Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-10-08
The Maine Election.

The reduction of the Republican plu-
rality in the State election in Maine
has about as much relation to the ua-
tional outcome rs the direction taken
by a tumblebug has to the winning Of
the baseball pennants. But the cock
sure political weather scientists will be
figuring out the November results with
the same old shaking of heads. They
are the kind that can develop signiti-
canoe from the side of the bed they
sleep on There is no harm in their
forecasts and, therefore, no reason Why
they shouldn't be permitted to law
horoscopes until the cows come home.
Now, the Maine fight was as purely
local as a scrap between two farmers
as to the location of their line fence.
In 1905 law was put on the statute
books authorizing the Governor to send
officers into a county if there was doubt
that the Sheriff was not enforcing the
regulations against the sale of intoxi-
cants. This measure has created
tremendous amount of hard feeling.
L
liquor question has divided the State
without regard to the national issues
to be voted upon in November. The
agitation against the radical Sturgis
law has gone farther. 1t has developed
a strong demand for the resubmisSion
of the constitutional section which
forced saloons out of the State to
vote of the people. The fight at the
polls on Tuesday was whether the ques-
ton should be resubmitted or not. The
vote of the State was that it should not
be- All other subjects were given small
discussion and thought in the campaign.
Maine was as lar away from the rest
of the country politically as the island
of Jolo.
1t will be found when the November
elections are held that hundreds of Re-
publicans who gave their support to the
Democratic ticket at the State election
will be voting for Taft and Sherman.
But then "dopesters' are not inter-
ested in issues. Their eyes are for the
statistics alone. From them they can
calculate everything from the price Of
a meal ticket to the number of feathers
in the wings Of angels.-Toledo Blade.
Stevenson Nonpartisan.
Among the many varieties of Demo-
Gratis none is more phenomenal than the
sort that Economically calls itself non
partisan, and the most astonishing re-
cruit for this class, essentially a thing
of the imagination, is Adlat Stevenson
Of Illinois. Mr.. Stevenson says If elect
ed ne will be nOn-partisan in his ap-
pointments to Office. Of all political
miracles this would be the most amaz-
ing The chief headsman of twenty
years ago, who calmly worked the gull
lotine by which Republican pOstmasters
by the 10000 lost their places for the
benefit of good Democrats, is the last
man who would have been suspected of
rising above party. He forgets his life
long record as a partisan of the ultra
type when he. INDUCES in such a wild
hypothesis, even for campaign purposes.
Mr.. Stevenson will never rise above
there is a stronger reason why he
would not be nOn-partisan in appoint
ments. His party would tear him to
pieces if he tried it. AS soon think to |
try moral suasion on pack of fam
ished wolves The true situation can |
be expressed in a few words There |
are not, never were, and never will be |
any non-partisan Democrats. If there |
were, Mr.. Stevenson could never be one /
Of them. If he tried it his hungry fell
low-Democrats would close in on him |
with an awful ferocity. and there |
be any remains. AS Governor,
Stevenson would bring out his trusty
old snickersee, and not one Republican
in Illinois would be left to
tell the tale.-St Louis Globe-Demo-
crat.