of Maine fallen so low
as estate that 1t could be controlled
by the masked and hooded bigots who
are the mainstay OF Senator Brew
ster's campaign.
| 1T Is nothing new for the oppon-
| ents Of Democracy to attempt to gain
power and to obscure the proper dis
cussion Of economic issues by raising
the racial and religious issues in poll
| tics.
I'm 1854, Maine elected a governor
on a Know Nothing platform. and
the Know Nothing party. the ances-
| ter OF ku kluxism, was successful in
many other states.
Our party, in 1856, in the national
convention held at Cincinnati, adopt
ed as part Of its platform the fol-
lowing plank;
Resolved, that the foundation OF
this union of states having been laid
in, and its prosperity, expansion and
pre- eminent example in free govern
ment, built upon entire freedom in
| matters of religious government, and
| no respect of person in regard to
rank. or place of birth, no party can
justly be deemed national, constitu-
tional, or in accordance with Ameri-
can principles. which bases its exclu-
sive organization upon religious opin-
ions and accidental birthplace. And
hence a political crusade in the nine
teenth century, and in the United
States or America, against Catholics.
Jews and foreign born, is neither
justified by the past history nor the
future prospects of the country nor
in unison with the spirit of liberation
and enlarged freedom which peculiar
ly distinguishes the American system
of popular government"
THAT declaration, my friends, is as
applicable to the Ku klux Khan as it
was to the Know Nothings Of Sc.
1.-THE campaign which followed was
fought in great measure on that is
sue and resulted in a victory for toll
erance over intolerance, as such bat
ties have. always resulted and
| always will result when fought
in the open, frankly and cour-
ageously. The stand which the
Democratic party took at that time,
| ended Know Nothingism in America
| SO far as that generation was con-
cerned, and from 1861 to 1865 native
' f,,r ~
| tants, Catholics and Jews, fought side
| by side on a hundred battlefelds,
some under the Stars and Stripes,
some under the Stars and Bars, CIV
, ing up their lives for the right as they
saw the right and forgetting the mar
row divisions of race and religion in
the broader struggle for the preser-
walton of the union on the one side
and for southern independence on the
other.
''The position of the Democratic
, party today on this question has not
changed since then and cannot
change unless our party turns false
to every tradition that binds us TO
the past and every hope that bright
ems the future. Democracy never will
and never can repudiate the doctrine
OF civil and religious liberty. of abso-
lutte separation of church and state,
OF entire freedom of conscience.
What our opponents may do Is
their business, not ours. and / en-
phatically advised Democrats at Bid
deford to refrain from taking any
part in the Republican primaries. l
repeat the advice here. l shall re-
peat it at every opportunity. If Re-
publicans want to turn their party
o. Al.
ership of Mr.. Farnsworth and Sen
| ator Brewster, that is their business,
not ours. If they want TO take the
position that the fitness of men for
| public office depends upon their reli
gion and the place of their birth, let
them do so, we cannot help It.
Il have always opposed our pri-
| mary law. / am more than ever OPP
posed to it since 1t has become ap-
parent that under 1t, 1t Is possible for
| group of people crazed by vicious
propaganda to accomplish the con-
i troll of a great political party. Such
situation could not obtain under
the convention system. There are
| certain features of the primary law
which it may be desirable to retain,
and the bill known as the Curtis bill,
which was defeated in the last legis-
, lature, provided for that. I am In
favor Of the passage of that. or bill
similar in principle, by the next legis-
lature.
Both the Republican and the
Democratic platforms OF 1922 called
for the submission to the people of
bill repeating the primary law. The
members of the legislature, elected
on those platforms. paid no attention
to the promise contained in them.
Senator Harrington repudiated his
party platform in this respect, as did
Senator Brewster.
"A party platform ought to be re-
garded as promissory note, to be
redeemed in full at maturity. II the
platform promises are meaningless !
how are the voters to know the stand |
OF candidates for office on public |
questions?
THE absolute desertion of his /,
party platform by Senator Harrington |
constitutes a severe criticism OF his |
legislative racnrh md 1ooraS roor,