Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-15
The Maine Election,

The result of the election in Maine,
supposed some days since to be en-
tirely clear, is now somewhat Obscured
by the discovery that the official re-
turns as received from the town clerks
vary in some cases from the telegraphic
figures, The variation is such that
Governor Davis election cannot be
claimed with the same positiveness as
was possible few days ago. 1t is not
certain that the issue will be decided
before the official count in January. At
the same time, the Republicans of
Maine have still strong hopes of Davis
election, and they know definitely that
they have secured an overwhelming
majority in both houses of the Legisla-
ture, which will elect United States
Senator, as well as State officers, and
that they have reelected all their
three Congressman. They have not
only gained a victory, with a strong as
surance that the State will choose Re
publican Electors in November, but they
have furnished bright omens for the
success Of the Republican party in other
States.
The first thing to be considered is
that the vote is the largest ever polled
in Maine by $500. Whether the Dem
ocrats used their favorite tissue-ballots
or not, it is certain that the honest vote
of the State was more thoroughly
aroused and more fully polled than ever
before. This was the fact in Ver-
mont, also, where the official returns
show total vote of 20, 0,SS6-about ten
per cent. in excess of the largest
previous vote. Yet these two States
have gained but very little in popu-
lation. The surprising increase results
from the deep and intense popular in
terest in the coming Presidential cleo
ton. 1t proves that the loyal North is
aroused, and that all the reserves will
be found in line this year. Everybody
knows that the voters who often
neglect or decline to vote are mainly
Republicans, and that full vote al
most always means Republican victory
in a close State.
But the vote in Maine, like that in
Vermont, proves that the Republican
party has not been losing, but has
gained strength largely since the latest
previous elections. In Vermont, hav-
ing no serious opposition except from
Democrats, the Republicans raised
their majority over the Democrats from
%, 700 in 1876 to 26,621 in 1880. In
Maine, having to meet an opposition
from Greenbackers mainly, the Repub-
licans have turned a minority of 1872, IN
comparison with the Fusion vote last
year, into an apparent plurality over
the FGsionists of several hundred in
1880. The gain is not very large, but
no larger gain is needed to render Re-
publican success absolutely certain in
New York, Connecticuta and New Jersey.
For third, the result proves that the
Greenback party is the vigorous, ag-
gressive and growing element of the
opposition. 1t represents honest con-
victions, however mistaken; makes a
sturdy and stubborn fight, and sticks to
its colors, whether hopeful or hopeless,
with pertinacity which the Democratic
spoils-hunters cannot match This fact
indicates the probable cause of the S,314
Greenback voters in Connecticut in
1873, of the 20,2S6 Greenback voters in
New York last year, and OF the p, 63l
Greenback voters in New Jersey in
1878. The prospect that these forces
can be captured and used by the DEM
ocrats has been immensely diminished
by the result in Maine.
At the latest elections in the disputed
Eastern States, where the Greenback
votes were rs here quoted, the Repub-
licans carried Connecticut by plurality
of 2,4S2 over Mr.. Hubbard, a very
popular Democratic candidate; they
carried New York by an average plu-
rality of about 5000 over the candidates
upon whom both wings of the Demo-
cratic party were fully united; and
they had a plurality of 1856 for their
Congressman in New Jersey, over
the Democratic candidates, even when
the entire vote for Mr. Smith
in the Second District, who was sup
ported both by Democrats and Green
hackers, is counted as a Democratic
vote. No gain is needed in either of
these States to insure Republican sue
cess; the party only needs to hold fast
its relative position at the latest cleo
tions But small gain, such as was
secured In Maine, would suffice TO put
the Republican ticket out OF all danger
in either of these States. Aud the Re-
publicans of New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut, who know that the
people Of those States have enjoyed to
the full the advantage of commercial
and industrial prosperity, feel sure that
they are going to make gains incom-
parably larger than any secured in the
Northern States which have voted al
ready.
But the Republicans win take warn
ing that they cannot afford to neglect
any honest effort or reasonable sacri-
fee. Every man must do his best, If
the country is to be saved from the
grasp of those who tried in vain to de-