Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-08-14
The Second District.
portland AdvertiSer.)

FOllOWlnS us custom OF years, tne
Democracy is now carrying the State
of Maine. a task which it always finds
easier Of accomplishment in August
than September.
The avant couriers of victory are
now reporting in at national Demo-
cratic headquarters. They predict an
entire sweep of the State and getting
down to particulars say they will
carry the second congressional district
where Hon. John p. Swasey of Canton
and Hon. D. J. McGillicuddy of Lewis
ton are the opposing candidates.
in2Smuch as the Democracy has
pitched upon the second district as
the field for slaugher it is too bad
that the avant couriers did not give
further details regarding the points
at which the greatest slaughter is to
be enacted. Such information would
be enlivening in the depressing heavi-
ness of the dog-days.
We should like to know, for instance,
whether the tidal wave is to be rolled
up in Oxford, the home county of Mr..
Swasey. or whether it is to be piled up
i'm Knox where the Democracy is still
smarting because Mr.. McGillicuddy
would not stand aside after his refeat
of two years ago and let the patient
Job Montgomery of Camden have try
at congressional honors. Perchance.
however. the avant couriers are going
to mobilize a Democratic flotilla on the
lakes of northern Franklin and sweep
that shire from the Republican col
umn to which it has been steadfastly
hn rtx ad
its birth at the Strong convention Of
1856.
On these and other details should we
like information. In the absence of
such data we shall have to turn to
the pages of the Maine Register and
study it's figures for a few years back
in connection with certain well-under-
stood incidents in the politics of the
district.
Two years ago Congressman Little
field faced bitter opposition in his own
party and his return was contested in
TIE primaries. Opposed to him were
Mr. McGillicuddy and Samuel Gompers
| who made a fiery tour of the district
denouncing the Republican candidate
in the name of organized labor. And
vet when the votes were counted: Lit
| tlefield had 1S.70S as against 1886 for
| McGillicuddy, lead of 1862.
| In that year, when its candidate
| had been defeated for the nomination.
| Old Oxford rolled up a Republican
| ma ajority of 1899. Franklin stood by
l. Littlefield with majority of 942. Lin
| coin added .476 and Sagadahoc 2O9, An
| n w
| everything Republican. gave McGilli-
| cu,ldy an advantage Of 1433 and Knox
| added 431.
With everything in it's favor, the
| Democracy didn't come nearer than
1862 votes to victory. What chance
| has it in a year when the Republicans
are solidly and enthusiastically behind
their nominee.-Once more we turn to
| the Maine Register. In 1904. before the
opposition within his party had become
| acute and when the Democratic nomi-
| nee did not have the assistance of Mr..
| Gompers, Littlefield polled 1916 votes
| to 1890 for Foss. plurality of 1856.
| Two years before that Littlefield had
H. ,297 against 1907, winning by a
plurality of 62oO Eight years ago. in
|
rolled up 1926, which gave him lead
Of 7776
These are the figures that escaped
the attention of the avant couriers
or were artfully kept from their sight
by the adroit Mr.. Gillicuddy. but they
are after all the figures with which the
Democracy must begin to figure wher
it works out its problem of Demo
cratic victory. They represent the
normal partizanship of the distric
when a combination of circumstances
has not temporarily disturbed the po
lltical balance. Once re-aligned be
hind Oxford's grand old man. the Hon
John P. Swasey, the Republicans entel
the campaign with an assured aver
age majority. 1t is that and the tire
mendous increase which oxford vii
give TO its favorite son that the De
mocracy must eliminate before it cal
perform in September. it's 1aAuga1s
promise of victory.