Evening star., 1916-09-12
Maine.


the Pine Tree state at least, the repub-
lican party is again united. And, as
there, why not elsewheref Why should
not republican factionism, SO far as ma
tional issues are concerned, disappear
largely if not entirely in other states
where in 1912 it opened the way for
democratic successf
This was the Maine problem; and both
Mr.. Hughes and Mr.. Roosevelt personal
" contributed to the solution. Mr..
Roosevelt visited the state and asked
his friends to support the republican
candidates, while Mr.. Hughes followed
and urged republicans and bull moosers
to work together. The response yester-
day was all that either could have de-
sired; and both are gratifed. And, in
spired by it, both will appear elsewhere
with the same appeals for service in No
vember.
The union Of the two factions was ef
feeted with several things. The tariff.
Maine is a protection state, and in Mr..
Blaine and Mr.. Dingley gave to the cause
two of its leading champions in the past
thirty years. 1t voted yesterday against
the Underwood revision.
The merchant marine. Ship building
and sea-carrying are Maine industries,
and the state voted yesterday against
the Presidents treatment of American
coastwise shipping passing through the
Panama canal, and against his soeialistic
ship bill scheme recently enacted into
law Maine wants real merchant ma
rine, coastwise and overseas and estab-
lished on principles that will enable it to
compete successfully with the merchant
marines of powers now doing all the
business
The so-called eight hour law. As Sam
uel Gompers stumped the state. that law
entered into the equation. Maine voted
against it. Not against union labor, nor
against good wages. nor against the right
of men to organize to better their con-
dition. The objection urged in Maine
to the law was based upon the manner
of its enactment, and the fact that in
its enactment arbitration was fouted.
Strictly speaking, it is not an eight-hour
law, and it applies to comparatively
spaH number of wage earners.
We may believe that the Presidents
shifts from one side to the other on sew
eral important issues, and his course
toward Mexico, also told against his
party. They were fully discussed by the
republican speakers, and made very
prominent by both Mr.. Hughes and Mr..
Roosevelt
While greatly heartened, of course, the
republicans cannot afford to relax in
the. slightest degree their campaign en-
ergies There is much to be done, and
some of it is in states where the diff
eulties TO be overcome are larger than
they we're in Maine. Chairman Wilcox
and his aids still have their hands full.
Democratic comment is in line with
the duty of the occasion. Maine is re-
publican state. and, besides, it was not
much of snowstorm anyhow. To make
sire of November the republicans should
have had at least twenty thousand ma
iority for their state ticket.
Senator Vardaman is an exception
among his fellows. He frankly eonfesses
that he is dazed by the result, and shows
his condition by stating that "the pro-
gressiye SOW has returned to her wallow
with whoop" This is not nature fax
ing. for sows do not "whoop" even in
Mississippi. Later. the senator may be
expected to revise his figure of speech.
And it is TO be said of him that not all
q the record upon which his party went
TO the mat in Maine had met with his
approval a good party man, yet when
Ne differs with il he has the courage of
his opinion.