Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-06-19

with age when they should become
obliterated. Many people seem to
enjoy nursing grievances. l often
hear men say that they have
Indian blood" in their veins and so
never forget an injury. In my mind
such an attitude rs wrong both
morally and politically. 1t not only
Injuries the person who thus INDUCES
in hard feelings. but weakens the
Party to which he belongs. Wrongs
should be forgotten and forgiven
even though one must struggle with
himself to do so. Party welfare,
fare, is of far greater importance
than personal victory or personal
satisfaction.
In Maine we some times fiatter
ourselves that because of our Sep
TENDER election we exert quite an
influence in National affairs Our
influence in this respect, however,
often Is exaggerated. The old
slogan LAS Maine goes, etc" Is well
enough IL it is not taken too serious
ly. Another argument that at times
is overdone in Maine campaigns is
that the National Administration
needs our support, and therefore
must bear a large part of the
burden of our campaign. We should
| fight our own battles and win our
| own victories and should not rely
| too much upon Washington to pull
US through. In other words, the
| Republicans of Maine should stand
upon the record OF their own ad-
| ministration within the State. and
| upon their own list Of good candi-
dates for office.
We all are loyal to President
T. icfp af a nd
| the best way we can support him is
! to shoulder our own State burdens
and stand on our own merits. We
| thus leave the Washington man
ayers a free hand to do their work
| in doubtful States. If we expect to
win we must show that we merit
| the loyalty of our own, people. L
have no doubt that we shall have a
ticket in September that will COM
! mand the united support of the Re-
publicans of Maine and that will
win by a substantial majority
Our politics are clean. l speak
after a political experience of over
| 20 years. 1t may be true that there
is some selfishness in Maine politics,
| that some of our people have limited
vision and perhaps do not always
seek what Is best for the State. BY
and large, however, l believe that
| the men and women of both parties
! want to do what is right and that
| their hearts are in the right place.
! Most of the work done by party
| committees and workers is done I'M
| selfishly and | always have enjoyed
| my association with the splendid
men and women in our organiza-
| lions. l am sure that the advent Of
women into politics has meant a
! great deal for purer politics and
! better government.
| Although the Primary Is not an
| issue in the present campaign |
/ want to utter a word of caution.
| The disclosures in the Pennsylvania
| Primary are being used by the OPP
! ponents of that law to discredit it,
| and from now on the latter will re-
/ new their attacks upon it. | want
! to say this, that in my opinion the
! Primary is not the cause of the
! political corruption, If any, in the
/ State in question. The cause lies
deeper than that. Designing men of
! large means can corrupt a State, if
| it is for their interest to do so, re-
CARELESS of whether there is a
| Primary or q Convention system.
! No doubt the Primary makes it more
! costly to carry State by dishonest
means for there are more people to
/ be purchased IMAM IN state CON
| vention. When, however. this is
/ done on a huge scale and large
/ part of the electorate corrupted, the
matter is done more openly and
| there is more chance of a healthy
reaction against it than where there
/ are but a few hundred delegates to
/ deal with in the out-of-the way
places Of hotels and convention halls.
! In other words, the evil abuses
practiced by corrupt politicians are
/ not necessarily the result of the
| Primary. We should withhold judg-
ment and not be too ready to con-
| denim a system that has many good
/ points and has accomplished much.
/ The political work that l have
! done in Maine has been most con-
/ genial because of the fact that it has
enabled me to know Maine and
Maine people intimately. l am here
! tonight to help the Republican Party
/ and to show that l appreciate the
. great honors that it has conferred
/ upon me. ] want Maine Republicans
| to keep their standards high, to re-
| frain from petty, selfish politics, and
| to remember always that our Party,
| which IS the dominant Party i'll the
| State. is intrusted with the welfare
! of three quarters of a million peo-
| pie. This trust is sacred and never
| vet has been betrayed. l am sure
| we shall be true to 1t in the years to
come.