Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-15
Maine in 1910.

The Ma" Era, like MANY other Re
publican papers, would like to make its
readers believe now that Maine has little
influence in directing the results of the
other states which follow it, and intimates
in an editorial head line that it "never,
hardly ever just ilics its motto-Dirigo,
Il direct" That this is true in years in
which Maine votes us it had uniformly
voted for years before may be conceded,
but il is not true that in years in which
Maine showed grea: political revolution,
its verdict failed to affect the result in
states following it. The E.W's citations
of historical prccc;lcntS to sustain it ,
are most unfortunate. With reference to
the memorable campaign of lSlo, the Mar
Era says:
In the ever memorable campaign of 1910,
remarkable for the big mass meetings and
enthusiasm of both parties, tue contest
opened inauspiciously for the IFhigs IN u
surprise - from IMine. There being no
telcgraplls or fast mails i'm those days. it
took some time to learn the result of IN
election in i distant state. The Wings had
reason to believe, from assuranccs received
from well Informed sources, that i politi-
cal revolution was going Oh lH the Pine
Tree state, and they had planned a big
mass meeting at Harrisburg to bc in pro-
cession about the time the Maine news
was expected. The Democrats, Iy II ktNe
extra enterprise, got ahead of their oppon-
cnts, and as the great Wing procession
passed the Democratic headquarters, the
enthusiastic "loy cabin and lard CIDER
crowd were somewhat taken aback by
banner being flung out bearing this strange
dcvicc-''l Have You heard the news from
Maine? 10000 Democratic majority ~
The disconnected Wings thought for the
time bein. that their coons were killed,
their cabins demolished, and their cider
turned into very sour vinegar /; but the
second sober thought brought with it re-
newcd determination to perfect their Or
ganization and wage the battle with fresh
vigor. The result was IN uvcrwhclmin.
victory in the triumphant election OF
Harrison and Tyler and Reform''-or
Tip, Ty and I'om, as the campaign
song writer's put it.
The next grand surprise to which Maine
treated the politicians was in 1856, having
up to that time been considered one O: the
most reliable of Democratic states.
Notwithstanding that the motto of
Maine is (Di'igo) Il direct" SIZE hastailed
to direct tie tide IF pnblic sentiment an t,co of
tic most Mi,ortaht crorhs Of tile times, and
there is no reason why she should do so
now. !: The contests
of 1910 and 1856 were less complicated
with local ISSUES than the one just closed
Z The victories i'm both instances were over
whelmingly onc-sided.
Now if this citation means anything il
means that mt the September election in
1910 the Democrats carried Maine, and.
Notwithstanding that, the Wings rallied
and elected their candidate for president.
Although he does not say so in that
many words the editor Of the Ncm Era
leaves his ignorant reader under the i'm
preston that tho Democrats carried the
state 10y Il large majority. The ''contest
opened inauspiciously for the Wings -
there was 4 . surprise - from Maine;
but she failed to direct the tide of pub
lie SENTIMENT
Surely the editor OF the Ncw Era
knows that the surprise'' to which
Maine treated the country in 1910 was
the election of a Wing governor i'm Sep
tember, and it was that event which di-
rected the drift Of subsequent events in
behalf of the Wing party. The Demo-
Gratis may have sOured'' some of the
Republican cider by " claims - of 20 1000,
but their claim was not borne out by the
returns. Maine "went hell bent for
Governor Kent" who was the Wing
candidate, and it was this " surprise "
from hitherto Democratic state that
created a panic in the Democratic ranks
and swept the country for Harrison.