New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-11
THE CAMPAIGN IN MA NE.
REPUBLICANS CONFIDENT OF VICTORY.

TxClTEMFNT IN THE CHI NS-WiiAT bOiiE" Al"
THE CONFEp RATES HAVE poNt-ENIhOsiNSN
oyER 7HE RMo>T VICTORY.
,rpou Il. STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'i
PORTLAND. Sept. ST. have been spending few
DAYS on the rocky promontories and ISLANDS Oh tue
coast east of Portland among the hsherhen ana
sailors-a section of the tate whore tie campaign
basno demonstrativc features and is only an aiiir
of ouitt argument at little town-hali meetings
The country is SO sterile than one scarcely sees Ne
acre Fl IA IN an afJernoeH's drive or saii ana
+. laga propor ion OF the inhabitants
gain their living from the seq. Spending nuch oA
their tine away from home, on the Banks OF New
foundiAnd or following the schools OF macRcre'
along he coast the do not keep the run oi cur
rent political discussion. and Only carry III theu
minds lew salient points connected with National
and State affairs. They are by no means lacking III
intelligence however. and in respect TO general III
formation would rate with an average farming pop
platiop. but they do not, like laudsmen. see the
pevspaners every day every week, ana
have little opportunity to catch the excite
ment of canvass Their life Is one
OF toll and danger, aud ther re-
sources ale precarous. News of the appearance
OF ackerel on the coast would soon make the on
ipr white with their sails. matter though 1t were
election day aad they were about TO start Tor the
polls.
The size Of the vote in these fishing towns always
depe ais ON the weather. out IN ratio opposite 10
that which obtains in the interior. The worse the
weather the larger tine vote, because the men are
kept on shore 10y a storm. fair election day Is
sure TO keep hundreds Of voters at sea. with Few
executions. the ishnc towns Republican, and
whether their vote be large or small the proper
tionate strength of the par does not vary much.
WHERE COPPi RnFAD SENTIMENT PREVAILED.
Where there is n Democratic coast town II is
almost always a place taat used to own ships ana
TO Trade with the South and the West Indies IN the
old fines, strong pro-Slavery and copperhead
sentiment characterized these places during tae
war dGused. no doubt. by the shpowners ana SNIP
captains whose business was broken III by the
blockade. Men who III 1864 wore pms on the zap
mel. q their coats made Of copper cents to indicate
their pade IN the name Of coppeihead, arc silil
pointed out IN these toYSns Party feeling Is strong,
and converts are rarely made by a can
yass bat there are few outward signs that
a shaip contest is in progress. Ban
ners oi any kind rare, and torchllshi pro-
ccssioas ana big mass-meetings are unknown. a
few local meetings are held, to which the people
come en- foot through the darkness, for the'e Is
very little agriculture aud few hoIsesare owned
The ri lie he men lead. and the influences ana
associations of the slvsge coast they mhabt,
beaten b. wind and wave Tor hall OF the wear ana
ONLY nj asant in the season when they are aW2y on
tie hing grounds. mako them tacituh ana
somcw aa; gloomy They d ten totho arguments ana
oratorr of the speakc.s. and nod their approval
from time 30 time, but a!e seldom moved to ap-
plause TIE Republicans in these fishing settle
ments seem to carry two iiels very clearly III their
mu3s-.hqt the Fnsouists tired to steal The
State Government last WINTER and that the
South is trying to get poSs session or the National
Government 10 finish oyertArowlng The Icsu Is o.
the wa. The Democrats are such byilstHlct birth
andur dice like most of hen party asSoci ties else
whore d usually possess LTainsqmte inperyious 10
argument or appeals TO patriotic feeling. here
are fc,, Graeubackers. Back little from the oast
on the rivers in Old shpbu'ldmg towns like Rock
land Damarlscotta and Bath, plenty of SCION Glasses
disciples may stll be found. bnt the fishermen never
took kindly TO soft-money no ions.
SOME TNTUU-IASN ~ HE CITIES.
Coming cat of the SIN III Of these sleepy fishing
villages ilat lie basne upon the craggy shores be-
side the p.a-grecn waters If little c0ves, the cam
paign seems more eager AMI more brilliant than ever.
Mcetaes multiply in number as the election ap-
proac3c-. Every train ou. OF the cities carries
batch d orators Fastening % o their appointments.
You can hardly 20 ouj alter dark without encounter
ing a iolchnght procession. In the larger places
moi nj .ht passes without a demonstration OF some
sort. F.equently there are rival meetings on the
E4OiANo'tiS
each Other as they pass in the streets. The dead
walls are gay With political placards, the air is
smoky with kerosene the bands make a continual
din. and the newspapers look like haudblls, with
their bold-face paragraphs and startling display
lines. Now The speeches prove short and
tersc. ExlorIaton takes TIE place OF
argument Everything Is at high tension.
Meetings are uproanous with applause. Tbeprosiest
orator i, surprised at the boisterous effect his I'D
Jokes aud wcll-wom points produce. Committee
men are seen rushing here and there. The party
orgaulzition is tghtened. the machine is oiled and
more steam is put on. Cauiionary signals are dis
PLAYED warning against spurious tickets and other
election tricks. Both parties are running at high
pressure
Now what OF the probable RESULT The word
probable need not be used at all except as to the
SIZE of the Republican majority. The Fusion ALI
auce which impadenty styles itself the Union
Party" borrowing or rather stealing the grand
name which designated the patriotic party OF the
North in the darkest days of the war; is beaten
already Ii mas been lighting for the last fortnight
to keep down the magnitude OF an inevitable Re
publican victory, and with no other hope Perhaps
the rank and file still deluded with some eXpec
tatIon of success, but the leaders know they are
whipped If they can keep down the adverse ma
iority 10 Buffers estimate OF about thousand they
can they think, moderate the effect OF their defeat
on the National canvass i'll other States, and make
the load of their own condemnation by the people
of Maine not too heavy for them to stand up under
ia the future
ADEsPERATE BUT HOPELESS FIGHT.
These leaders, all of whom are identified with the
Estate Steal" of last year, are making a desperate
fight. One must give them credit for organizing a
remarkably active and thorough campaign. Aided by
money sent from the Democratic National Commit
tee they have filled the Stale with the best speakers
they could get, holding as many meetings as their
adveIsaries aud nearly eqnalng them In the num-
Der of their uniformed clubs and in all the expen-
uI1rr