Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-12
INTERESTING BUT QUIET.

Portland. Me-, Sept 11.-Although
The vote cast today did not equal that
of year ago when the Democrats
swept the State, which had for years
been "A Republican stronghold the
election was without question one OF
the most Interesting contests that the
State has ever known. There was not
home in any section Of the State, no
matter how deep in the wilds it might
be situated, which had not been flood
ed with the literature sent out by both
sides. while those voters residing i'll
more accessible sections were waited
upon by personal workers. or har-
angued at numerous public gather
ings. and urged to cast their ballots
either for or against repeal as the case
might BE- The result was that hun
dreds Ct voters who had not visited
the polls for zears with the possible
exception OF last year We're recorded
today
The eampaigRers did not relax their
efforts until the very moment Of the
closing of the polls. particularly in the
cities and carriages and automobiles
were busy all day long hauling the
voters 10 the polling places. The early
vote was much smaller than was in
dictated, but as the day wore on, the
voters continued to straggle in and in
many quarters, the last hour was as
busy as any OF the day, In several of
the cities, the manufacturing plants
allowed their employees an extra half
hour at noon in order that there might
be plenty OF time for them to cast
their ballots. Fair weather was also
d big factor in making the total q
large one
Little excitement marked the Vot-
ins. Although the polls in some of the
cities were crowded during much of
the time that they were open. it was
IN orderly crowd and gave the OIL
cials little or no trouble.
Rockland furnished the only excite
ment of tho day. Early in the morn
ing the street cars appeared with
signs reading Vote No" Immediate
~ u. y Mortand. former State
railrcad commissioner and the local
representative of the non partisan
local SelfsGovernment League. who
conducted the fight for repeal, took
the matter up, Threats Of injunction
proceedings ON the ground that the
display of the placards was III the
nature of intimidation on the part Of
the Public Service Corporation caused
a hurried meeting of the board Of di-
I'd in, lac
disappearance of the cards.
In many places the polls closed at
4 O'Clock While in no case did they
keep open later than s, with the re-
suit that the returns from smaller
places started to como in by 4.3O
The vote however. was so close that
neither side was willing TO predict
victory even after half of the SGT
cities, towns ami plantations had been
reported. AS had been anticipated.
the cities, with one exception, went
strongly for The repeal of the amend
meat. the exception being Calais,
witch is located on the border line of
Canada, The ajorities in the cities
We've not. however, as great as had
Been predicted by many OF the anti
prohibition leaders and the returns
from the country towns early com
menced TO offset the lead
With all Of the cities reported by
8 o'clock and nearly 200 towns, the
majority of them conceded to the
Dry element to be heard from,
neither side was ready to make any
claims TO victory and it was admitted
on every side that whoever won the
victory would have but few votes
to spare. Aroostook county, which
was one of the latest sections TO be
heard from, gave the temperance peo-
| pie a big majority and at the same
time the repeal workers a bad scare,
returning their margin which had been
gradually going down. by over 1000
votes.
| The only county in which the vote
on the three questions other than the
repeal of the prohibtory amendment
We're available tonight was Andros-
| coggin county. In that county the
location of the State capital at Au-
gusta was favored by a vote of 5512
| to 231S, the increase in the debt limit
| for cities Of 10000 population was fav-
| ored 1901 to 1928. and the adoption OF
| State wide primaries was favored 6102