Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-09-15
REPUBLICAN NOMINATIONS,
Maine.

ItSltIut1 y ubWS uOWtN6E put ulubT-
rnt face on the returns and on those who
heard them. The latest dispatch from
Portland says that 300 towns give Davis
6O,6S1. Plaisted 5S,123, scattering 315-
total 119119. The same towns last year |
gave Davis 81 1922, Smith 81 ,S51, Garcelon
17,421, scattering 25O-total 1851. |
Davis's majority 2,243, against 2.139 last
year, a republican gain of 10. The towns
to be heard from gave last year Davis
1l,79l, fusionists 14,S88, a fusion majority
of 1907. Deduct republican majority
thus far heard from and the republicans
lack S54 of a majority.
The performance in Maine, as well as
that in Vermont, is very good hook
on which to hang little political COM
mon sense. A good many men seem
to think that Brag is good dog and never
to have heard of hold-fast, and the fault
is not confined to any one party.
There are two kinds of brag-that
which swells itself up with great expecta-
tions beforehand and that which can swell
itself on still thinner wind after the re-
turns come in. The rooster is the fitting
emblem of this last mentioned kind of
political wisdom. That bird, estimable
and worthy as he is in his way, has been
known to flap his wings and crow as lus-
tily in the dead watches of the night as at
the dawn of day. The rooster is not
reflective, he is not always sagacious; on
the contrary he is impulsive, and has a
great weakness for noise.
The first kind of brag was illustrated in
Vermont on both sides. A few republ-
cans before election talked about getting
10000 majority and like number of
democrats foolshly clamored about a re-
ducton to $4,000 or $4,000 A correspon
dent of an independent newspaper in
Boston fell in with some of these wiseacre
prophets and borrowed their mantle. With
it upon him some four weeks before our
election he sent his paper an estimate that
Farnham would have $4,000 votes, Phelps
$4,000 and Heath, 1000. The fact was
that reasonable republicans, in view of
the greenback diversion, would have been
glad to have been assured of no diminu-
ton Of their majority of 1876 and reason.
able democrats would have been delighted
to know they could diminish our lead to
10000.
The FREEMAN had little experience
after our county convention in August.
After careful inquiry we put the attend
ance on that convention at 5000. Some
of our good republican brethren remon-
strated and said it was outrageous that
such a splendid gathering as that should
be belittled by what they deemed such an
understatement of the number present.
The fact was that the FREEMAN had stated
the facts without exaggeration believing
that political business is benefited no more
than any other by initiation.
That is what is the matter, and the
whole matter about the Maine election
The republicans were in the claim bust
ness, they claimed this, that and the other
They were going to have 5000 maiorit,
sure possibly more. They said that fusiol
didn't fuse, and we republicans in othe
states took their statement of what tn
true condition Of affairs was So republj
cans were depressed and democrats elate
at the first news received of the actual re
suit.
The truth is that the Maine returns civ
the Hancock boom no comfort excep
when compared with the great expecta
tons" that the republican campaign man
ayers INDUCED in beforehand. Had it bee
said as was the trnth, last year we mad
agood campaign and our opponents the
had more than 800 votes more than W
did; we hope to overcome this but it
doubtful whether we do in the face of Ii
efforts of the other side" there would b
no feeling, even temporary, that we hav
lost anything in Maine.
But now that the election is over an
the republicans Dragged beforehand, "
are glad to see the democrats outdoin
them. They were justified by Monda
nights returns in feeling .jubilant but no
that the later returns are coming in an
showing no republican loss over last yes
their brag is rooster politics, pure an
simple.
Because Mr.. Weaver looked into tn
Maine coop the whole democratic poultr
yard of the country has mistaken h
grecnback lantern for a Hancock sun an
are in full flap and crow. And it is
satisfaction to know that republican bra
and buster have received blow and TIL
democratic brag and buster are in flu
blast.
The actual result in Maine as near ;
can be now ascertained is that Plaisted
probably elected governor by a mario
margin; that the republicans lose nothin
as compared with last year on the popul
vote; that we carry both branches of Il
legislature and probably elect three COZ
gressmen out of the five. We presuu
the chairman of the Maine democrat
state committee will rise up and announ
" it is democratic victory" And viii
that isn't so, it is the kind of thing tn
Marshall Jewell won't move to NAL
unanimous.
Mr.. Barnum of the democratic nation
committee worked it very well and in Il
long run it will be as well that he bit son
of his more ELUSIVE opponents thus ear
in the campaign for they now know whe
he is. And where he is they will find the
had better be; and that is doing ha
work in the whole field.
The result in Maine does not take
from the November republican states.
is not yet determined whether the idea
Weaver and Scion Chase to run straiol
greenback election ticket will prevail {
not. The result simply makes the can
paign hotter in all contested states ar
enfOrces on republicans what nooJoJ o.. ,