Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-16

Democrats can look back on last
week and reflect that, on the whole,
it was a good week. Republicans,
who suffered a disheartening
reverse in Maine. had to look
harder for their rays Of cheer but
there were some.
For the Democrats, the most well
come news, of course, was from
Maine. where the party held the
governorship it had won in 1854,
unseated one Republican Congress-
man, almost defeated another and
increased its strength in the Legis-
lature. There was also cheerful
news from Washington State on
the other side of the country.
For the Republicans, the primaries
in Wisconsin and Utah indicating
that independents still like Ike
helped soothe the wounds suffered
in Maine. And even the Maine re-
suit served a G.. o. P. purpose,
dispelling some AQf the complacency
which has worried party fAaders.
Amidst the weeks flurries of vot-
ing and State conventions. both
presidential candidates moved TO
the firing line - President Eisen-
hover with a plea for new cru
SADIE" in which Democrats and inde-
pendents werez invited to Join and
Adlai Stevenson with an attack on
the "part-time President" and his
their apparent. Vice President
Nixon.
The Maine Election
Even in 1896, the bleakest year
in the history of the Republican
Party, Maine alone with Vermont
remained true to its tradition Of
rock ribbed Republicanism. The
popularity of Franklin D. Roosevelt
never turned the heads of Maine.
Democrats were able to carry the
State only once-in 1912-and then
by the fluke of Republican split
between William Howard Taft and
Theodore Roosevelt.
1t would have been extraordinary
even if Democratic Gov. Edmund
Muskie had alone been victorious
in this presidential election year.
And had his margin of victory been
ST per cent rather than SO per cent,
it still would have been a remark
able accomplishment. But even
more notable are the results in two
of the three Maine congressional
races. In one, the Democratic can
didate defeated his Republican OPP
ponent with more than 1000 votes
to spare. In the other, the seven
term Republican incumbent, hold
ing to a meager 29-vote lead, can
not be certain of victory until the
final count next month.
Adlai Stevenson and other lead
ing Democrats Immediately read
the results as foretelling a Demo-
cratic sweep on November 6. The
reasons for their optimism we're
substantial:
. In the past, when the Democrats
have held the Republican percent
age of the total congressional vote
in Maine to so per cent, they usu-
ally have won control of Congress
in November. On Monday, Maine
Republicans gave their congress
sional candidates only 511a per
cent of this total.
. Republican registration in Maine
is larger by almost 2 to / than
Democratic registration, giving
strength to the suspicion that
many independents voted Demo-
cratic last Monday.
. Gov. Muskie won his second
term in the face of Republican
boasts that the COP. was better
organized in Maine. than it had
been in years. Republicans had
blamed party split for their loss
of the governorship in 1854
. The Republicans had depended
heavily on President Eisenhower's
coattails, warning that a vote for
a Democrat was a vote against Ike.
Mr.. Eisenhower himself had sent
Maine Republicans an urgent plea
for a Republican Congress.
There was, of course. Repub-
lican version Of the Maine story.
Chairman Leonard Hall said that,
the heavy vote for Gov. Muskie is
proof Of his popularity among the
voters in Maine based on his record
as Governor" Mr.. Hall has been
warning his party all along that
overconfidence might be its undo
ing. but he saw the Maine results
as shaking party apathy and thus
working to a Republican advan-
tage.
And there were other factors
the Republicans could point to. If
not enthusiastically perhaps with
enough conviction to prompt Demo-
Gratis to examine their victories with
circumspection.
It is true. as Mr.. Hall pointed
out. that Gov. Muskie is personally