The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-09-10
Maine to Cast Her Vote.

The Pine Tree State voters are the first to
march to the polls for the election of United
States Senators, members of Congress and State
officials That in itself would not be notable for
Maine is a small State numerically, but the lead
ers of both great parties have chosen this battle
ground for what they consider the first skirmish
OF the 1916 national campaign, and the result
will be herslded from one end of the country to
the other by the winner as a sure barometer as
to what is coming in the big election in Novem-
Der.
Political leaders attach the greatest Importance
to the choice of those who will serve at the
Capitol. Mr.. Hughes has given a generous por-
ton OF his campaign tour to speeches in that ter
ritory and the administration has sent its Cabinet
officers and ablest orators to enlghten the voters
ION Democratic doctrine. There is little evidence
that the people who will decide the issue attach
as much importance to the election as the national
politicians
Maine has its own pet issue and that issue
nearly always has been paramount in the Pine
Tree State elections for the last twenty years
1t is whether prohibition shall prohibit or whether
it shall mean elastic enforcement or virtual
license.
Carl E. Milliken, Republican candidate for
governor, is a genuine prohibitionist. He has
talked the doctrine from the pulpit of churches
in every part of the State. Gov. Oakley c. Cur
It's his Democratic opponent, has permitted the
widest latitude in the enforcement of the prohbi-
tory amendment. Less than a fortnight ago when
Bangor visited by a street car strike, the
mayor ordered the saloons closed rather unique
action in prohibition State. Portland has nearly
100 open saloons and more drug stores where
liquor is dispensed at wholesale than any city of
its size in the entire country. Lewiston has over
200 saloons Bath has its saloons and speak
easi 0fher oF 80 IL
tigers and bootleggers to operate.
The Democratic party in Maine generally is
considered the party of the "wets." The Repub-
liean party is considered the exponent of the
dry" forces. 1t is a significant fact that every
time the State passes into the Republican column
the large cities generally roll up a handsome
majority for the Democratic candidates There
fore it is to be inferred that the large cities favor
liberal Interpretation of the prohibitory amend
ment and seem satisfied that they will get it only
with Democratic executive at Augusta
The trend of things political in Maine this
year indicates a return to power of the Republi-
cans Until last March the Democrats controlled
majority of the twenty large cities in the State
At present they have only four, Lewiston, Rock
land, Bath and Biddeford. The Republicans are
in the saddle in Auburn, Portland, South Port.
land, Augusta, the State capital Hallowell, Gard
ner, Westbrook, Bangor, Brewer Oldtown, Bel
fast and Ellsworth. Some of these cities were
captured by very slender majorities but they
were captured and their capture points to what
the disintegration of the Progressive vote may
accomplish tomorrow II
In the election Tomorrow Senator johnson will
be opposed by Fred Hale, Republican, for the
United States Senate full term. Former Gov
Bert NJ Fernald is the Republican candidate for
the short term in the United States Senate
against Kenneth c. NJ. Stills, professor at Bow
dom College and Wilson Democrat
In all the campaigning that has been done by
the foremost orators of the leading parties, local
issues have been hidden away in the background
and national issues have been made most promi-
nent. The Democrats have contended that the
reelection of Johnson and the election of Stills
and the other Democratic candidates will consti-
tute an Endorsement of President Wilson's
policies. Mr.. Hughes and the Republican SPELL
binders have used the eight-hour law and the
general legislation of the Democratic Congress
as targets for their shafts with sectonalism given
prominent place in the attack
Revertng back to the political archives, prece-
dents are supposed to show that Maine must be
carried in September by the Republicans with
10000 majority victory will not perch on
their standard in November. But there have been
notable exceptions to this rule
figure in the State election, but the Presidential
candidate won the electoral votes two months
later. or more recent date the election Of
President Taft in 1905 when the majority in
Maine was considerable under 5000 Then, as
now, prohibition was the paramount issue.
AS the time approaches for decision, the
writers who have been following DEVELOPMENTS
generally agree that when the votes are counted
II will be found that local issues were what the
majority of voters had in mind when they entered
the booths. to exercise their supreme right of
citizenship.
More than month ago The Washington Her
aid predicted that the results in Maine will not
serve as true indication of how the country is
thinking. There has been no good reason to re-
wise that opinion as the campaign has ripened
and now nears conclusion. And it is as certain
as the rising of the that when the count is
ta0ulated, the leaders of one of the two great
DOlitical arfie Mill