Middletown transcript., 1896-09-19
10000 PLURALITY.

Certainly the vote in Maine on Mon
day is significant so far as the free
coinage of silver concerns the east.
An analysis of the vote shows that
there were great losses to the Demo-
Gratis. The total vote of 10000 is
$500 short of the corresponding vote
in 1892. The Republicans gained some
$4,000 over 1892 while the Democrats
lost 21 500. There was then . large
stay-at-home Democratic vote on Mon
day. -Four years ago As per cent. Of
the total vote was cast by the Demo-
Gratis, while on Monday less than 30
per cent. was cast for the silver candi.
dates, the campaign having been fought
on the money question.
The day before the election the
chairman of the Democratic State
Committee gave out the following in
teryiew :
e The result of to -morrow's election
will demonstrate the fact that the
growth of the free silver sentiment in
Maine during the past three months
has been simply astonishing. The
silver question has been carefully
studied, and the vote cast for Melvin
P. Frank tomorrow will show the
real silver strength in the State. Gold
Democrats will not vote for Frank ex-
cept in isolated cases. The line has
been drawn between silver and gold,
and the mere question of party loyalty
has not been so strong a factor as /
might wish. True, the party organi-
zation has vigorously worked for party
success, but with little effort upon
men who, though long identified with
the organization for many years, have
refused to be considered for silver, but
the result will be marvellous.
80 Three months ago not 5000 silver
Democrats could be found in the whole
State of Maine. Tomorrow at least
5000 silver votes will be registered at
the polls. This outcome regard as a
victory for the silver cause-a victory
that cannot be measured by the maje-
rity of the Republican vote over tue
Democratic, but rather by the size of
the vote cast for Mr.. Frank. The
battle has not been between the two
old parties, but between the silver men
on one side and the gold men on the
other. No comparison can be made
with the former votes, for the issue is
wholly new"
Chairman Hughes missed his calcula.
tion. Instead of the "55,000 silver
votes,o as he put it, there we're only
81, 900, or loss of 40 per cent. on his
estimate. Let the silver vote be
generally discounted at this rate and
where does it leave Mr.. Bryan? The
result Of the vote in Maine is due in
a measure to Democratic votes, sound
money men who voted for the Republi-
can candidates even at the State elec-
tion. This vote must necessarily in
crease in November when the real issue
in the national campaign is before the
people.
But the $4,000 majority given by
Maine on Monday is unprecedented.
1t is the voice of the people. Vermont
spoke but few days ago in the same
emphatic manner. indicating on the
part of the people in the east a repudia-
tion Of the Chicago platform. Vermont
is an agricultural State and the largest
falling off Of the Democratic vote with
a CORE spending increase of the Re-
publican vote ON Monday was in the
country districts, showing that the
farmers upon whom Mr.. Bryan has
chiefly relied are not with him. This
was true in Vermont, it was true OD
Monday in Maine, and it is said it will
prove to be true throughout the great
west III November.
Those who delight in making COM
parisons can take the following vote
for Governor in Maine for the past
36 years, showing silver to have met
the most overwhelming defeat