Evening star., 1896-09-09
Figuring Oh a Big Republican Plu-
rality Next Monday.
some ESTIMATES OF THE Vote
The PopuIist Cause and Its Leade,
in Maine.
CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES
Correspondence of The Evening star.

paign in Maine preyioi 5 to the state elec-
ton. The eleC ton occurs week from to-
dag, on Monday. September IL There are
five candidates in the fielh-LIewelyn Pow
ers Of Houlton. republican; ". l.. Frank of
Portland, democrat; William Henry Gift
ford of Portland, boiling democrat, and l..
c. Bate nan OF Auburn, ropulist, and Lcyi
:. Ladd Of Calais. prohibitionist.
The vote for governor in 1884 was as fol
lows: Cleayes, republican. T',3222; Johnson
dc mocrat, ::o.ft5; Hersey. prohibitIonist
2,72l; Bateman, peoples, '.:ies. The repuh-
licans will compare the vote this year with
that of the presidential year Of 1892, wheu
the total vote of the state was l:;o, ,e,i-,
Cleaves republican. receiving 61,3D John
son, democrat. 5o.;;97; Huzzey. prohibition
ist, 3,s64; Bateman, peoples, Bliss; Know
ton, union labor, 2ol, and scattering, l..
The largest vote ever cast for repubii-
candidate for governor MAS for Bur
leigh, who in issS received a. Pl. Powers,
the republican candidate for governor, real
ly expects a larger total vote than this.
The republican plurality in Maine at the
coming election is varicusly estimated. Mr..
Manley, the chairman Of the republican
state committee, places 1t al from lb,Uo To
D.WD. MIR. Hughes, the chairman OF the
democratic state committee, has made no
figures yet, but the conservative demo-
Gratis think it will be from l5.sp TO Ho,N".
II is well known that Mr.. Maniey expects
much more than he has given out. and no
doubt would be disappointed if Powers does
;ot receive over ::0,GD plurality.
The Estimated Vote.
It need surprise no one if the republican
plurality is from 35.pD to 10000 If it is
rot over 2op~ the democrats will feel re-
joiced. The republicans in the state have q
thorough organization, a small army of
of he
Gratis are disorganized to a certain extent
discouraged and disheartened and have few
speakers and no money The democrats ex-
pect to make no gains in the western part
of the state. In Waldo. Knox. Piscataquis.
Washingto ton, Somerset and PenoiScot couE-
ties they expect to aolG their own or make
gains over lSc.
The following which was given me by
William P Allen. a prominent lawyer and
dc mocrat Of ArooStook county. Is 10 Ioubt
a conservative and correct statement of the
situation in that part of the state. Mr.. Al
len says:
My idea of the political situation in
Aroostook is that the republican majority
will be about the same as in lS!,2. The
democrats have no organization. ANA the
worst element of the party is at the front.
while the republicans We're never better
of fGanzed. ami apparently have an abund-
ance of money. which is telling with our
large class OF ''fioaters. The democrats
.
had they organized in July ami flied the
county with speakers as early as the LIST
of August the result would be different In
July ii looked as though the county was
ripe for the silver idea. aud nothing could
prevent a repetition of 1S1S-9-So: but, as !
| said before, lhe democrats We're slow and
| were tco badly divided. and, as usual. have
lost an opportunity to win. The repalii-
cans saw the danger they were in. organ
| lied clubs everywhere throughout the
| county and kept the voters well supplied
with republican reading matter. If this
were an OFF year Powers would he cut bad
ly in this county. but as il is a presiden, ial
year the republican voters will swallow
their dish of crow and vote straight.
Looking for 25.OOO Plurality.
well-informed gentleman who has been
in all parts Of the state and who has made
a study OF the political situation. tells me
that he thinks the republicans will elect
Powers by at least o51p0 plurality. From
what j can learn of the situation in talk
ing with men from all sections of the state
and judging from my own correspondence
l think this estimate of 25."oo plurality is
conservative one. There will he few
| democrats who will vote for Mckinley
only few who will vote the boiling demo
| cratic ticket. but the way it looks now a
! good many democrats will have urgent bus
mess in other directions on election day
and will not vote at all. All of the Con-
EieSsmen, with the possible execution oil
Bouteile, will receive larger majorities
| than ever before. 1t looks as if Congress
man DlnSley in this district would receive
| vote much larger than that he receiI ed
| two years ago, at that time phenomcnally
large. His democratic competitor, who Is
| "a hard money man, is evidently not doing
| any work. Charles L. Allen, the populisi
| candidate. is making few spec ches but his
vote viii not he large.
BY The way, il is estimated that the pop-
| ulist vote of the state Will not be over halt
| what it two years ago. l.. c Bate
| man. the populist candidate for governor
| is regarded an able man ami stands higi
| with the people. but. of course in this
| state he is leading hopeless cause.
Batemnn's Personality.
| Mr.. Bateman's controversy with Senat ~
Allen over the nomination of Mr.. Bryan
by the popuists has brought him into ma
| tional prominence, and his history and per
| sonality IS one worth studying.
Mr.. Bateman was born in Waldoboro' in
| 1S4? anI when mere hoy of twelve. at
| the outbreak OF the war tried hard TO lie
| enlisted. At the age of fifteen he succeed
| ed in being allowed to go to the front,
where he served till the close of the war.
! receiving injuries to his health that he has
never outgrOHn.
| After the age of fifteen he has never been
| in school, yet is acknowledged by all who
know him to he one of The finest scholars
| in the state HIS memory is wonderful
and his ambition boundicsS. and 10y hard
| work and study he has made himself an ALI
round well-educated man. For some years
| he has been delivering lectures on scientific
! subjects. and his lectures are intensely in
| terest;ng and instructive. At one time he
| Travelled abroad, and since that time has
| delivered illustrated lectures upon his tray
els, which draw big houses.
| For some years he owned one of the finest
farms in Waldo county. where he is very
popular, and where the farm was a model
| in arrangement and MANAGEMENT. He sold
| it some time 81, ce. and came to Auburn.
where he is editor and owner of the Maine
! Popuist. a paper in which he takes great
pride.
In politics Mr. Bateman has always been
as energetic as in other lines which he has
| taken up, aSsociating himself with the
greenhack party, his first stump speaking
being for Congressman Murch and on ac-
! count of his oratorical powers il was most
effective. In 1880 he nominated by
the union labor party for Congress. and
| ran far ahead OF his ticket. He has twice
been candidate for governor on the people $
party, and is undoubtedly their most popu-
| lar man. During the last few months his
work for the populist party has been so
ton.
Personally. Mr.. Bateman is most frank
manly and generous, with a positive char
| actcr which leads him never to forget a
| friend forgive foe. In his home he is
| t.l.- l,