New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-09-11
MAINE VOTES G. q. =.
As USUAL

William i. ddTuIlleT, tHe Hlose
popular candidate the Republican
party in Maine ever had" proved the
soft impeachment creditably when
he all but swamped Edward c..
Moran, Jr.. his Democratic opponent
for the governors chair, i'll the late
election. Laying great store upon
success in Maine the Republican
party not only LETT no stone unturned
to provide heavy margin for its
candidate. but moved boulders as
we'll Moran, a sterling orator able
to talk rings around Gardiner. vain
ly challenged the Republican to a
debate from the same platform:
Gardiner knew his man and refused
to put his foot in it. Moran likewise
helped Gardiner considerably by go
ing counter to one or two planks in
the Democratic platform by way of
stressing his own opinion on the is
sues All in all. the grand old party
had a grand old time.
Now comes the inevitable deduc-
ton: Does the result of a state cleo
ton in Maine presage what is going
to happen in the national election
in November?
Whether Maine functions as po-
litical barometer depends entirely
upon what one prefers TO believe
about it. The Republican national
committee accepted the gauge of
battle and made it as much of a
barometer as possible, dispatching
Senator Curtis. the vice presidential
candidate, and Senator Watson to
the state, among others OF national
prominence. The Democratic nation
al committee, however, carefully re-
Trained from pursuing such tactics.
sending only Nellie Taylor Ross
into the state The Democratic
scheme was to do nothing to link the
fortunes of an AL Smith campaign
with voting in Maine in September.
THE election is in November, not in
September" has been the watch
word.
Maine may be very satisfying as
barometer to many people. but not
if its record is weighed. The Repub-
lican plurality of the state in the
September before the victory of
Harding was $4,000: but in the Sep
TENDER election prior to the greater
Coolidge landslide in 1924 the Re-
publican plurality of the state had
shrunk to $1,000. If Maine had been
regarded as true barometer in
1924 the Coolidge victory should
have been only little more than half
as impressive as that OF Harding.
Indeed, Maine lost considera bic of its
repute as barometer state in 1924.
Maine is the last of northern states
with elections before the national
election. There used to be Vermont,
PENNSYLVANIA, Indiana and perhaps
others. All have changed their dates
to confirm with the national cleo,
ton except Maine. The Pine Tree
state doesn't follow suit because it
likes to pose as a barometer, though
as everyone knows little OF the ma
tional issues ever figure in a state
election in Maine. Vermont, Penn
sylvania and Indiana were much
more accurate barometers. Indeed,
in 1880, when the Democrats Won
what was regarded as a September
victory in Maine, they were terribly
defeated in Indiana in the following
October: and the Indiana barometer
proved the accurate forecast of the
two.
During the present campaign IN
Maine Senator Hale enunciated Re-
publican hopes. If the plurality of
the Republicans were less than
40 900 it would be a disappointment.
he said. The plurality in 1920 was
65.116: in 1924, 1856. BY compar-
ing Yesterdays plurality with these
figures there is something to think
about but surely nothing AS definite
as A barometer. Nobody elsewhere
or even in Maine-will let the Maine
result influence him as to whether
he or she prefers Smith or Hoover.
Maine could save herself consider
able election expenses and make
herself less of September political
nuisance elsewhere if she followed
the example Of other former
barometer states and coalesCed the
state and national election.
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