Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-09
AN EXCITING CONTEST
Fighting for Nomination in the Sixth Mary
land.
Pcarrc ana Wellington Hard al n In
AncSany County-The Candidates
From Other Sections.


Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CUMBERLAND. Md, August .. 1894
The most exciting political contest ever
known in the history of Aliegany county.
since the memorable campaign of IS1.i when
the democratic party had two county
tickets in The field. , now going on between
George l.. Wellington and Col. George A.
Pearre, oN-state senator, in regard to the
republican nomination for Congress. One
would think that a nomination in Allegany
county by The republicans would be equiva-
len: to an election in the district, which is
composed Of Montgomery, Frederick, Wash
irgton. Allegany and Garrett counties. Col
pearre is making a lively fight before the
primaries. He is gong from district to dis
trict, working from house to house in the
daytime, and addressing public meetings at
night. He Is an interchangeable worker. and
the probabilities are that he will carry the
primaries in Allegany county. Between the
whig and democratic parties before the war
Allegany was always a close county. but in
1SiI became largely democratic. Hon. Will
lam " alsh. Josiah h. Gordon, Col. Horace
Resley, Alfred Spates. Col. Richard ID. John
son, Lloyd Clary, Thomas G. Mccullough
and others were among the great leaders
OF the party in those days. The leaders split
in 1913. and the republicans elected their
county clerk, register of wills. county COM
all the members of the house of delegates
The democrats elected Thomas G. McCul-
Tough state senator, who was a member
OF the anti-canal or anti-Gorman wing of
the party. Since then the county clerk has
been elected three times. and is now serv-
ing mis- fourth term, which will not expire
until 1897. When the memorable state con-
vention met in Baltimore in August. 1919,
western Maryland sent delegates favor
able TO the election of William T.
Hamilton, whose term United States
Senator had expired in 1873. All the great
leaders in Aiiegany, Washington, Fred
erick AID Mon tgomery counties were IA
vorable to Hamilton. who also had several
delegates from Baltimore city Josiah H.
Gordon represented Allegany, George r
Freaner Washington; Hon. John Richie
Frederick, and f. B. Prettyman. Mont
somery county; John Lee Carroll of Howard
county was nominated and Hamilton. who
was indorsed by three-fourths of the de-
mocracy in the state turned down. 1t was
at this time that Arthur p. German showed
his ability as leader in the state
Carroll was elected or counted in by the
courts. VIM. Pinkney Whyte was made
Senator and James Black Groome elected
governor by the legislature for the unex-
pired term of Governor Whyte In 1879
William I. Hamilton was elected governor
but he had no power. The board of public
works was against him. and every year re-
elected German president of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal German was elected
state senator in 1919 and United States
Senator in 1850. In the meantime VIM.
Walsh had served two terms in Congress
In 1878 the republicans elected Milton g.
trner of Frederick county over George
Peter of Montgomery and Col Horace
Resley independently of Allegany. In 1870
Crner elected over Col. James M
Sleigh of Allegany In 1SSo the republic
cans elected Louis f. McComas of Wash
ington county. over Montgomery Blair of
Montgomtry county: In 1881 McComas
was elected over J. Fred Nelson of Wash
ington county. In 1856 McComas beat Col.
l.. Victor Baughm&n and in 1883 Gen. H
Kyd Douglas of Washington county Nc
Comas' influence seemed to be supreme
in the district, and he was renominatei
in 1880 for fifth term wellington of AL
legany county opposed his nomination. and
his friends cut McComas that year which
caused his defeat The republicans stayed
away from the polls, and Gen NcKaiy
got about as many democratic votes as
Baughman and Douglas and carried the
district by a plurality of 1855 votes In
1892 George l.. Wellington was nominated
against Mcka1g and defeated by a plurality
of ever 600 votes. McKaig was holding
the position of mayor IF Cumberland when
he was elected to Congress. He had never
been beaten in his life and had been in the
state serate and house of delegates He
had been more of an active politician than
lawyer, end was very active at the p~i-
mar!es. In 1890 Mckaig carried Washing
ton county by plurality of lis. Frederick
by plurality of 30 votes and Montgomery
by GOO plurality. McComas majority was
reduced from SOB TO 80 in Allegany. Nc
Comas had plurality in the district i'm
1883 of 1,634 votes. Alegany county was
the battle ground of the district then, as il
is today, and no democrat outside of AL
legany has been elected since 1870 when
John Richie of Frederick defeated Judge
Smith OF Carroll county by 1900 majority
in the district. In 1872 Lloyd Loundes beat
Richie by about l,SoO in the district, but
was defeated by Walsh In 1874 who got
less than 100 majority. Walsh beat Nc
Comas in 1876 by very small majority,
ard might have been reelected in 1878. hui
declined the nomination. The political his
tory of the district Is interesting
The democrats are intense In their conyfc-
tions. 1t is the only part Of the state where