The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-20
SOME POLITICAL sTRAWs.
New Orleans Picayune.
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The complexity Of the present poll.
tical situation in the United States
battles analysis and discourages any
attempt to forecast, except in very
general way, the result of the APP
preaching congressional elections.
The Republicans themselves expect
some diminution of the mapority in
the House of Representatives, secur-
ed two years ago under exceptional
conditions, but they still claim that
will be able to maintain an effective
control over the proceedings of that
body. The Democrats, on the other
hand, have been a good deal encour-
aged by the considerable reductions
of Republican maporities in the re.
cent elections in Vermont and Maine
Attention has been called to the fact
that for twenty-six years past-ex.
cepting only the off-year election of
1898-a Republican plurality in Maine
of less than $4,000 in the September
election has been followed by Dem.
ocratic success in the country at
large. Fletcher d. Proctor, the Re-
publican candidate for the governors
office, was elected on the 10th inst,
by a plurality of 15,676-the lowest
given to the Republican nominee for
that position in more than a quarter
OF a century, except in the election
of 1890, when the Republican candi-
dates plurality was only 14,162. This
showing, however, is to some extent
offset by the fact that the campaign
this year in Vermont was largely con-
Quoted on local isues. The reduction
this year Of the usual Republican ma
jorities In Maine is attributed to the
same cause by Republican news
papers and speakers. In that state
the Republican plurality for governor
was cut down from $4,000 to 5000,
and the majorities for Republican
congressman were reduced by from
$500 to 5000 votes, and the Demo.
Gratis doubled their representation in
the Legislature, carrying all but four
of the twenty cities in the state But
the Republicans say that national is.
sues had little or nothing to do with
the result, the increase of the Demo
cratic vote being accounted for by
the agitation for resubmission of
the Maine prohibitory law. There
may be something in this explanation,
but it will hardly suffice to allay all
uneasiness at the Republican head
quarters. The Democrats demanded
resubmission in 1902, and were beat
en- by more than $1,000 votes; and
when they raised the anti-prohibition
issue again in 1904 they were defeat
ed by more than $1,000 votes. 1t
seems plain, then, that some influ-
ences has been at work in Maine that
was, at all events, less effective in the
campaigns of two and four years ago
than it has been this year. Precise
ly what it is may be regarded as an
open question, but it has been claim
! ed that the labor vote was cast solid
ly for the Democrats. Mr.. Gompers
| went to Maine not to carry the state
against the Republicans, but to &C.
cOmplish the defeat of Mr. Littlefield.
That gentleman was returned to Con.
gress by a plurality of about 1000,
though two years before his plurality
was nearly 5000. Possibly Mr.. Com.
pers had something to do with that
reduction; but he should remember
that Mr.. Littlefield was not the only
| Maine Republican candidate for Con-
gress whose vote was seriously cut
down at the same time-Congressm
Aliens plurality having fallen of
some 3,400 votes and Congressman
Powers more than 5000.