350 
Indiana University 
The public discontent with existing conditions was force- 
fully expressed by the Lewiston Evening Journal. It sug- 
gested that the official class had “long relieved the voters of the 
obligation of self-government’’ that it had “packed legisla- 
tive committees” ; that it had “resisted state printing re- 
forms” ; that it had been guilty of “charging up dead-head 
tickets against taxpayers”; and that it had “exempted from 
taxation wild land, railways, and other public utilities”.^'^ 
A plank demanding “honest caucuses” and “full publicity 
of all expenditures” for nominations was placed in the Demo- 
cratic platform of 1908. Both of the major parties adopted 
direct primary law planks in their platforms of 1910. The 
Democratic platform provided that: “The Democratic party 
of Maine in convention assembled declares that it will . . . 
demand a direct primary law . , The Republican party 
followed with an even more emphatic demand for such a law, 
as follows: “We urge upon our legislature the enactment 
of such direct primary and other laws as may properly regu- 
late the conduct of caucuses to secure the honest and free 
expression of the proper voters therein. 
The legislature which convened in January, 1911, was 
Democratic in both of its branches."® The Republican members 
of the legislature were not willing, however, to leave to their 
Democratic colleagues the task and honor of providing the 
state with a direct primary law. Under the leadership of 
Howard Davies of Yarmouth a direct primary law was drawn 
up, filed with the secretary of state, February 3, and trans- 
mitted to the legislature on February 6, 1911.®^ It became 
the Republican measure and was commonly called the Davies 
Bill. The Democratic or Administration direct primary bill 
was introduced into the House on March 10, just three weeks 
before the legislature adjourned.^^ It was drawn up by 
Nathan Clifford and William M. Pennell, members from Port- 
land, and was commonly known as the Pennell Bill.^^ Both 
bills were referred to the judiciary committee. The Demo- 
cratic majority in the committee reported in favor of the 
-^Lewiston Evening Journal, July 1, 1908. 
Ibid., June 30, 1908. 
Ibid., June 15, 1910. 
29 Ibid., July 29, 1910. 
29 House: Democrats, 87 ; Republicans, 64. Senate: Democrats, 22; Republicans, 9. 
21 Maine, Journal of the Senate, 1911, p. 202. 
22 Maine, Legislative Record, 1911, p. 458. 
32 /bid., p. 1061. 
