The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-09-08
Ii Taft Fails to Garry Maine
His Chances of Elec-
tiOn Are Small
DEMOCRATS MAKE
AGGRESSIVE FIGHT
Bull MoOsers Not Worrying About
Taft But Are Nightly Afraid of
Wilson-remporary Alliance
Patched Up Is Shaky
by JAMES J. MONTAGUE

by JAMES j. MONTAGUE
/ Portland Me, September 7.--(Special y
With the bun moose and the g. o. p. ee-
phant yoked together and pulling with all
their combined might to bring Maine back
into the republican column. the state cleo
ton Monday Is going to prove far more
prophetic nationally than that of Yer
mont
Mr.. TAFT, taking his ponderous ease just
across the line at Beverly will do we'll TO
| sit up late for the election returns. II
Taft cannot carry Maine with the help
of the bull moosers 1t means that he is
no more popular now than he was in the
days of the primaries and that his chances
OF reelection are small.
The bull moose running alone failed TO
make any appreciable dent in the DEM
ocratic vote in Vermont Here the bull
moosers are trying diffent tactics. And IL
the plan to stand with the republicans in
the northeast corner of the nation and
battle for the offices as a preliminary II
standing at Armageddon and battling for
the Lord doesn't beat the democrats. Gov
ernor Wilson will have reason to feel
greatly encouraged by the news from
Maine Monday night.
Not Especially Friendly
Let nobody think that the bun moosera
and standpatters are especially friendly
or that the rift in the republican lutte
hasn't damaged that Instruments value
In Maine. But as boys who have been
pelting each ether with stones unite mu-
tually to peit a rowing policeman. SO are
!
selves against the democrats The amount
of caution that Is scattered among the
politicians during this astonishing fight
is remarkable William 7. Haines. who
is opporing Governor Frederick w.
Flaisted's candidacy for reelection viii
not tell anybody, not even his Intimate
friends, whether he Is Tor the colonel or
Taft Neither viii ex-Congreasman Ed
I win G Burletgh. who is eontesting the
rnItsd states seba sorship with Abediasi
Gardner, the democratic incumbent Three
! Of the four candidates for Congress- VIII
liam b. Sklton, IN the Second Forrest
Goodwin in the Third, and Congressman
Frank E. Guernsey in the Fourth refuse
| to express amy preference on the plat
form. OF tho entire ticket only Asher
| G. Kinds announces bluntly that he Is for
Roosevelt and he doesn't care who knows
X. Frederick Hale. son of Senator Hale,
| Is Just as close monthed about who he is
for as the rest or them
| All of which indicates that there is GO
| ing to be a lively row In the party as
! soon as this crusade for the offices is
finished and that the bull moosers are
at least SO strong that the regulars are
getting afraid Of them.
Roosevelt Men Active
| Thug IA T. pf
| Plaisted and Burleigh for governor and
| senator. has been led by the Roosevelt
| faction. The bull moosers here, as la
other states are not afraid of Taft. but
they are tremendously afraid OF Wilson,
/ They believe that democratic victory In
Maine would lead total of voters now
perched on the fence, TO think they heard
a band wagon and they know that in
the early days of bull nooseism any
general desertion would hurt
| Within the last day or two there were
evidences that the standpatters also are
waiting upon news as coming from Bev-
erly to the effect that the President would
not regard II as complimentary to be
beaten IN Maine. Kinds and such OF the
other republican leaders have the
courage to tion Taft's name fav-
orably are doing what they can to help
help the Roosevelt men In thestate fight
tonight even some confident claims of a
/ partial victory being put for-h by the
! Evening Express, which is the Portland
organ of the temporary allies.
Democrats Very Aggressive
| Up to date the democrats have been far
mode wide awake and aggressive taan the
/ republicans. Getting into power after
many years gave them heart and cour-
| age. They took leaf OF the Hale r-pub- J
! lican book and made prepare tons to get ;
/ out the vote even though IL cost something
| to do H. Formerly the cause OF democracy Z
seemed so hopeless that everybody ran
when campaign treasurer went through
/ the highways crying Now Is the time
| to subscribe
1t costs money to get out the vote In
Maine. she Maine farmer sits tight ON
election day and waits Till somebody
drives up in a placarded conveyance and
takes him to the polls. II no conveyance
turns up he continues to ger in his hay
| or pile up the empty tin cans In the back
yard of his summer boarding house No
amount OF oratory can get him cgterest-
ed In campaign unless somebody is In
terested in him TO the extent of driving
him into town to discharge ats civic duty
This year the democrats have got the
money to do this. Horses and automobiles
are all ready to go for the voters and
when tonight there was sudden awaken
! ing of the republicans they found that
most Of the available conveyances Were
hired and had to pick up all sorts of
rigs to use Monday in tho iry crest OF
Taft and Roosevelt. the state ket ara
Patriotism.
i Alliance Is Shaky
Counting by the returns of recent cleo
tions, the republicans and bl,l, fnoosers.
together, outnumber tlp democrats. but
| an alliance OF men Nlo have left OF
hating each other tonight and intend to
return to that amusement on the morrow
g pretty shaky.
Present Indications are that the fight Is
any ybody's. with the democrats having lust
a shade the better OF It, owing 10 their
possession OF the offices AMI the inspira-
tion that offices bring.
The instant the last returns are in the
| alliance will be resolved into its original
elements. For presidential electors there
viii be three cornered fight and hot
one The national value of Mondays re-
turns is, OF course. its bearing on that
nght II united the bun moosers and tie
repu5lcans cannot affect the democratic
strength. divided they will make but
feeble showing and an overwhelming vote
for Wilson and Marshall viii destroy
Names value as one Of the oldest and
most dependable cradles Of rspublicanisIn