Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-17
THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN.
Lines Rapidly Forming for This Years Po-
litical Contest.

| nucol contest
REPUBLICAN STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEET,
TODAY TO FIX THE DATE FOR THE CON
vENTIoN-eossIP ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC OUT
| LooK--CoSCEssIoS TO THE ALLIANCE
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
| BALTIMORE, June 1.-THE lines are rapidly
forming for the political contest which is to bt
fought in Maryland this year. The democratic
state central committee has fixed July 80 a,
the day for holding the state convention and
the republican state central committee will
meet at noon today and name the date for the
| republican convention. These conventions
will nominate candidates for. governor. con.
| troller, attorney general and clerk of the court
OF appeals. The republicans have nominated
their candidate for chief judge of the seventh
Judicial circuit, Col. L. Allison Wilmer, and
the democrats have fixed the dates for their
judicial conventions and have held their
primaries in several counties.
Inc Farmers Alliance is making ready for
| the fray and have already shown that they hold
the key to the situation in some of the county
primaries. Nearly all the counties are in an
active state of political eruption, and in little
| wn,le politics and midsummer sun will make il
uncomfortsbly warm all over the state.
ISSUES AND OFFICES AT STAKE.
II 1t is the number of offices to be filed which
gives importance to an election there has beer
| none in Maryland since the adoption of the
present constitution which involves such mo-
mentous consequences. There are also six
constitutional amendments to be submitted to
the people, all having On important bearing
upon the government of the state. These
things will insure very large vote all over the
state.
The governorship has absorbed public atten-
ton almost to the exclusion of everything else.
1t is about six weeks until the democratic con-
| vention meets. In that time a state ticket
must be agreed upon by the men who for the
past twenty years or more have performed that
sel-lmposed task and that ticket the conven-
ton will. in point of fact, only assemble to
ratify. That. at least, is after the usual order
OF democratic procedure in MARYLAND. But
there are signs of evident uneasiness abroad
and these setters-up and pullers-down of can
dldates are not as sure Of their power as they
have been.
NEW POWER IN THE STATE.
They are confronted for the first time with a
new power, which gives them all the more fear
because they are unable to measure its real
strength. which threatens i ignored to neutral
lie their own If it does nopdo more. That I'M
known and untrled power is the Farmers ALI
ance. With it are certain other sources and
elements of strength. which, under certain
conditions that might be easily brought about,
could give the managers great deal Of trouble.
they are not blind to this state of affairs.
What was at first but suggestion has become
positive warning. and they are chatting under
the irresistible conviction that to refuse con-
SESSIONS to demands which they would
gladly throttle would be q fatal and irretrieya-
Die blunder.
AN IMPORTANT WEEK.
The week which has just passed has been
pregnant with Importance and the events which
have followed each other in quick succession
are. not difficult of Interpretation. II thew do
not mean that Frank Brown Is far in advance
of all other democratic candidates for governor
In popular favor they do not mean ANYTHING
The first county tc hold its primaries, Cecil.
has instructed its delegates TO the state conven-
ton for Brown, and the overwhelming senti-
ment for him which developed at the meeting
OF the state central committee has given force
to the claims which the Brown men have made
as to his strength during the past six mon this
Ihls Is true even by the admissions of those
who have been opposed to him. These things
have dawned upon the managers with a sudden
ness and force for which they were not pre-
pared. and the result is now patens
Nothing short of a political upheaval which
no one can foresse, even in Maryland politics,
can now prevent Brown from being the next
governor of Maryland. The managers have
gracefully yielded to the inevitable and have
decided to throw their strength on the side Of
the yeomanry of the state, which has SO loudly
clamored for Browns nomination. In fact
the democratic state central committee
at Thursdays meeting decided upon about
two things only-the dates of the state
and judicial conventions and the fact that
Brown would be the strongest candidate
1t Is direct concession to the Farmers
Alliance and the farming interests, but in max
ing that the managers will take care to keep all
the other places on the state ticket unto them
selves.
They did not want to take Brown. 1t was
case OF Mahomet going to the mountain They
had told him that he had an open field, it is
true. but they had intended to have a string on
the privilege they had accorded him. Before
they knew 1t he had passed all favorites and
gealed at the meeting of the state central com
mlttee he was founi to he ahead OF all COM
petitors.
SENATOR G0RMAN MASTER SPIRIT.
Senator German was, of course, the master
spirit ut that meeting. He listened attentiyelv
to the expressions of favoritism for Brown and
was impressed. They were not new to him.
He sent for two of his most trusted lieutepants
In Howard county, where he lives. Col.
Thomas H.. Hunt, vice president Of the
board OF directors of the Maryland house
of correction, and John S. Tracey. a
prosperous farmer, politician and the
most popular democrat in Howard county.
Mr. German questioned them both about the
sentiment i'll the sections of the county where
'Ac. hNeu. ne hTeduf knew what II
the lower part of the county, where he has his
summer home. For over an hour they were
closeted and the trio separated. Mr. German
learned what he had learned from others, that
Brown was the choice of the farmers Mr..
German then sent for Mr.. Brown. They were
together an hour and before another hour had
passed the word got around that Brown was
the coming man.
..-' BROWNS RIVALS.
But if Brown is to be nominated for gov
ernor what is to become of the other asplrants.
ex-Mayor Hodges and Col. Spencer Jones?
First, Mr.. Hodges. There was string to his
nomination, just as there was four years ago.
The managers had hoped to be able to combine
the strength of Hodges and Jones against
Brown, but they saw that any such attempt
would be futile. Mr.. Hodges is very much dis
appointed, for his great ambition has
always been to be governor. But he
has other hopes. They are that Sena-
tor German may be nominated for the
presidency or failing in that that he may go in
TO the cabinet should the next President be a
democrat. Then there will be a vacancy in the
United States Senate from MARYLAND WHY
should not Mr.. Hodges be Mr. Germans sue
cessor? He will stay in the fight and a candi-
date for such high position as governor of the
state will have strong claims and exert no little
influence.
Then Spencer Jones. He was brought out as
a candidate SO that western MARYLAND could
combine on one man and that force could be
handled as unit in the convention when the
right time came. But the great headway
RYoWn has rna,aa nd fha lot - a.