Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-09
Invades Hostile Territory and
Catches the Crowd With
Punch in Speeches.
APPROVAL GIVEN CRITICISM
OF LEGISLATION BY FORCE
Republicans, After Strong Cam
paign, Grow Confident-Democrats
Concentrate on Senatorship.
BY N. O. MESSENGER.

PORTLAND, Me-, September
o.-Contrasting the Hughes of
Portland, Ore, with the Hughes
of Portland, Me, The Stars cor
respondent, who saw him in both
cities, can report upon the differ
ence in form. The Hughes of the
shores of Casco Bay is quite an
other man from the Hughes Of
the banks of the Columbia.
In Maine Mr.. Hughes seems to have
struck his stride in campaigning with
surer gait and swifter. Whether it
the eight-hour wage law. or whatnot,
he has evinced more spirit and vigor
what the politicians call punch
and "got a rise" out of his audiences
more effectively than in some of his
western one-night stands.
Criticism Wins Approval.
From the time he entered the state at
York. Portland, Lewiston, Waterville
and Bangor, he has caught the crowds
in every meeting. His new topic made
a hit from the first. Approval of his
criticism of the coerced wage scale has
been vociferous and enthusiastic.
For one thing. the people were ready
for it, The action of Congress had
been the principal subject of conver-
ynry
quarters severely condemned.
In Portland. Thursday night. the
audience grabbed at his first words and
appla for two minutes before he
could proceed. They expressed ap-
proval at intervals as he went on to
deprecate the action, to declare his alb
horrence of it, and to set up as the
American doctrine" resistance to pres
sure of force on legislation and oppo-
sition to Legislation first and investi-
cation afterward."
In Lewiston. in the face Of local con.
ditions which might be termed dis
coura ging, he went at it again just as
vigorously and was as enthusiastically
applauded. Lewiston is strong dem
ocratic town, the home of Representa-
tive McGilNcuddy. and thoroughly un-
der domination of the local democratic
organization. 1t has large labor pop
ulation, workers in the textile mills.
S1lcucc 1lVcu au&QeS.
Mr.. Hughes was escorted to the hall
by long procession of motor cars full
of republican sympathizers. They
passed along the main street lined with
silent throngs.
For block after block the party pro-
ceeded. without handicap, ripple OF
applause or a single cheer. There was
something almost ominous in the si-
lence of the crowd. Nothing was heard
but the shutting of feet as the people
pressed to the sidewalks to get a bet
ter view.
The hall was packed, however, with re-
pubiicans and progressives. They warmed
up at the outset and gave him most cor
dial welcome, cheering his eight-hour
wage law remarks time and again, as well
as his attacks on democratic free trade.
Fair-minded opinion in Lewiston, which
l sounded in both parties. was that Nc
Gillicuddy. the democratic incumbent, is
likely to be reelected, but that his plural
Three weeks ago the republicans did not
consider that they even had look-in in
this district. Col. Roosevelts speech,
however, was effective with the progress
sives and heartened the republicans to
renewed effort
Saloon Issue Undercurrent.
The deomcrats in this district are MAX
ing effectual capital of a report that the
republican candidate for governor. If
elected, will put the lid on illegal saloon
business, even to the extent of overriding
the sheriff with militia, If necessary. 1t
is stated that there are 200 saloons in
Lewiston, although this is a prohibition
state. The republican candidate has not
seen fit to deny the report Of his alleged
md thA nArbt
1t for all 1t is worth.
One of the curiosities of the admin
istrtton of the law Is found in Bangor,
where there has been a street car
strike, and the chief Of police. in the
interest of order. closed the saloons
The mayor is against closing. and the
two officials have been at loggerheads
although the law of the state Is prohi-
bition.
While the liquor question has not
been injected into the campaign openly,
1t falls out that the "drys" generally
are lined up with the republicans and
the "wets" with the democrats on the
state ticket. The German vote is d.
viding to an extent in the same way.
Concentrated on Senatorship.
In the closing hours of the campaign
it is quite evident that the democrats
are weakening in their fight for the
state ticket, in the face of the strong
republican campaign, and are concen-
trating on the candidacy of Senator
] Johnson for reelection to the United
States Senate.
1t is understood here that the demo-.
cratic administration and national man
agement are more concerned over the
election Of Johnson than in carrying
the state ticket. 1t is explained that
Senator Johnson stands for President
Wilson and the national democratic
and policies. II he can
be reelected, the democrats say, they
will claim to the nation that Maine has
indorsed Wilson.
OF course, the reverse of that shield
is that if the state ticket should win
by such a large plurality as to pull
Fred Hale. the republican candidate
for senator, through with 1t, the re-
publicans will assert that the admins
tration has been repudiated. Friday
found the republicans more confident
than before as to the state ticket, three
of the four representatives and the
other senatorship. Hale's senatorial
prospects are admitted to be open to
doubt, dependent upon the size of the
expected state plurality.
ro-AIa-o-