Connecticut western news., 1916-08-24

Heaviest Oratorica Batteries and
 Legions of SpeIlbinders-State Issues
 More Important Than National In
 Election Next Month.
 AS usual, both the great political par ties are claiming Maine in September This year, however, the state cam paign is more than a prologue to the presidential contest.
 Electing it's state officers, United States senators and members of the house of representatives in September not in November, as most of the other states do, Maine's decisions have been watched as straws to indicate with more or less precision how the political wind blows two months in advance of the balloting for president.
 But today the state campaign is a real fight in itself. Every politician in Maine is keyed for it, and from talks with the political leaders it would al most appear at first flush that the na- tional campaign, with which it is close " lllltI "ONChy OSSuplCu pldIt Ol OIlty secondary importance in their thoughts. That is true in particular with regard to the Democratic leaders.
 Maine Has Changed Before.
 Maine, though normally Republican before the Progressive split, was known occasionally to elect a Demo cratic governor. Tn 1910, for instance, with a Republican administration in Washington, Maine elected Fred w. Plaisted, a Democrat. for governor. Enforcement of the prohibition law was more of an issue than were na- tional affairs.
 The present governor. Oakley c. Cur tis. is a candidate for reelection on the Democratic ticket. Democrats TO fer to his administration as excellent. Mir. Curtis, before he became governor was mayor of Portland for four con secutive terms and when he ran for his present office defeated a Repub- lican who had served one term as gov ernor. The Democratic leaders express themselves as pretty confident that he will be reelected on his record.
 His opponent, Carl E. Milliken, q Roosevelt Republican, who made q dent of the senate, is making a strong impression on the stump.
 Frank ]. Ham of Augusta, chairman of the Republican state committee. de- clares that Governor Curtis has piled up a surplus of approximately $1 ,700,- GOO in the state treasury, which has sufficient indication that he had levied taxes in excess of the requirements to meet Maine's $5,000,000 annual budget.
 The Republicans would like nothing better than to be able to make their entire campaign for both the Septem- Der and the November elections on ma. tional lines. They hope that the com ing of Colonel Roosevelt and of Mir. Hughes for active campaigning in the state will make this possible.
 But the Democrats intend to play as one of their strongest cards the record of the Wilson administration at Wash ington, and they are resolved to keep their candidates for state offices con stantly before the voters.
 Brisk Congress Campaigns.
 Aside from the gubernatorial contest. interest is focused in the elections for the United States senate and the house of representatives.
 The Democratic candidates for sena- tor are Charles F. Johnson of Water vile. who is running for a second term. and Professor Kenneth C. NJ. Sills, dean of Bowdoin college. Against them the Republicans have placed in the field Colonel Frederick Hale. a son of Eugene Hale, who for many years served his state in the United States senate, and former Governor Bert NJ. Fernald.
 In the congressional campaign the Republicans claim that at least three out of their four candidates will be elected. The fourth contest is that of Wallace H. White of Lewiston. who is a candidate from the Second congress sional district against Representative Daniel I. McGillicuddy.
 The Progressive vote. Republican managers believe. will be back in the Republican column this fall Only PrOgressives who were once Democrats are supporting the Democratic ticket say Republicans.