The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1898-09-19
The Result in Maine.

The Result in MAINE.
Maine tells the same story that YER
mont did. The Legitimate results ol
the war" seem to be very surely slipping
from the grasp Of the republican pom
ticians. Their hope of prohtlng by IL
to the extent of electing the next mousse
of representatives looks now very DAT
rem. Even the republican leaders VINO
have been most certain OF victory are
now disposed to question their chances.
AS Vermont went in the early election,
so has Maine gone; and no better ind1-
cation of the trend OF public sentiment
could be asked.
The tide has set in toward democrat
ic victory. A little while ago the re-
publicans-Hanna, Grosvenor and the
rest-were going about proclaiming that
they were going to fight this campaign
with the war as an issue, basing every
thing upon the glory which the admin
istration was sure to get out of it's con-
duct of things. The news they got
from Vermont made them change thell
tune considerably, for they knew that
the republican slump there was siSnih-
cant; now that Maine has emphasized
the impression made on them by YER
mont. they are in something very like
a state of panic.
They have been laying great store
by these early elections in New Eng
land Those states are overwhelming
ly republican, and the campaign man
ayers have been Boosting of the certain
ty of getting largo republican MAORI
ties there, feeling sure that in Maine
and Vermont, if anywhere, their plan
of claiming all the credit for the war
belonged to the administration, would
evoke enthusiasm and bring out heaVy
vote. They have kept up those claims
even after it became evident that the
war scandals would be held up against
the administration in some other parts
of the country, for they were confident
this sentiment against the adminlStra-
ton had no fOOthOld in New England.
At the republican congressional commit
tee headquarters all arrangements to
make a great spread on the results in
these states had been made. Now chair
man BabcOck and his assistants are busy
trying to invest excuses for what may
fairly be regarded as their defeat.
For although the democrats in these
states will not enjoy the offices as the
result of these elections, they have in
virtually gained a decided victory.
The elections in Maine and Vermont
occurring as they do earlier in the year
than those in most OF the other states,
have always been taken as significant
of the trend Of sentiment throughout the
rest of the country. When the repub-
icans have carried these states by
particularly large vote, it has turned
out to be a republican year generally.
When. on the contrary, the democrats
have made gains, it has been found
that the chances favored democratic VIC
tories generally.
Even more significant than usual are
the elections of this year, showing as
they do distinct republican losses in
the face Of the expectation Of the re-
publican leaders to turn the war to their
own account. These results show that
the people do not propose to let the re-
publican politicians take credit for that
which they have no claim Whateyer-the
splendid victories on land and sea-but
DO propose to hold the republican ad-
minstration responsible for the scandal
Gus treatment of the brave soldiers by
the department presided over by the
republican secretary of war.
Significant at all times, these early
elections are. therefore, more significant
this year than usual; and they mean
that the tide is running strong against
the republicans. With the certainty
Of this, the hope Of democratic leaders
naturally revives and the campaign is
being pushed with all the yigor posi-
bic 1t is too early to talk in any but
general terms, for in most OF the dis
tricts the campaign is just opening
up, but the outlook is certainly far
brighter than it was some weeks ago;
and if the signs count for anything. dem
ocratic victory all along the line is
among the political probabilities.
O.