The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-08-07
The Democratic Opposition Should
Unite on Judge Peters

There are good many voters
particularly the independent voters
who are anxious to know which OF
the nti-Pattangall candidates for
/ Congress is likely to poll the most
votes. A vote for the minority can
didate is of course a vote thrown
away. So far as the platforms and
policies of the Republican and Pro
gressive candidates are concerned, II
doesn't matter mite which way you
vote. for they are practically identical
Personally. we believe Judge Peters
! is the ablest and best man, but as
sumng that you have no choice IN
the men themselves. but do want to
make your vote count against Pat and
all that he stands for, you naturally
want to cast your ballot SO as to swell
the vote of the majority candidate.
The estimates and claims of the
party leaders do not amount to much.
The Progressves claim their man will
beat Peters two to one because tn
Roosevelt vote was double the Taft
vote. But before accepting this proof
we should consider that much of the
Roosevelt vote was in protest to the
methods used in nominating Taft, in
protest against Taft's Canadian Reel
| procity, and third in many instances
due to the intense personal popular
| ity of Roosevelt. These factors DO
not enter into this Campaign in the
slightest degree. Moreover, there
were a great many Republicans who
were great many Republicans VINO
voted for Wilson because they were
a with the CamDaiPDS Of hOth
! Taft and Roosevelt.
1t seems to us that the best basis
for an estimate of what the Progress
sive and Republican vote will be in
September is the record of the vote
in the various elections in Maine,
since the November election There
have been seven cities, and towns
which have held elections where the
| Progressiyes felt that they had
strength enough to offer candidates
of their own. BY an odd coincidence
the total vote of these seven cities in
| the November election and their mu-
nicipal elections was within 81 votes
of being equal.
AS will be seen from the relative
table which follows, in November
these seven cities cast 4773 votes for
Taft and 7840 for Roosevelt, but in
their Municipal elections, the Repub-
lican vote was 1922 and the Progress
sive vote had shrunk to 1868. In
other words the Republican vote
nearly doubled and the Progressive
vote was more than cut in half.
In Augusta, for instance, the Pro-
gressives put up the able and popular
Judge Thompson for Mayor, the man
who gave Birleigh such close shave
for the U. S. Senate. They claimed
that inasmuch as they pOlled more
than twice as many votes in Novem-
ber the Republicans should support
their candidate. But at the polls
the Progressives cast only a trife
over one-third of their vote in Novem-
Der.
AS these seven cities are the places
where the Progressiyes, were strong
est, it would seem that their vote
should represent at least all that they
can expect to do in September.
Isn't it fair to assume that Mr..
Lawrence cannot poll a larger pro-
portion of the November Roosevelt
vote in District where he is prac-
tically unknown, than did Judge
Thompson in his home city of Angus
ia. Remember. too, that Judge
Thompson is admitted by the Progress
sives as being the ADLER and more
popular man. Just study this table
carefully and see if you agree with
our conclusions that Lawrence is
bound to be the minority candidate.
Comparison of vote case in Novem-
Der for Taft. Roosevelt and Wilson,
with the vote cast in the Cities of
Maine that have since then held an
election.