The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-12
The Maine Election.
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.


to be that the State will be found in
November in the same position it occupied in
1868, when it declared for Grant by three
thousand majority. We have thus got some
thing tangible at last to lay hold of in this
singular Presidential scramble, for we find
that there is no detection in New England
sufficient to wipe out the republican major
tiles of 1868, and that all those electoral
votes may be scored as tolerably certain for
Grant. We have also seen enough to con-
vince any reasonable mind that thenegro vote
will be cast solidly on the republican
side, and that Sambo North and
Sambo South will adhere to the blne coat and
brass buttons to which they religiously believe
their race owes its freedom. From this we
may fairly conclude that the administration
will also secure the Southern States in which
the colored voters predominant or form large
percentage of the population, such as South
Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Flor
ida, Georgia, alabama, and Virginia, thus
leaving the battle to be fought mainly in the
Middle and Western States. Over these States
doubt still hangs; but it will be tolerably
well settled by the votes in the October cleo
tions. We shall then be able to tell with
something like certainty whether there is
really to be popular revolution in November
or whether the famous liberal movement is to
prove itself of no more account in the larger
States than it appears to be in New England
and the South, and is to collapse in advance
of the great final battle. At all events, what
is already known is sufficient to show that the
opposition have hard task before them; for
if we are to concede that General Grant goes
into the race with thirty-two New England
votes, including Connecticut, and fifty-four
Southern votes, not reckoning Virginia, in his
favor,,we give him start that carries him
more than half way to the winning post.
After reviewing the situation in other
States and commenting upon the inactivity of
the Democracy in New York, the Incompetent
cy of the Liberal leaders and the cold hea rted
followers, the Herald concludes by saying:
We can only conclude at present, Judging
facts as they are, that the States which voted
for General Grant in 1868 will all, or nearly
all, vote for him in 1872, and that there will
be no more change in Indiana, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, &C., in October than there has been in
Vermont and Maine in September.
The New York Times says:
What is the reasonable conclusion, except
that Greeleyism is an utter failure even un-
der the most encouraging circumstances in
which it can be tried? Where is Greeley's
strength? 1t ought to have been brough. out
in Maine, if anywhere, But it is not visible
Mr.. Kimball Perham's opponent, declared in
his letter published only in yesterdays Tri-
6uRe, that the Republican majority would not
exceed 5000 to 10,000-so upon their own
showing, the Greeleyites have sustained a
crushing defeat. Take their own estimates,
and they are the worst beaten party that ever
appeared in the field of politics. They have
concentrated their attacks on Speaker Blaine.
and he actually gains majority exceeding
that thrown for Gen. Grant in 1868. Even
Bangor is with US. and Knox County we car
ry for the first timse in many years. This
miserable liquor dispute handicapped us heayi-
ly in the race, and yet we have a maieritv
larger by at least 6, 900 than the highest esti-
mates of formed by the Greeieyites. They
have not a leg left to stand upon. Il is moth
ing but the audacity of despair which Keeps
them still before the county.
The New York Commercial A9eertiser
says:
Again We read the lesson of the bour If
IS that detection haa IT reached the Repub-
llcan ranks. The masses of the party are
true and stcadfast. The few leaders. whose
apostacy has been heralded and chronicled.
60 out from among us without followers.
lhey count just one each. 1t is only easy TO
estimate the immensely of that Greeley force
for which the Democrats bartered theirhon
and, indeed, their very existence, In Yer
~ "~', Poihdps, Y pcggg3rly ten hum
dred men IN State of Independent, thinking
yeomanry, in party strong and oyercrc,
ed, and where for this very rease- .,wd-
always da1ger Of disafhetier =. there is
in presence ola west =. A large ariny
loose' stn' enemy is needless and
anu nnn' =. force surrounded by active
tS srous foes, finds safety only in MAIN
ling close order. Yet with all the efforts
made by the Greeleytes, and with all their
boasts, Vermont elected Republican ticket
throughout, and allowed the Democrats
eight Representatives and two Senators less
than before the Democracy was reinforced by
the Liberal recruits! Such strength is worse
than weakness. So also in Maine. There
we have swept the State, and before the
bosom of destruction, the hopes of Greeley
ism are driven to ruin. The Governor and
State officers are ours, all the Congressman
too, and the Fusionists have twenty less
members in the Legislature than the Demo-
Gratis had last year. Is this an exhibition of
the power of this vigorous alliance? Is Gree
Ieyism anything but impotent? The old
man Horace straddled into Maine and made
a stump speech, in which he promised to give
the Democrats share of the offices. This
caught their votes, but unless he begins to
promise something to his little eoterie Of late
Republican followers, they viii drop off and
leave him alone with pure and simple Dem
oc~ats Greeley and the Tribune begged and
prayed and paid for the defeat of Speaker
Blaine and Representative Hale. But they
failed The ''young man. Blaine is alive to
tell the tale of success, and to telegraph the
President that the majority now given in
Maine means 25, 600 for Grant in November:
and Hale and his border men are on deck as
sound and hearty as if the little phz of fl-
sion had never been seen or heard.
The New York Evening Post closes its ar
ticle on the Maine election thus:
His party cannot make any greater exer-
tions any where else than they have in that
State; with this dsheartening result they
cannot repeat those efforts. A political cam
paign without spirit and without hope is as
little celebrating as funeral procession. To
that complexion the Greeley campaign has
come already, and it will wind its slow length
along to the end, after that solemn and dis
couraging fashion, unless some altogether un-
foreseen combination of circumstances shall
" DIRK change.
The Philadelphia Press says:
The Coalitionists can ascrbe their defeat
in Maine to nothing but their lack of votes.
The people of the State were thoroughly
awake TO the importance of the struggle. and
every issue of our national politics had been
discussed. The most eloquent and persua-
III
every county, and the mails had been bur
dened for weeks with campaign documents
and other political reading. Grant and Will
son were as directly voted for as they will be
on the 9Th of November next, and Grant is
plainly the peoples preference.
The triumph in Maine practically settles
the Presidential question:, and shows that |
there has been no general detection from the |
Republican ranks. The opposition based all
their hopes upon such decrease of the Re-
publican majority of last year, or of four |
years ago, as would evidence that Grants |
popularity had declined, and that the people |
were tired of the rule of the party. Such a
victory tor us would have been virtual de-
feat.
Mr.. Greeley's personal organ angry with
The defeat, filings an insult to a State that |
has had hundreds of Tribune clubs for years
IS follows:
OF the difficulties and discouragements I'M
Ter which this result was attained we do not
now need to speak. The Cincinnati move
is o1,,4s, I u