The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-09-30
A DEMOCRATIC DEFEAT

in The State.
refuse to lie about it and am frank
to say that the election returns from
Maine are discouraging to the Demo-
cratic party. In pugilistlc parlance 1t
Is first blood for the G. o. P. In mill
tary phrase the G. o. P. was victor in
the first skirmish of the campaign Of
1920. II we can, let us gather lit
tie, Just a little bit, of consolation
from the history that at Marston
Mood the incipient battle was averse
to Cromwell and at Marengo Napo-
leon was licked all during the fore
noon. We lost the fight IN Maine,
but il we muster the courage and the
energy that are worthy of our cause
there is plenty of time to win the
battle in the union.
Although the fight in Maine was OF
the comic. The Democrats had, no
while both pockets OF the &.
o. 2. were stuffed full to overfowing
with yellow back paper currency. Thus
thousands of Republican farmers,
their wives and daughters were haul
ed to the polls in luxurious motor
cars, while Democratic farmers, their
wives and daughters had to trudge
many on foot, through the mud that
rainy day to deposit their ballots.
That was a big advantage that was OF
immense profit to the victors.
And again-the stump. That was
simply awful. One leading Maine
orator pleaded for the G. o. P. BY
the audience that the rea-
son the price Of sugar was 30 high
was that President Wilson had ship
ped millions of tons Of sugar from
America to France, where he sold 1t
for two cents q pound. Another Re-
publican orator astounded the Maine
with the direful tidings
that at that very moment the British
that was in the league,
was drafting men and boys in Canada
to send across the ocean to lick Rus
sia. Now those two points were
made by leaders Of the Republican
battle. OF course, Maine, being a
New England state, was supposed TO
have more intelligence and more
knowledge than folks of the Middle
West. or the Mississippi, and
did not condescend to an
swer such rot.
But that is not all. Teddy, the
Little, the Dlminutive, stumped Maine
and told the folks that 1t was the
who fought and won the
war, and that argument" was more
or less effective. Then there was a
lady Republican oratress who TOOK
the raging stump and let Main know
that tho wicked Democrats had taken
all tariff duties OF the products OF
Northern labor and put heavy tarln
duties on products of Southern labor.
OF course, the biggest fool IN Onlo'
or Indiana, or Illinois, sees how rldlc-
ulous such a charge as that ls, but II
had effect in Maine, where 1t was ac-
cepted as truthful history. And 10
this complexion has come the Maine
that proclaimed George Evans, Will
liam Pitt Fessenden, James G. Blaine
and Thomas B. Reed. From 1879
when George Evans, the greatest In
tellect Maine ever produced, entered
Congress till 1899, when Thomas b.
Reed, the greatest Republican OF the
last quarter Of the century, retlred
from Congress, was a period OF three
score and ten years, and during al
the time, except the two years
1884, Maine, small as was her
had leader and a COM
figure in the national coun-
ellis. and most of that time two giants
to represent her in Congress. The
date l cite from memory, yet all
pretty certain I am correct.
And to think that in Malne-tne
Maine of Evans, Of Fessenden, OF
Blaine. of Reed-such silly rot as
have quoted should be fed to the
electorate by orators Of the party OF
of patriotism, of virtue
and of respectability! George Wash
Ington or Abraham Lincoln would as
soon have picked pocket as 10
achieve political history by such
means.
If the people are resolved to follow
Maine. so be it. 1t will mean that
the league Of nations must get along
without the United States. 1t Will
not destroy the league, but 1t Will
make the task of the league the
harder to perform. There is not the
slightest doubt that the 81 nations
peoples now in the league can sue
,essfully accomplish the design OF the
league If they are firmly resolved 10
do so. Then all the honor and glory,
all the gratitude and applause OF civil
Ization will be bestowed on the
league.
And IL those 81 nations shall accom-,
plish the ends Of the league, you Will
.,- r,or;o,,, rniop knock for ad-