Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-29
Tsesday january -, 1s24.
CAN'T WE comeaEHEMps


10 osd."-0sergs Mae Donald.
CAN'T WE COMPREHEND?
il the people Of this country are
sufficientIy intelligent properly to
fulfill the obligations Of citizenship
they win comprehend the self evident
fact that 1t y impossible for Psssi.
dent. President or even
Senator to know all there 10 to know
about whst II going on in national
AFFAIRS.
II the people OF this country are In
their right minds they win be right
ecusly indignant at the baseless
charge made against Presidents
Harding and Coolidge by thu eastern
manager Of Senator Hiram johnson
after coming out from q conferences
with that aspirant for the position
Of chief executive of this nation. 90.
II there has been CLEANED from the
experience Of The past anything an.
preaching wisdom 1t will tell as that
citizen. a representative of a great
state IN the highest legislative body
OF the national government. co. shar.
or IN Che responsibilities of govern.
mont, who would be so interruptions
~ to endorse .an.attack OF that kind
Ii totally unnt to represent this
great country in Ito highest sof1iciaj
position-or any other. He couldn't
b representative Of the spirit Of the
American people.
For nix months the Senate has
been investigating this matter. Has
Senator Hiram johnson been soins
up and down the land ringing the
alarm. awakening the people? He
has had opportunity to know about
this affair as well as had Mr.. Cool
idge. II he knew. why has he been
devotins his time to campaigning for
himfslf and neglecting this great
public duty? For one who would
have us understand that he IL con-
sumed with a fever Of devotion to
the deer pepul" he has been sadly,
outrageously negligent. He has the
voice. the presence and the aptitude
for sounding the tocsin for Hiram:
could he not have taken q few days
off for arousing American manhood
to the defense of the fair heritage
OF this land? He surely could have
done so.
Instead of doing his full duty-as-
Stunning It was as easy to know what
was going on a. his manager would
have us think 1t was--instead OF
lending himself to Strengthening out
the .tangle and. bringing Justice on the
heads Of the guilty, dispassionately
but with the vigor Of which he Is
capab BILE. he would make It a political
Issue like the veriest demagogue.
Instead Of helping to reassure the
public that most public men really
do regard public Office public trust
he would compel us to think he re-
CARDS one public office merely as q
stepping atone to another public
once and to be used without scruple.
No real partisan issue Is involved
In this disgraceful mess. II Fall was
President Harding's mistake. whose
mistake Is Doheny. who is leader
in the Democratic party OF the
Southwest? IL there be collusion
between certain leading lights In
both political parties to loot our ma
tional domain. Is the footing there
fore become political one? On the
contrary isn't It become the duty OF
all good citizens to cooperatc9 Is
Hiram johnson cooperating? Or Is
he engaged In throwing monkey
wrenches into the machinery?
When the World War was on. the
Republicans stood with the Demo-
Gratis. Together they sacrificed. Re-
publican households as well rs
Democratic homes denied themselves
sugar and stinted themselves In
other ways. bought more Liberty
bonds than they could AFFORD. gave
"untii It hurt" Can't we comprehend
all that which is involved in defama-
ton OF public character. In disinte-
grafton Of public morale? Isn't 1t
plain that II scandal. such as this
leasing OF public privileges seems
likely to be, may not receive a thor
ough cleaning up and 10 permitted to
become . foot.bsll In Presidential
election \ greater injury may be TN
iiicted on this country than would
have been an American defeat at
Chateau Thierry?