The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-14
THE ELECTION IN MAINE.

ANOTHER cloud has passed over the Demo-
cratic party. They expected great things
from Maine. Ever since the Republican
party first lifted its banner in that State vic
tory has perched upon it, On a square issue
there was not the shadow of a hope of sue
cess; but at the opening of the canvass which
has just closed the shadow Of a coming event
was discerned by the Democracy, and that
shadow was contorted by Democratic eyes
into the outlines of a Democratic triumph.
The people of that State are not less decided
in their sentiments on the temperance ques-
ton than in their political views The Re-
publican party of Maine is emphatically and
unequivocally true temperance party. But
the more extreme temperance men, who have
heretofore affiliated with it, despaired of
bringing it up to the strict standard of an
tagonism to whisky which they had laid down
for themselves, and therefore bolted in body
and placed in the field gubernatorial candi-
date of their own.
The prospects of the movement were as
desperate as had been those of the Democracy
heretofore. The prohibition ticket could
not, to use the language of the New York
W0rId, "count on a single Democratic vote"
Its sole support must come from the Repubi-
can ranks, and the sole chance it had of ac-
complishing anything was by the withdrawal
of sufficient votes from the Republican candi-
date to throw the election into the Legisla-
ture, the Constitution of the State requiring
a clear majority of all the votes cast to insure
an election. Upon this possible result, which
could not have benefited the prohibition
ticket, the Democracy looked as their grand
opportunity for defeating the will of the peo-
pie. The famous Arithmetic Man" of the
World was resurrected especially for the oc-
casion, and despatched to Maine to figure out
the coming triumph. The paper result of
the contest was finally reduced to the follow
ing fine points,
The falling off in the Republican vote,
owing to the dissensions in the ranks of the
party, will be about twenty-five per cent,
while the Democratic vote will lose but eleven
per cent The prohibition ticket will draw off
one-seventh of the Republican vote, at least,
and the figures will stand, on the official
count, $4,000 for the Republican candidate,
$4,000 for the Democratic candidate, aud
5000 for the prohibition candidate. The
choice of a Governor will therefore devolve
upon the Legislature. But in order to carry
off the prize there, the Legislature must be
Democratic in sentiment. Nothing will be
easier than to secure such requisite. By
reason of the rival factions in the Republican
ranks, there will be three candidates for the
State Senate in each district. A Senator, like
the Governor, must receive majority of all
the votes cast, while member of the House
of Representatives requires but plurality.
So the result of the triangular fight will be
the election of 8 Democratic Senators, 8 Re-
publican Senators, and II vacancies, to be
filed by the vote of the lower house, which
will stand so Democrats to II Republicans
Such was the result of the labors of the
Arithmetic Man, which we have taken the
trouble to set forth at length, inasmuch as
they present one of the most novel politica
calculations that has ever fallen under oul
notice. A Democratic Governor, a Demo
cratic Legislature, the repeal of the act passed
on March ii of this year ratifying the pro
posed fifteenth amendment, and a genera
revelling in the spoils of petty Offices ant
local legislation such as has not been enjoyet
by the Maine Democracy since 1854, when tn,
Republican party sprang into existence sb,
} the union of the Wings with the Freesoil De
mocrats and the first election of William Pit
Fessenden to the United States Senate Sucl
was the enjoyable prospect which greeted tn
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