Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-11

WQlUe, RepuDu- D"'iu La"ieh'e'
can, but this time he lost by a
margin of about $4,000. 1t is not
often that the same personality
comes up twice in succession on the
losing side SO as to permit COM
parsons to be made without the
oft-suggested argument that two
elections are not comparable when
the candidates are different.
To be defeated this time by
margin 10 times as great as four
years ago must be something of
shock to Mr.. Brann. who inciden-
tally is one Of the few Democrats
ever elected Governor of Maine
But, according to Senator-elect
Brewster, Republican, Mr.. Brann
made the mistake this time of COM
ing out for the third term for Mr..
Roosevelt, asking voters to support
him on the issue of a vote for Brann
being really a vote for Roosevelt.
Real Measure of Victory.
In the gubernatorial and con-
gressional contests, the real measure
of the Republican victory can be
made, for here there was no strong
personality on the Democratic side
in every case such as Brann has
proved himself to be at the polls
The Republicans pOlled "a per cent
Of the vote in the gubernatorial and
&c per cent of the vote in the con-
greSsional contests. compared with
their SO per cent in the senatorial
election.
Some observers feel that the total
vote in the congressional contests is
a better indication of Names vot-
ing interest on national issues than
Is either the senatorial or the gu
bernatorial races because each of
the candidates must stand up to
party strength and be compared
In this instance, all three members
Of Congress elected got better than
10000 majority, which is very high
as contraSted to four years ago,
when none reached that point.
The Maine result is the most
encouraging piece of news for the
followers of Wendell Willkie that
has happened since the conventions.
1t completely refutes the New Deal
charge that the Republican cam
paign has been slumping among
Republicans. Rather, it indicates
clearly that the strength of Willkie
is not confined alone to independent
voters who disregard party lines,
but to traditional Republicans as
we'll. 1t serves to confirm the STRAIT
egg Of those Willkie enthusiasts who
have been saying that he would
gather in the 100000 basic Re
publican vote and that all he needs
is a change of about 100000 among
the independent voters to win the
election.
1t is conceded among politicians
that in bad weather the Republi-
cans in the Maine rural districts do
not come to the polls in as great
a number as in fair weather due to
impossible roads and diSinclina-
ton of women voters to make the
long journeys necessary in the
rural districts to get to the polling
places. Election day dawned on
rainy weather in Maine.
Vote Was Smaller.
The latest figures show that only
100000 persons voted in the State this
week as compared to 311,000 four
year ago in me same September
election. This would seem to in
dictate that if the same total vote
had been polled, the rural districts
which showed 70 per cent vote for
the Republicans on Monday would
have materially increased the
figures. Four years ago Senator
White won the State by about 1900
in September and Landon carried
it by $4,000 in November so that it
may be expected now that Wendell
Willkie will carry Maine by
majority ranging Of from 10000 to
100000.
Much discussion has prevailed
here about the statistical computa-
tons Of DR.. Louis Bean, New Deal
economist, who arbitrarily takes an
average of the senatorial, guber-
material and congressional percent
ages put together and then says
the Republicans must get 18 points
in Maine above that average in
order to win the election through
out the country. This means that
the Republicans have to get a g.