Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-18
projecting" Maine. Smaller Plurality

projecting" Names Smaller Plurality
Chairman Griggs of Georgia, and
the other masters of strategy who are
directing the Democratic fight for the
control of the next House are now able
to discover mysterious signs of ar
impending Democratic tidal wave in
the returns from Maine. At first the
news Of the sweeping Republican vic
tory here, with it's almost unprecedent-
ed off year pluralties. dazed them and
they could find breath for nothing ex-
cept muttered population of those
prophets who had led them to believe
that the State was ripe for revolt
against Republicanism. But Chair
man Griggs is too buoyant a buffer
to be long disconnected. and he. pro-
ceeds with great solemnity to his for
mer pastime of extracting sunshine
from cucumbers.
The usually conservative Springfield
Republican, which, however, is never
ItepuDllfdH III lDlHE Dul iisllilC, a.
cepts the cheerful view of the opti-
mistic Griggs and has been struggling
to persuade itself that the slightly re-
duced pluraIities from those of 1860,
given for Republican candidates in
three of the four Maine Congress dis
tricts presage a similar shrinkage in
Republican strength in all the other
states of the Union. 1t points out that
Mr.. Allen got a plurality in the First
District of 5237. against 1853 two years
ago; that Mr.. Littlefields plurality in
the Second District fell from 1916 in
1900 to 1872 last week, and that Mr..
Powers in the Fourth District, had
only S4S2 plurality. against 1006S
given for Mr.. Boutelle two years be-
fore. In the Third District, it admits.
Mr.. Burleigh's plurality rose from 6Sl6
in 1900 to 7T12 this year. But from the
fact that the combined Republican
1875 per cent. from those of the presi-
dental year of 1900 it draws this VEN
tuTesome and paradoxical conclusion:
Projected over the country, such a
decline in the Republican majority
would mean the loss of the House to
the Democrats: and this is quite posi-
BILE. for Maine lies somewhat out of
the main current OF economic and
other conditions which chiefly affect
political opinion in the United States"
The New York Tribune looks at this
matter from n different point of view
and points out that the falIacy of
projecting declines-or percentages of
decline-over the country" as the
Springfield Republican is tempted to
do. was unfortunately exposed through
some experiments made with the
Maine election returns two years ago.
In September 1900. the Republican
plurality for governor and congress-
men was about 80 1000, against about 49,
600 in 1896. Chairman James X. Jones
and the other tabulators at the head
quarters of the Democratic National
committee Immediately put their PEN
ellis to work. and by projecting the
apparent Democratic gain over the
of the As states for Bryan and Steven
son. 1t is just as easy and just as sim
pie now for Democratic forecasters to
carry the next House by a two-thirds
majority, on the Maine percentage
theory. But can that theory be per-
suaded to work in 1902 any better than
ii did in 1900?
The Tribune holds that there is
much more substance in fact in the
Springfield Republicans conflicting
suggestion that Maine lies to some ex-
tent out of the currents which chiefly
affect and alter national opinion in
md-presidential years. In September,
$780, the Republican candidates for Con-
gress in Maine received increased
pluralitles over those of 1883. But in
SNpNtiAibtA tlit Ut idISt was
swept by violent reaction against
Repuhlicanism. If they show any
thing. the results in Maine indicate
that the forces which contributed 70
Republican success in 1894. 1896, 1895
and 1900 are still operative, and until
these forces suffer serious and gen.
eral check. to cause which there is
nothing now liz sight. Democratic
managers and Democratic newspapers
will be merely wasting their ingenuity
In pursuing unsubstantial visions of VIC
tory by the percentage route.
The announcement of the Chicago
professor that Mars is inhabited by a
race far superior in every way to the
most civilized people of the earth is
IL.