Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-18
Both Parties Extract Hope
From Ballots Cast i'm Maine

Disinterested comment on the Re-
publican victory in Maine emphasizes
the point that both Democrats and Re-
publicans are able to find satisfaction
in the results. Some feel that If, as
charged, there has been any dissatis-
faction with the Hoover administration
1t should be shown, at least In part, by
the citizens of the New England State.
Critics of the administration are In
clined either to declare Maine a ira
ditionally Republican State or to hold
that local gains made by the Democrats
or reduced pluralities are significant of
change in the tide.
"As was predicted" says the Bangor
Daily Commercial (Republican), Gov.
Gardiner ran behind his ticket" That
paper adds: IF one discards the re-
turns for Governor, the Republican
vote, or proportional vote, in the State
is not far from normal, except for the
Republican landslide two years back
In the decade before the World War
Maine Republicans were satisfied with
State majorities of a few thousand, but
the figures have been much larger since
the arrival of woman suffrage"
There does not seem to be any Re-
publican diSaffection in Maine" con-
cludeS the New York Evening Post Gin
dependent), with the further comment:
Maine, it is true. has not been seriously
affected by the drought or by the gen.
eral business depression. Nor is 1t dis
turbed by the prohibition issue Yet
its citizens are in touch with the senti-
ment Of the rest of the country, so that
its elections have come to be regarded
as a barometer indicating the continue
ance of pleasant political weather for
the party in power or the threat of
approaching storms. Some prognosti-
Gators have tried to base a computa-
ton of the party majority in the House
on the size of the party majority in
Maine. but it does not register the
state of national sentiment with suffi-
cient accuracy for that"
Observing that 1.-The people of Maine
have considered their own best in
terests," the Lexington Leader (Repub-
lican) is convinced that the average
American voter, when he has reasoned
the matter out, will no doubt follow the
example of that rock-ribhed and sturdy
State which usually shows the way the
independent Republican, sees moth
ing important in the Maine election to
be turned against the national admin
istration," while the Topeka Daily Cap
ital (Republican) views 1t as IAN eX-
preston of faith in the Hoover. policies"
and the Manchester Union (independ-
ent Republican, points out that the
opponents of the administration, who
hoped to see Maine cast a cloud of
gloom over its prospects, have expert
enced good deal of a setback"
Maine Democrats, save the rainbow
chasers," according to the Boston
Transcript independently, did not ex-
pect to elect their candidates. The lack
of interest on the part OF Republicans
did not spur their opponents TO muster
vote as large as that they have cast
in past years. But Republican apathy
in other States might not be duplicated
by a similar state of mind in Demo-
cratic ranks" The Worcester Telegram
independently assumes that IAN un-
,prejudiced survey of the figures will re-
veal only a state of satisfaction-placid,
perhaps, but still satisfaction-with Mr..
Hoover, his ways and his works"
ut has been shown repeatedly in the
past" declares the Philadelphia Even
ing Bulletin independent Republican,,
that the Maine electorate is sensitive
to such phenomena as midtern re-
action, industrial depression, embittered
tariff controversy and other factors
which might tend 10 detract from the
popular support of the party in power.
Maine gives every indication that the
administration and the majority party
candidates will face normal political
conditions in the coming elections"
lone of the comforting features of
the Maine barometer is that both par
ties can extract hope from the results"
remarks the Seattle Daily Times Cin-
dependent Republican,, adding that sit
is a strznge barometer that shows both
fair ard stormy weather, but that is
Maine" Viewing the bipartisan effect,
the KAnsags City Times independently