Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-02
VERMONT'S NO STRAW
N, o. N. Doesn't Think EIeC-
ton Results Show Much.
NO STIR IN THE TWO CAMPS
September Elections in Maine Next
Center of Interest.
THAT HUGHES MUss LOOKS BAD
Woodruff Declines to Add to His
Statement of Defiance-"Just
Wait Awhile" Says He.
Special From a staff Correspondent.

Special From a Stan Correspondent.
NEW YORK, September THE result
| OF the Vermont election made no particu-
lar stir in either political camp, and is not
considered a stray to show the way the
wind is blowing. The democratic managers
take satisfaction in the reduction of the
| republican plurality under the last cleo
ton, and reasonable falling off was eN-
pected by the republicans. In fact, they
are looking for slumps In many states, but
they don't want to see any landslides
Maine will be the next center of inter-
est. The elections there. including the
choice of representatives in Congress, will
be held September 10. and there is admit
| teddy some anxiety among republicans
over the outcome, and corresponding
pleasant expectation on the part Of the
democrats.
| In Maine the republicans are handicap
ped by two features of the campaign. In
the first place Mr.. Gardner, the demo-
| craft candidate for governor. has been
| for thirteen years president OF the state
| grange. a very influential organization OF
agricultursts. He is popular with the
| farmers and is expected to break through
strict party lines and carry many republic
| can voters by his personality.
In the next place the republicans have
again-the liquor interests. Rum is rilng
| 'em in Maine. as 1t is in Indiana, Ohio.
New Jersey and other states. The demo-
| Gratis have everything to win and nothing
| to lose in the issue, and the republicans
either have to lose votes or abate their
| principles.
Real Warm in Maine.
The congressional fight in Maine is
warmest in the third congressional dis
! trict, represented by Edwin c. Burleigh.
| who has been In the House since the
| fifty-flfth Congress. His is the smallest
district i'm the state, and the democrats
are centering their efforts upon his de-
| feat. In the last election his plurality
was 1900 as against normal plurality of
| 5000. Reports from the district indi-
| cate that both parties are making a
| desperate fight, with the chances in favor
of the republicans.
National Chairman Mack stated to me
this morning that the democrats could
not reasonably expect to carry Maine on
the presidential ticket. although the state
| ticket was hopeful and there was good
fighting ground in the congressional cam
paign.
Sam DeNedry of Washington. who IS
affiliated with federated labor, passed
| through this city today, accompanied
by Representative Clark. secretary of
| the democratic congressional committee
DOunU 1OT I've NeuTN Will
rally the labor vote in the second, the
old Littlefield district, for which Mr..
| Gompers made losing fight in the last
campaign
| Among local republican politicians the
| quoted statement of President Roose-
Welt that he regards the nomination Of
| Gov. Hughes as absolutely necessary
| is taken as a definite and final chal-
lenge to the opposing republican bosses.
The Presidents language was fol-
! lows:
II have no intention of trying to die
tate the action of the republican con-
ventiOn. 1 am citizen of the state of
New York, and / am therefore entitled
to express my judgment on such an is
sue the nomination for governor.
My judgment is that it is absolutely
necessary to renominate Mr.. Hughes"
So, This Means Fight.
This means a fight in the republican
party, but 1t is the judgment of some
of the coolest leaders that it also fore
casts the nomination of Gov. Hughes.
These men, who lift their reason above
the passions OF factional strife, contend
that it will be impossible for the small
bosses to win against the reform senti-
ment of the state, led by President
Roosevelt.
The thing that must be done, they say,
is TO prevent the opposition from de-
velOping a state of affairs which will
furnish ammunition to the democrats.
The opposing bosses still declare they
toga convention and air them on the
floor. 1t remains to be seen whether or
not they will carry out that threat
Here is a point they must consider:
Suppose they do fight Hughes to the last
ditch, and he is nominated and elected.
Where. then. will be their organization
VIII they not be outside the trenches and
will not the Observation-Disclosures faction
proceed to reorganization of the party, to
the exclusion of the men now in con-
troll Of the local machinery?
Chairman Woodruff of the republican
state committee was asked this morning
to comment on the Presidents state
ment. He said:
ment 1 gave out last Friday. and shall
make no other comment on the guberna-
torial situation until the time | men,
toned in that statement, namely, at the
meeting of the republican state conven-
ton"
Let's See What Happens.
1t will be recalled that the statement
| referred to by Chairman Woodruff was
the announcement that neither the Pres-
| dent. the national leaders nor any other
| leaders could influence the nomination,
but that 1t would have to be decided by
| the delegates in convention assembled.
1
as a notice to all high bosses to keep
hands off. The Presidents reply came in
yesterdays announcement from Oyster
Bay.
The Vermont election was commented
upon at republican national headquarters
today as follows:
The big majority rolled up by the re-
publicans of Vermont yesterday in their
| state election brought forth expressions
| OF qualification from every republican
| leader who called at the headquarters OF
the republican national committee today
a barometer of what the nation would do
| in November. While it will take the Of
| fetal vote to determine If the majority
exceeds or falls slightly below the ire
| mendous majorities of -four. eight and
| twelve years ago, the preliminary returns
| are sufficient to show that this is no off
year for republicanism.
The estimate of Gov. Prouty's ma jor-
| lty over the democratic candidate based
| on returns received late last night. is
| about %. 500. This would be about 200
more than the republican majority in the
| September elections of 1904. The official
returns show the majority then to have
been 29.616. 1t would also exceed the ma
jority of %. 7S3 of 1900 The only time in
the history of the state that the majority
has been exceeded, in a presidential year.