Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-11
THE MAINE ELECTION.

For twenty-five years, with but ono excep-
ton, Maine has sent solid representation of
Republicans to Congress. That exception
was when Mr.. Sweat, Democrat, represented
the First district in the Thirty eighth Con-
gress. The persistence of the opponents of
the party has at last been rewarded, however,
and at the election held on Monday two of the
Republican candidates for Congress-Llewel-
Ign Powers in the Fourth, and Eugene Hale
in the Fifth district-were defeated bv COM
binations of the forces of the Democrats and
Greenbackers, MIR. Ladd, a Democratic Green
hacker being chosen in the Fourth, and Mr..
Murch, Greenback labor reformer, in the
Fifth district.
This result will be hailed all over the land
as the beginning of the revolution that is des-
tined to sweep the country, and to blot from
existence the Republican party. It indicates
revolution in public sentiment on the
financial question, and is singing rebuke
to the secretary of the treasury, and those
who have maintained his policy in Maine,
including the junior Senator who recently
paid visit to Minnesota. Two years ago, at
the Presidential election, the Greenbackers
of Maine polled total vote of but 663.
Last year their strength had increased some
what, and 1926 votes were recorded to their
credit. This year the vote is not definitely
known, but will not fall far short of $4,000.
This increase, so far as present indications
go, appears to have been drawn from the
Republican ranks mainly, although the
Democratic vote shows a falling off of about
twenty-five per cent.
The Maine Greenbackers have not es-
poused as extreme doctrines on the currencv
question as their brethren in many parts of
the West. Their platform was very similar
to that of the Ohio Democracy. The large
increase in their vote must not be regar ded,
therefore, as a blind craze for an unlimited
issue of irredeemable paper currency, but
rather as protest against the extreme hard
money doctrines enunciated by Blaine and
his fellow Republicans-an awakening of
the people to the sense of the necessity for
a full legal tender currency. In their battle
against the money power they were assisted
very materially by the Democrats, who, in
several of the districts, formed combinations
against the common enemy of the people.
The result has demonstrated that the Dem
ocrats and Greenbackers combined have q
majority of the votes of the country, and if
they but combine their forces they can OBJ
tain control of the government and effect
such reforms in the administration as to
them may seem fit. In 1876 Powers had a
plurality of 2,176 over Donworth, Democrat,
and Oak, independent Republican, while
Hale had majority over his Democratic
competitor, Mcclellan, of 1911. These ma
Jorities have been overcome, and the Demo
cratic Greenback candidates have votes
enough to cover all contingencies.
But the defeat of these Republicans will
be esp ecially gratifying because of the dis
organization which it indicates in the Repub-
llcan party. 1t shows that it's power of CO.
hesion has departed forever, and that it can
no longer hope to WELD controlling power
in the affairs of the nation. If the Green
back movement has done nothing else for
which it is to be commended, it has proved
to be a powerful disintegrating element,
rendering Democratic success easier of
attainment than it otherwise would have
been. Democrats and Greenbackers in other
States can learn wisdom from the result
can learn that by pooling their issues on a
moderate platform, patterned after that of
Ohio, they can accomplish most satisfactory
results. 1t is lesson that the Dem ocrats Of
every Congressional district in the country,
not excepting the Third Minnesota, should
heed and promptly act upon.