Barometer

Political experts this week watched Maine for a forecast of political weather. The accuracy of the barometer was questionable. No one doubted that the State would go Republican in its elections. Question was how large a majority Republicans would roll up.

Political experts long since revised the wheeze, "As Maine Goes, So Goes the Nation." (James A. Farley's revision: "As Maine Goes, So Goes Vermont.") This year, scandal in the State House involving Republican Controller William A. Runnells spread a haze in the sky. The personal popularity of Louis Jefferson Brann, former Democratic Governor, candidate for U. S. Senator, also made Republican leaders reluctant to have the Maine vote used as an augury of what will happen in November in the rest of the country. Nevertheless young Oren Root Jr., head of the Associated Willkie Clubs, marched in to the State two days before the election and proclaimed: "What you do or do not do on Monday will profoundly affect Willkie's chances of victory in this nation in November. . . . For Wendell Willkie's sake . . . the Republican majority on Monday must be overwhelming."

Running against ex-Governor Brann for Senator was Republican Congressman Ralph Brewster, who won the nomination after a bitter fight that left scars. For Governor, Sumner Sewall, World War I hero, president of the State Senate, was the Republican candidate opposed to Fulton Jarvis Redman, former newspaper publisher.

According to the Department of Agriculture's Economic Adviser Louis Bean, if the Democrats poll 33% of the vote in Maine they are likely to carry the nation. According to Dr. George Gallup, Democrats have to poll 38% in Maine to have a chance to carry the country.

The vote: for Republican Brewster 59%; for Democrat Brann 41%; for Republican Sewall 64% ; for Democrat Redman 36%.

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