The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-10
Keep an Eve on Maine.

Keep an Eye on Maine.
Following closely after the phenom-
enal vote cast for the Republican cam
didate for governor of Vermont, Mr..
Woodbury., whose plurality of 1868 is
the largest ever polled in that state,
will come today's verdict in Maine up
on this Democratic ADMINISTRATION and
whatit has done and undone. Chair
man Manley, of the Republican COM
mittee, estimates that his party will
have plurality of $4,000, including
the reelection of every Republican
congressman by increased majorities,
and Chairman Hughes, Of the Demo-
cratic committee, gives the minority's
case away by admitting that the Re-
publicans will have 10000 to 1000
plurality on their state ticket.
An analysis Of the Vermont vote is
interesting as giving an advance hint
of what may be expected in Maine.
The completed returns show a gain Of
10, ,292 over the plurality for the Repub-
lican ticket in 1890, the last off year
election, and the total vote is larger
by 10, 234 than that given for governor
the last Presidential year. The plu-
rality for Woodbury. is about 1000
greater than that given for Harrison
in 1892. The total Republican vote
this year is 4,79l greater, and the Dem
ocratic vote 2,205 less than that cast for
the presidential ticket in 1892. The
Prohibition vote dropped nearly out of
sight this year. In 1892 the third par
ty cast AIS votes for Bidwell. The
Prohibitionists have polled for their
ticket mere handful of votes, less
than per cent. of the whole number
cast, fact which will exclude their
nominations from the official ballot in
1896, except by petition of the required
number of voters. The Populists cast
566 votes, small fraction less than the
l per cent. to entitle them to represent
alton upon the official ballot, except by
petition. The returns show the re-
election of Congressman Powers from
the First district, and of Congressman
Groat from the Second district by ma
jorities of about $4,000 each. All the
Republican candidates for county off
GERS are elected in every county. The
senate is solidly Republican, and there
are only eleven Democrats in a house
of 24l members.
In only one respect has the Maine
campaign differed from that in Ver-
mont. This has been in the growth
of the Populist strength. Even Re-
publicans concede that the Maine Pop
ulist ticket will poll largely increased
vote; but they allege that the increase
will come almost wholly from Demo-
cratic sources. To be a Democrat in
Maine has for years meant such a
strain on ones stiffness of backbone
that those Democrats who are now
disgusted with their party will change
over only by degrees, taking Populism
merely as q preliminary step. 1t is
significant that Congressman Reed,
who has led the Maine campaign, has
been uncommonly moderate and con-
ciliatory in his speeches, showing that
he appreciates the wisdom of drawing
the Democratic waverers into the Re-
publican ranks by mild means, instead
of making them angry by incessant
clubbing. The effects of this shrewd
policy ought to reveal themselves at
to-day's balloting.
1t is safe guess that Maine will join
in the merry dance which staid old
Vermont has begun, following the
latter's phenomenal vote with another
not less remarkable.