The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1913-09-15
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER Is, 1913.
THE MAINE ELECTION.

The democratic donkey is stunned
There is something he can not under
stand. Last year he whipped two ele
plants. This year one elephant I.
whipping him, wherever he finds him
He has dim recollection that the
same thing was happening quite fire
quently before 1912, but it puzzles
him, and makes his ears wink, tC
think that his only victory over the
elephant in twenty years was when
there were two big ones. and that get
ting back to only one again the same
old thing is happening 1t has hap
pened this year in Michigan, in 81
Louis, and at other points where the
donkey rushed to the fray confident
of meeting two elephants and found
but one-and the usual result 1t
happened again, in the Third Con-
gressional district of Main last Mon
day, in more striking and significant
way than it had happened anywhere
before. The figures tell the story so
enlighteningly that the donkey can
read it as he runs.
Last year the divided republicans
of the Third Main district polled, for
Taft and Roosevelt, 20,495 votes. The
democrats Of that district polled for
their only presidential candidate,
Wilson, 1902 votes. The democrats
were in a minority of 6403 in the
district, but owing to the division in
the republican vote, Wilson had a
plurality in it of TAG, or about one
third of his plurality in the state,
which gave him Names electoral
vote while he was nearly $500 sho.t
of a majority of its voters At the
special election of Monday a vote as
heavy as that of last year came out.
The Washington administration had
made strong effort to elect Pattan-
gall, the democratic candidate. Sec
rotary Bryan and Speaker Clark and
host of lesser democratic lights
had stumped the four counties Can
didates for federal offices, which ha ? |
been carefully held in reserve exerted |
themselves to arouse the democratic |
electorate, with the result that I at
tangall polled less than 200 votes
fewer than Wilson got last year J
There was no administration infiu-
ence at work among the republicans
and no smell of pie to arouse their
enthusiasm, but they seem to have
been moved as by a mighty IMPULSE
to correct their mistake of last No.
vember. The vote they polled for
their candidate, Peters, vas nearly
1000 greater than that of Roos eycit
didate, Lawrence, was less than half
of what Roosevelt got ten months
ago. The total republican vote was
greater than that for both Taft and
Roosevelt.
Obfuscated as he is over a series
Of such results, the donkey is capable
Of seeing that, by November of next
year, the remnant of the progressive
yote in the Third Maine district will
nave practically vanished, there and
The return movement
began Immediately after the result
If the presidential election last year
lad sobered a great army of repub-
leans who could then see clearly,
low much too far they had allowed
hnir ant htr,I apf tn -rtsxy hnf1
their conviction that the democratic
'arty could not, or would not, serve
my of their political ideals and as
'irations, while it could safely be re-
led upon to bring back exploded eco
omic theories dangerous to the pros
erity and progress of the country,
as been more and more confirmed
ince that party took charge of the
oyernment When The Third Maine
istrict voted Monday the congress
ad been in session six months doing
othing but tariff ripping, wiping out
reflective schedules and infinitely en-
urging the free list, over the pro- !
,st of multitude of industries and -
nder the lash of president welded -
a disastrous theory and grimly re-
lived upon giving it another trial.
hey had seen half year pass with
1t any attempt at solution of the
eater public problems in which they ! 4
e more vitality interested. They had
lily realized the possible conse-
fences of last years division, and
Lturally "got together" under the
pulse of mutual necessity. The
esident remained up until midnight .
aiting to hear the Maine result
hat he said on hearing 1t is not re-