The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-22
Member Of Audit Bureau Of
Circulation
(Official City. State and County
Newspaper
Foreign Representatives
SMALL. SPENCER, BREWER
uncorporated)
CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON
A Maine Mans Interpretation


No recent political development has
aroused more comment than the re-
suit of the recent Maine election.
The chairman of the Republican
party in that rock-bound state cred
tied the Democratic victory to local
disagreements and state iss IS, de-
claring generously that Maine would
be in the Republican fold in Novem-
Der.
The Democrats hailed it as great
victory and this position seems to
have been borne out by President
Hoover's desperate call to his party
wheelhorses for more action between
now and the election.
But politicians with axes to grind
are rarely the best interpreters of
election results or political trends.
For that reason the remarks of DR..
Ernest Gruening, editor Of the Port
land Evening News in one of the
states largest cities, carries some en-
lightenment. Hear him:
"The Democratic sweep in Maine,
unprecedented since the Bull Moose
split 20 years ago, and unexpected
in its extent even by the most opti-
mistic Democrats, was due almost
solely to national issues.
-Four years ago, the Republican
state ticket swept into office by more
than 100000 votes. Today a Demo-
cratic governor has been elected by
1000 votes, and two Of the three con-
gressional districts replaced Repub-
licans with Democrats.
There have been no Democratic
congressman in Maine since the Bull
Moose split, and the eastern part of
Maine, formerly the fourth district
and now reapportioned as the third
district, has never elected anyone but
Republicans.
1.-THE Democrats have also made
enormous gains within the state and
seem likely, when a number of close
contests have been settled, to have
carried the state house OF represent
tatives.
ITO an unusual degree, local issues
played relatively unimportant part.
Neither Republican nor Democratic
gubernatorial candidates were out
standing. The Republican candidate.
Burleigh Martin, had been president
OF the state senate and had gradu-
ally worked up through the escalator
process, fairly typical Of the Repub-
lican organization.
His Democratic opponent, Louis ].
Brann, had been former mayor OF
Lewiston, where he gave a creditable
administration. He had been a Judge
OF the municipal court there. Some
criticisms were made Of local admin
istrative matters, but all these were
negligible In the face OF the over
shadowing economic issue.
1.-THE Republicans sent in some of
their heaviest big guns, including Og-
den L. Mills, secretary of the treas
ury, who wound up the campaign
with a rally in the Portland Munich
pal Auditorium, scathingly denounc-
Ing Franklin d. Roosevelt.
1.-THE customary Republican argu-
ments were presented-that the de-
preston is worldwide, that Repub-
leans are in no sense responsible for
1T, that they had sten,med the de-
preston in masterful fashion, and
that horses should not be snapped
when the country had started on the
upgrade. '&yQ
In addition to the economic is
sues, 'wetness' proved a factor in the
victory. dramatic and startling fact
in a state which has long boosted
Of its title Of 1.-THE Cradle Of Proht-
bition."
Martin, the Republican guberna-
torial candidate, was professed DO
litical dry: the Democratic victor an
outspoken dripping wet. The two
defeated congressman. John E. Mel
son and former Governor Ralph O.
Brewster, In the second and third
districts respectively, are both per-
sonal and political drys. The victor
IN the second district, E. G. Moran,
IT.. Is personal dry and political
wet.
"The victor in the third district,
John @. Utterback. Is political and
personal vet.
The only important office SAL
vased By the Republicans lay in the
reelection Of Congressman Carroll L.
Beedy n the first district. The wet
-