The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-13


Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON, Sept 13-"As
goes Maine. so goes the nation''-it's an
old political slogan. but for the first time
in many years both Democratic and Re
publican chicftains agree upon its broad
significance. The Republicans have car
ried Maine for United States senator
and governor and believe the victory sig
nifes national success; the Democrats
have cut down the Republican majority
of 1920 SO extensively that they say if
the same percentage of gain is made by
the Democratic party in doubtful states
as was made by the Democrats III a nor
malIy Republican state, the control OF
congress next autumn would seem GER
tain of change
More interesting as a reflection of what
the Republicans really felt about the
Maine election was the statement of
John T. Adams, chairman of the Repub-
lican national committee issued just be
fore the election. Mr.. Adams cautiously
pointed out that Maine. although safely
| Republican * not overwhelmingly so,
and added that the Democrats have
put up Il good fight all along the line"
and that 4 number of Republicans who
were scheduled to speak had TO cancel
their meetings and remain in Washing
ton because of Il press of legislative mat
ters.'
Republicans Expected Slump.
This guarded language simply meant
that the Republicans knew they would
| lose votes, but they did not know how
! badly they would fare as compared to
! 1920. The Democrats, on the other
hand, were privately jubilant and really
| expected to pun through the governor
| ship.
In analyzing the Maine results it
must not be forgotten that the MAORI
! ties are practically double. what they
used to be. for the total vote has been
swelled by the enfranchisemeat of
women. The Republicans carried Maine
| in 1920 for Harding by $1,000. which
| represented what would ordinarily have
| been a landslide with 10000 votes. AL
| though final results are not available at
/ this moment. if it should turn out that
| the Republican ma iority fer United
| States senator was i'm the neighhorhood
! of 10000 to 30 600 this would mean the
! equivalent of about 10000 to l3.OVO IN
/ the days when women were not voting.
There are, of course, varying view
/ points on what constitutes Il normal Re
! publican ma jointly in Maine. but the pQ-
/ lIticai history of that state shows that
! it has rarely gone Democratic. SO that
! their calculations of victory in Maine
| the Democrats were about as far off IN
! this year as they have been in the past
| with respect to rock-ribbed PennSylva-
| MIA. Their most telling point, how
| ever. is with respect to the percentage Of
| Democratic gain over two years ago.
! They insist. Of course, that the same
ratio of gain applied elsewhere would
mean Il national victery. The Republi-
| cans are ready to admit this much
! that the elections this fall will show
/ Democratic gains in many parts of the
/ country and that this is inevitable in a
! congressional year. but the Republicans
refuse to concede that the percentage
| house or the senate.
Question of Percentage.
The argument, in a nutshell, resolves
! itself into what percentage of Demo
cratic gain will develop this November,
fer both sides admit the conditions Of
1920 when the country was Teucting
from various ills are not going to be
| duplicated in 1922. Many of those who
| hope of finding something better are turn
! ing back to their old affiliations and even
Republican leaders will agree that GER
| tain districts which were swept into the
| Republican column by the Harding land
! slide will he found back in the Demo-
| cratic column. The party in power al
ways loses votes after tariff bill is
passed and there have been many other
controversial issues which work against
| the incumbent party whether it be Re
publican or Democratic.
Maine has proved that there will be
| Democratic gains. The big question is
how much and whether the symptoms OF
discomfort in Maine are acute enough tC
change the complexion of congress. It;
! really too early to say. as Maine is the
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