New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-14
TEE TTCrOEY ~ MINE.

We commend to the praycrful consideration
Of such Democrats as insist upon claiming that
they have made fine showing in Maine the
} following frank and accurate observation Of
"The Sun:
The plain Truth about The Maine election IS that In
ccnulty can devise TO formula OF comparison with past
results which exhibits the event as Democratic We
tory. as an indication OF drift Of voters away rom
Harrison 20 Cics Hand and Thurman. or as cnco1''-e
ueut 10 the notion THAT ans Of the tradionay lie
publican states OF the North can DO transferred THIS
year to the Democratic column
This is cold truth for Democrats from 4
Democratic newspaper. What are the facts
| The September pulalitcs in Presidential years
have been going back twenty years as follows ::
1868. 2O.4O3; 1872. l72I6: 1876, 1914.
In 1880 the Republicans failed to carry the
State in September, owing TO the Fusion move
ment In 1884 the September plurality was
1851. As "The Sum shows, this makes an
average September plurality during the years
the Republicans carried the State Of 1928
The latest returns of the present election show
plurality of 1916. This is slightly less
than the first estimates but the fact remains
that it is larger than the average Of the four
preceding Presidential years in which the Re
years in which the September plurality has
exceeded it were 1868, when General Grant,
with his overwhelming popularity, ran for the
first time, and 1891, when Mr.. Blaine, the
loved leader Of the Maine Republicans, was
himself the candidate. To bring the plurality
UP to within ! 1856 votes of the year when the
people Of Maine knew they were really voting
for Mr. Blaine himself is a remarkable achieve
ment, and shows that there was a powerful
sentiment at work taking the place Of personal
enthusiasm. Il is also worthy Of note that the
plurality is always greater in November than in
September, though the difference has not been
great in recent years.
The Democratic papers complain bitterly
Of comparisons made with the vote Of 1886,
instead Of 1891. Well, we are willing they
should have comparisons with 1881. and have
furnished them. Yet. as any candid man can
see, it is in some respects an unfair comparison.
The first and chief reason is, as we have said,
that Mr. Blaine was the candidate four years
ago and gave the canvass a great impetus, As
was shown by his raising the September plu-
rality 4,lO7 over that Of 1876, and the No
vcmber plurality even more. Another reason
is that parties have undergone a considerable
change in Maine during he past four years.
Comparing the returns of 1884 with those Of
1888, one might suppose that the Prohibition
lists had made great gains in this election.
Their candidate for Governor had 1880 votes
four years ago, and this year has 2,97l. But
as every one knows the vote this year is
heavy Prohibition loss as the vote in 1886
was 3,S7 ga lalling-of Of nearly 20 per cent
On the other hand the Greenback or Labor
party has practically disappeared. The Butler
candidate for Governor four years ago had
3,2 81 this year the Labor candidate has only
979
The average September plurality in 1868.
1872 and 1876, when Mr.. Blaine was not
candidate was II ,697. The present plurality
is gain of nearly 1000 votes up'n that. 1t
is a gain of $500 votes upon the figure at
which THE New ork Tines (Dem) in its
editorial and news columns on Tuesday placed
the Republican plurality in Mondays election.