Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-09-14
The Maine Election.


The result in Maine Is q surprise all around
The republicans have lately been claiming q
majority of from 5000 to 5000. and the deml-
Gratis Outside OF Mainel have freely conceded
the state TO their opponents BY majority Of
from 2.000 TO 5000 Ii has been noted, however,
that the fusiOntst papers In Maine have never
admitted the chances OF defeat, and that the
republicans there were shy Of betting upon the
result. X Is also called to mind that Mr..
Blaine, though often questioned. has this year
eyaded giving any specific figures upon e5ti-
mated republican majoritieS. on the other
hand. the reports Of diSntegratiOn and want
of harmony and organization in the fusionist
ranks, and Of successful inroad5 upon them by
the republicans, came with such uniformity
from the correspondents alike OF republican.
democratic ana Independent papers that the
claims of the fuSioniStS themselves that they
were holding their own and something more
were looked upon as mere bluff. Hence
the nature OF the surprise in the
returns last night indicating that instea7
OF capturing the state. gaining congressman
or two and giving a majority that would e5-
tablish good table OF percentages to figure out
q solid republican north for Garfield, the re-
publicans had been virtually captured them
selves. The returns to-day make a rather bet
Ter showing for the republicans; they do not
lose any member OF Congress- they have an
even chance OF holding the legislature, (electing
L. S. SenatOr.) and may possibly. but not PROB
ably, have majority for governor. But at the
best they will not emerge from the conflict with
anything in the shape Of victory that will give
any aid TO the republican presidential boom.
They Will even have TO renew the fight, and Ii
Will be fight of the sharpest kind, fer the pos
session of the state In November. Had they car
ried the state By a tolerable ajorlty they would
Of course have had q walK-oYer in November
but now they must rally their exhausted forces
for another desperate battle with foe elated
by unexpected successes In the late conflict.
one element OF the surprise about the result in
Maine is the tenacity OF life shown by the
greenback party there, when IL is diSsolvfng In
all the other states. 1t would appear that there
Is a considerable element OF discomfort still ex-
listing there amongst the labOrtng classes, not
wtthstanding the revival of business through
out the country. This may be accounted for,
partially. by the fact that a main industry OF
the state In past years-that of ship building
has lot revived with other industries. We
notice that the republicans have held their own
pretty well in AndroscOggin county lin Frye's
distrtct), the great manufacturing center of the
state, where there has been q general revival of
business; and they seem TO have lost heavily In
the coast towns, where everything continues
stagnant. The ''greenback craze" seems to be
fully alive yet In Maine, and very likely that
party Will claim that the victory Is their own
and not that OF the democrats. This may be
largely true, and still the fact will not afford
very much comfort TO the republicans. Alto
gether, the republicans will find 1t necessary to
drop Maine from their table OF percentages and
fall back upon Vermont, where they really have
the figures for the purpose.