The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-09-09
DEMOCRATS HOPE
TO HOLD GRIP
IN MAINE
Election Today With Advantage
With Democrats
BOTH PARTIES ANXIOUS
Both National and State Issues
Figure and Liquor Question Also
Has an influence.

Portland, Me-. Sept. 9:-In the alb
sence of any separate activity by the
progressives as a party organization
in the state campaign, the biennial
contest in Maine today for control OF
the executive and legislative branch
es of the state government, the four
congressional districts and 10 coun-
ties is regarded mainly as an old
time lineup between democrats and
republicans. The prohibitionists and
the socialists will also be represented
on the ballot. The candidates for
governor are: Gov. Frederick W.
PIaisted, democrat; William H,
Haines, republican; William 7. Sterl-
ing, prohibition, and George Allen
England, socialist. Two amendments
to the constitution, one bearing on
highways and the other on the GUS
tody of ballots, will be before the vot-
ers for ratification.
The democrats will be on the de-
fensive today, as they will endeavor
to re-elect Gov. Plaisted and to retain
control in both branches of the Legis.
lature, which will elect United
States senator for the term beginning
next March. Senator Obadiah Gard.
ner, democrat, and former Congress.
man Edward G. Burleigh, republican,
are the accredited candidates for the
office, through their victories in the
senatorial preference primaries last
June. Gov. Plaisted's plurality two
years ago was $500.
The democrats have asked for the
reelection of Gov. Plaisted, for. the
continuance of the party control In
the Legislature and the success OF
their four congressional candidates
on both state and national issues
The republicans have confined their
campaign largely to state issues and
have generally avoided any express
ion of sentiment for or against Presi
dent Taft or Col. Roosevelt. The
progressive element in the republican
party in Maine secured its ascenden
cy in the presidential primaries last
spring, when a solid Roosevelt z .
CATION was sent to Chicago, end Col
Frederick Hale, Roosevelt support
er, was chosen republican nationa
committeeman. The old party lead
ers were superseded and Warren c
Philbrook, progressive, was elected
chairman of the state committee
These new leaders say that the alb
sence of any progressive candidate
in the state election met with the ap
prevail of Col. Roosevelt.
Until the democratic victories two
years ago the Maine delegation tc
both houses of Congress was solidly
republican. In 1910 the republicans
won the LIST and 4th. and the demo
Gratis the I'd and Sd districts. All
four representatives are candidates
for reelection. Both United States
senators are democrats.
In the LIST congressional district
Asher C. Kinds, for many years the
parliamentarian of the national
House, is opposed by Michael T. o.
Brien, democrat. In the I'd district
Daniel J. McGillicuddy, democrat, has
William B. Shelton as his opponent
The seat of Samuel w. Gould in the
Sd district is contested by Forrest
Goodwin republican. The opponent
of Frank E. Guernsey, republican, in
the 4th district, is Mayor c. w. Mel.
len of Bangor.
The total vote in a Maine state
election is presidential year reach
ed its highwater mark in 1880, when
147,S02 went to the polls. In the
state election two years ago, when
the democrats won, the total was
1864.