The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-14
SMALL PLURALITY TO-DAY IN MAINE Republicans Claim 1000, But Democrats Predict Vic
 tory by a Safe
 Margin.
LIQUOR ISSUE PARAMOUNT
Question of the Resubmission of the Prohibition Law to the People of First Interest in the
 Campaign.

Portland, Me, Sept. 13.--With the republicans confident and the. demo- crats hopeful and with clearly defined Issues of local rather than of national importance, the voters of Maine will cast their ballots tomorrow for gov ernor. congressman. state auditor, members of the legislature and county officials. In addition they will also be asked to accept two proposed amend ments to the state constitution. both dealing with the initiative and the referendum.
 The election of Bert M Fernald, of Poland. by at least 15,o0o plurality, was claimed tonight by the republican leaders. while their democratic op~ poncnts predicted the success of Obadiah Gardner, of Rockland, who heads their ticket, by safe margin.
 The republicans have won in Maine In every election since 1880, by plural tiles averaging about 28,000 on presi- dental years, reaching 2s,34s in 1896, and falling to 12,b03 in 1892.
 For a campaign practically bereft of national questions the past four weeks has seen some of the hardest political fighting in the history of the state, and 1t will be no fault of the party man agers if the voters do not go to the polls in large numbers or mark their t,a lDto ha al oa vi n mind.
 Tn addition both candidates are we'll known from Kittery to the Passama- quoddy, for Mir Fernald is large corn canner, one of the leading industries of the state, while MT. Gardner was the head of the state grange, rein- quishing that position this year in or der to lead the democratic host.
 The paramount issue in Maine is again the liquor question and resub- mission of the constitutional amend ment to the people. The democrats have also put forward a plea for tax aton of the wild lands and area form in the business methods at the capital.
 The republicans strongly advocate the enforcement of the prohibltory law and the retention of the so-called Sur I gis act wits its stringent regulation for the suppression of the liquor traffic
 So utterly divided has the cam paign been from national questions l that in some localities that Taft and | Gardner clubs have been organized to encourage republicans to vote the democratic state ticket while the re- publican campaign orators have l urged the democrats to join In an ef- fort to uphold the prohibitory law,
 Maine will send two new congress men to Washington this year, one from the Second district through the resignation of Charles F. Littlefeld and another from the Fourth, on account of the death of Llewellyn Powers The republican and democratic candidates in the Second district are John P Swazey and Daniel J. McGillicuddy while in tho Fourth district the two opponents are Frank E. Guernsey and George N. Hanson ~
 In the First district Congressma | AHlOS L. Allen lS opposed Dy JOnn V Scates, while in the Third, Congress. man F. c. Burleigh is being fought by Samuel l.. Lord.
 The republican pluralties two years ago in the four districts were respectively 1,649 In the first 1882 ir the second, 1,791 in the third and B., 574 in the fourth,
 County tests especially have beer the feature of the Maine elections fpI many years as 1t is through the choice of stringent or lenient sheriff tha the voters have made known theiI wishes regarding the regulation of tn, liquor traffic. There is a warm con test in each of the sixteen counties this year.
 There are 20 cities, 425 towns anc "A plantations in Maine, and two year ago IS cities and 110 towns went dem ocratic, the only republican ctie being Calais and Eastport.