Evening star., 1924-09-22
Maine Election Results Give
Comfort to Both Old Parties

Germ that the Republicans would be
much more satisfied with the outlook
in Republican strongholds if they did
not have this candidacy to combat"
The New York World independent
Democratic) insists that there is
nothing in the Maine result to indi-
cate Coolidge strength in the terri
tory where Mr.. Coolidge needs
strength most" and apart from its
effect on the election, the outcome in
Maine establishes the klan in posi-
ton of influence within the Repubii-
can party of Maine as effectually as
its influence has been rejected in the
Democratic party in Texas and Okla
homa." The Republican party of
Maine, therefore, in the opinion of
the Louisville Courier-Journal (Dem-
ocratic) stands before the country
today as the klan party and its vic
tory is everywhere hailed by the
klansmen as a Kan victory.
The worst of this sorry development
is that it now seems certain to ex-
tend into the national campaign, and
worse still, that certainly has been
brought about by President Coolidge
himself" Incidentally. one thing the
Maine election probably settled, sug-
gests the Hartford Times Gndepend-
ent Democratic), "is the matter of the
Ku Klux klan, 50 far as Mr.. Cool
idge is concerned" because there is
no reason now to expect the President
to declare himself"
The result in Maine, the Milwaukee
Journal GndependenD contends,
shows how important it is that there
should be frank and outspoken ex-
preston, not from secretary, Mr..
Slemp, to a Mr.. Branin, but from the
h hiyoc calf to 10
votes he asks. His denunciation Will
end the issue; his further silence will
intensity and give it new life" The
Richmond News-Leader is an out
standing Democratic paper that finds
the most reasonable interpretation
of the Maine election to be that the
voters refused to accept the hlan
issue the politicians manufacturer
for them" This opinion is expressed
also by the Albany Evening News and
many other Republican journals.
Attempts to interpret the results
in Maine with reference to the klan
issue" the San Francisco Bulletin Qn-
dependent) insists, "are strained to
the degree of pure fiction" for the
Klan was not an issue in Maine"
The Chicago Daily News Gndepend-
ent) also believes the klan issue, "of
which. unquestionably. both parties
were afraid, was a minor factor in
the campaign" which ''is circum-
stance that well may give satisfac-
ton to open minded citizens of all
parties and of no party" What GER
tainly is true, the indianapolis News
independently is sure, lis that the
people voted more on national than
local issues, voted with an eye to
November, and being Republican. the
State went Republican" And in the
Maine results, the Duluth Herald (in-
dependenD reads nothing but en-
couragement to the Republican ma
tiona ticket"
On the other hand, the Lincoln Star
independently, feels that while 1.-The
Republicans may well rejoice in the
smashing victory which they scored
in Maine, they are mistaken in con-
cluding that it has any special bear
ing on the November election" Be
cause, as the Portland, Greg, Journal
independently puts it, maine is a New
England State, and New England is
the center and shelter of the Coolidge
faction Of the Republican party" so
"if Mr.. Coolidge should be strong any
where, it is in New England, where
the tariff is more sacred than the Ten
Commandments, where the people
have not yet discovered that there is
a lot of the United States west of the
Allegheny Mountains and where most
of the population are factory owners
and their workers with unpronounce-
able Names"