Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-08
Fight Over Prohibition Breaks
Party Lines for September
Il Election
HRYAN's STATE is CLAIMED
Republicans Put Nebraska Down as
Safe for Taft-strons State Ticket
Expected to Aid National Ticket
Bryan's Efforts to Raise Money in
Home State Fails.

Washington, Sept. 8. = The election
in Maine will come on Monday, Sept.
IA, and both parties are claiming that
they will win. Two years ago Cover
nor Cobb was elected by a plurality OF
S,O64 over Cyrus w. Davis, his oppon-
emit This year it is generally con-
coded that if the republicans carry the
state, it will be by a margin somewhat
smaller thaS that of 1906.
A governor, state auditor, four con-
gressmen and county officers are to be
elected, and at national political head
quarters in New York and Chicago
there will be disposition to claim that
the result foreshadows what is to hap
pen in November. as was the case fol-
lowing the recent election in Vermont.
Maine, however, has never been as ac-
curate a political barometer as YER
mont, and the prevailing opinion Is
that it will not alter its course now.
The best information available In
this city is that national issues are
being largely lost sight of in Maine,
so fierce is the clash between the par
ties over purely state matters. ana
that, because of the character OF these
issues, the democrats are more nope
full than they have been at any time
for a generation of electing their gov
ernor and various other officeres. The
last time Maine was carried by the
democrats was in 1880. when General
Harris Nj. Plaisted of Bangor was the
candidate OF the democrats and green
hackers and defeated d. +. Davis OF
Corinth by.a plurality of 1os, the total
vote being 14T,902. Two years later
Governor Plaisted was defeated for a
second term by a margin of S,566. ana
since 1885 the state has been reliably
republican,, by pluralities averaging
10000. excepting two years ago, as AL
ready noted
Prohibition Big Issue.
The big issue in Maine this year is
prohibition, which has been before the
people of that state in one form or an
other since the prohibition law was en-
acted. now more than half century
ago. In 1906 the fight in Maine was
over the prohibitory law and the mat
ter of resubmitting 1t to the people
In 1854. thru the efforts OF Nea'
Dow. the great apostle of temperance
prohibition was placed In the Name
constitution, and two years ago 1he
question took the form of whether ~
should remain there or be repaled
L. 4 %y,1
The Sturgis law of 1905 furnished tue
vehicle for bringing the question pc
fore the state. Under that law the
governor has the power to send deputy
commissioners into any county IN the
state when in his judgment the offlcets
Of that county are not strictly eh1orc-
ing the prohibitory law On TINS issue
the republicans, whose majority IN lSVt
had been more than $4,000, round
themselves yictors by a margin OF only
about 5000 in 1906.
AZ in 1906, the republicans this year
.ra favoring the retention of the Stur-
.gis law. and are also advocating an
amendment to the. constitution WHICH
will give the governor the power ~
remove any sheriff or other county OIL
ficer who may be guilty OF failure 10
enforce the prohibition law to the let
ter.
National Issues Ignored.
THE democrats are opposing this ex-
trer,e nosition. They favor the repeal
of the Sturgis law, demand the enforce
ment of all laws as long as they are
laws. and want the question OF prom
hilton resubmitted to the voters.
These are the issues in brief, and to
cav that the state is pretty we'll torn
mn and that many former republicans
will vote the democratic state ticket,
and many former democrats the repup-
lican state ticket next Monday, is put
ting the case mildly. Chairman Hitch
cock of the republican national COM
mittee has admitted that he is some
what anxious about Maine. and Chalf-
man Mack of the democratic national
committee is claiming that the reduc-
tion of the republican majority IN
M aine next week, and possibly the
election of a democratic governor, will
surely point to the election OF Mr..
Rrvan. AS will be seen from this arti-
Gle. however, the issues are purely local
in their character. The spellbinders
have found it impossible to create the
slightest interest in either Taft or
Rrvan. The Maine voters who are re-
publicans will all support Taft in No
vember, but on the state issue they
saw they will vote as their prejudices
or natural inclinations dictate. So with
the democrats. From which situation 1t
is easy to see that the Maine result
probably will not throw any valuable
light on the presidential struggle, be-
ing much less important in this respect
Than was the result in Vermont.
The republicans of Maine have nom
mated for governor Bert M. Fernald,
of Poland, and the democrats have
nominated Obadiah Garner, of Rock
land