The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-09-11

V4AS SsAAAeSSAASSAA SSASsSS SSSS -
quadrennial political spree.
There Is nothing that Maine
loves more than to have the eyes
Of the nation turned on 1t for
the purpose Of guaging the No
vember election. That hackneyed
political proverb, "As Maine goes,
so goes the nation" Is giving this
state O spotlight thrill quite out
Of proportion to Its tiny quota OF
five electoral votes.
It Is hard TO believe, but the
two national committees are pour.
Ing as many dollars into this state
as there are Votes-approXimately
100000. Both sides have brought
up their heavy oratorical artillery
and bedecked the populous centers
with posters and buttons. The
republicans have been especially
prolific, and II Is o question now
whether there are as many pine
trees In the Pine Tree State aS
there are Landon sunflowers.
Both Brann and Landon.
The strange part about 1t oil Is
that when the shouting Is over
and Mondays votes a4e counted,
III Maine does "go democratic"
the state will almost undoubtedly
support Landon In November.
In fact, the impartial dopesters
are expecting just exactly that.
They are saying that Maine will
put Democrat Louis ]. Brann In
the senate, and then turn around
and give Roosevelt o drubbing
seven weeks later.
In other words, there are
lot OF people "d0wn" here who
want 10 see Democrat Brann In
the Senate and Republican Lam
don In the White House. Brann
has been popular through two
terms as governor. He won the
race in 1883 by the slender
margin Of 1880 votes. But
after he had served o term,
voters returned him with o ma
jority ten times as great--e3,000.
A lot OF republicans will sup.
port Brann because he Is more dy-
manic than Republican Senator
Wallace White, who seeks to res
turn and because he has been
an anti.New Dealer.
Anti-New Deal
After the NRA decision by the
supreme court and the Presidents
"horsc and buggy" denunciation,
Brann was one OF the first prom
inent democrats to declare him
self opposed to constitutional
amendments.
But this did not offend JIM
FARLEY. Big Jim saw the
chance Of capitalizing Brann's
vote-getting powers In the In.
terest Of the democratic party. A
year ago, Brann had no thought
Of running for the senate. For
him the alternatives were 70
seek third term ~ governor
dcfylng Names two-tcrm ira.
ditoin; or 10 70 after Judge
Lands Job rs GEAR Of baseball.
But Farley had other ideas. He
saw the need Of heading UP
Names democratic ticket with q
man who, In September, could
soften the blow Maine was ex-
pected TO deal Roosevelt IN Mo-
Vember. He persuaded Brann to
forget his anti-New Deal seflti-
ments, and snatch the senatorial
seat from soft-spoken, Inild-t1lail-
nered Wallace White.
Patronage
It was O good bargain. Each
had something to give. Shortly Of
ter Brann announced his intention
Of running for the senate, the
Deer Island Bridge was approved.
This was q highly desirable pro-
ject, but had been held In abey-
ance for O long time. But after
Branr's midsummer visit to the
White House, the necessary $780,
900 Of federal money was allowed
(93iB,OO0 grant and S3e6.O0O loan).
This made II possible for Branil,
In the midst Of the campaign, TO
70 down 10 Caetine and announce
his success In getting big things
done for Maine. In fact, the
total three-year federal apprcpria-
ton for Maine Is around $780,
OO0,OOO.
Psychological Effect
II Brann Ii elected, Farley win
make the most Of II, and the psy-
Geological effect on the country
undoubtedly will be strong for the
democratic party. But X he Is de-
feated, Farley will have the cci1-
vonient abb that 1rani was not