Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-11
ONLY A SMALL GAIN
FOR COP. IN MAINE
OVER 1922 RESULTS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire 10 The Journal-Copy-
right 1924

right, lJ-I.)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-"As
goes Maine so goes the nation" is
an old battle cry of the Republican
party and The Democrats have been
loath to use it, except when the
election seems to be turing their
way.
1t is no secret that the Demo
Gratis expected to either win the gov
ernorship in Maine or cut down ma
terially the Republican majority. On
the face Of the latest returns they
have lost the election and the ques-
ton of how much they have cut
down the Republican majority de-
ponds altogether on whether 1920
or 1922 is taken as a basis of reckon.
ing.
In the 1920 election the governor
ship as well as the presidency was
won by the Republicans in Septem-
Der and November, respectively, by
approximately $4,000 majority. To
day the Republicans have had that
majority cut down to almost halt.
To that extent the idea that 1920
may be taken as a basis of COM
putation for the 1924 election and
that Davis will be beaten as was
Cox, is subject to sharp dispute by
the mathematics of the case
Small Gain For G. o. P.
Compared with 1922, which seems
a fairer basis for calculation, the
Republicans have made small
gain. They won then by $4,000 and
it was remarked at that time that
the cut from 1920 represented con-
siderable loss to the Republican
party. The Maine results were con-
sidered significant and they were
indeed borne out. by the congress
sional elections. for applying the
same ratio of loss to the Republicans
in other states the mathematicians
did figure out about the loss of
seats in congress which they did
suffer. SO Maine pointed in 1922 the
way the nation went.
What does a gain of from $4,000
in 1922 to $4,000 in 1924 really repre-
sent? 1t means that the Republicans
mot only have held their own but
have made a gain of about II, 900
votes, though the difference between
a governOrship and q presidential
vote is always a few thousand any
way, so to all intents and purposes
4, the situation has not materially
changed from 1922. Had there been
any landslide in prospect for the
presidential race the barometer in
Maine should have registered at
least a so 900 or 10000 majority.
This dispatch is written on the basis
of early returns and it may be that
later figures may show a $4,000
majority in which case the Republic
ans will have just cause for jubila-
ton as to the meaning of the Maine
election.
Entirely apart from the effect
which the figures will have on the
workers of both parties-for they
will interpret it as they please
Maine may have an Importance in
another field Of controversy, namely,
the ku kluX Khan. The defeats of
the khan in Texas and Oklahoma had
made some Of the supporters of the
khan in politics somewhat timid. The
Coolidge political managers were adj
vised that a strong khan vote would
be cast for the Republican caDIi-
date for governor in Maine because
of the denunciation of the khan by
Mr.. Pattangall, the Democratic nomi-
nee. A victory with khan support
always goads the antl-kIan elements
into action. Perhaps the most pro
vocative headline which the Demo
Gratis could wish for is that which
today was used h one of the Re
publican newspapers here, 'Brewes-
ter elected governor in Maine with
khan backing"
Had the khan been beaten in Maine
1t might have had the opposite eff,
feet politically, for the people who
are not actively concerned with the
khan issue are more numerous than
those who feel themselves aggrieved
by it. There are many who feel so
deeply against the khan that they
will make an issue of it in all cleo
tIons. The eastern states unques-
tionably have much of that senti.
ment and that's why the Republic.
ans will find the Maine result flung
into their faces in the eastern areas.