Evening star., 1896-10-26
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS
A Review of the Situation in the State of
~ ga s-fSs-
Maryland.
Both Parties Show CONFERENCE.-The
cumstances Surrounding the
Different Contests.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE, October 2

estimation Of the political situation. and
those who few weeks ago would have
ridiculed the possibility of the election of
the Bryan and Sewall electors in Maryland
are In many instances admitting that the
hight Is by no means over. Here in Balti-
more glowing predictions Of an imposing
majority for Mckinley in this state are no
longer accepted as gospel. and while 1t is
still believed that the sound money NOM
mess will be successful. 1t Is not thought
that their majority will be as overwhelm-
ing as was claimed some tina ago. The
many intimations of a surprise In for
republicans and gold democrats in the Way
the labor vote of the city VIII be cast Is
having decided effect upon the opponents
OF silver, and they are dubious now about
accepting the polls of factories and business
establishments at their face value. Many
rumors are afloat which, If true, entirely
rerudiate the published accounts of sound
money sentiment among the working class
es' ana the sparsely attended anti-silver
meetings arranged for wage earners'' are
paraded by the free coinage people as cor
rohorating these reports.
IhiS growing anxiety has spurred the al
lied sound money forces on to fresh exer-
tlons, and when the campaign Is brought to
a conclusion the most exciting political
battle ever fought in Maryland will have
passed into history.
The interest In the six congressional con-
tests is attracting scarcely less interest here
than the struggle for the presidency. The
republicans are claiming four districts and
say they will not be surprised if they are
successful in five, and the democrats make
the same claim precisely. The republicans
expect to elect their nominees in the third,
fourth. fifth and sixth districts certainly,
and have hopes of carrying the second.
The democrats say they will win In the
first second. third ard fifth. and are quite
prepared to see Mr.. Blair Lee defeat Cap
tain Mcdonald in the sixth.
The First District.
1t is universally conceded that the first
district Will give Congressman Miles a
substantial majority, although many re-
publicans assert that if DR.. Barber was
given the ''assstancs' which has been
rendered to the other nominees, he would
stand q fair show of election. The east
ern shore Is pretty thoroughly fmpreg-
mated With silver sentiment, however and
but little attention is being devoted by the
republican committees to the fight on that
side OF the bay. DR.. Barber however
takes a very sanguIne view of the situa-
ton, and is apparently confident OF cleo
ton. he declares that his own county of
Iaibot will give him 600 majority; that
Dorchester will give him 700 Somersat
800. and that he will also carry Caroline.
which is generally regarded as clase East
ern shore democrats ridicue these claims
and State Senator Oswald Tiighman who
was caller at the state Headquarters at
the Carrolton today, told The Star cor
respondent that the doctor would be lucky
If he carried Talbot by 2OO majority, and
mat his majorities in Dorchester and Som
erset would be propOrtionateIy slight He
further stated that the heavy democratic
majorities of Worcester Wtco1lico and
Queen Annes would give the district to
Mr.. Miles by at least 900 majority.
The Second District.
Despite the great personal popularity and
excellent record of Congressman William
t. Baker conservative judges expect to
see MIR. George NJ. Jewett carry the sec
ond district. Mr.. Jewett Is no recent con-
vert to silver. for as early as 1878, while
4 resident of Ohio, he was an aggressive
champion of free coinage.
He is enc of the wealthiest men in tho.
state, and one of the most attractive per-
sonaliy, OF those who have appeared before
the voters of the district as a candidate
The district is democratic under ordinary
conditions, and the silver sentiment, which
is particularly strong III Hartford Cecil and
Carroll counties, has brought back in line
nearly all the democrats who voted for
Lowndes last year. With these are many
republican converts" Mr.. Baker expec.s
10 be reelected and bases his confidence on
the sound money sentiment in the Balti-
more city wards and among the business
men who vote In the suburbs in Baltimore
county. He admits that the silver senti-
ment is strong in the upper tier of pre-
cincts. but looks to Baltimore county and
the twentieth, twenty-tirst and twenty-sec-
ond wards to give him the election. Mr..
jarrett believes that he will not only carry
Cecil, Hartford and Carroll counties, but
will sweep Baltimore county as we'll, and
while 1t is not thought that the majority
either way will be very large. it is believed
among those in position to know that the
democratic nominee will be elected
The Third District.
In the third district Mr.. Thomas c.
Weeks, the silver nominee, is making a
vigorous and apparently highly successful
campaign. MIR. Weeks Is born orator
ana at his meetings he invariably arouses
his hearers to d degree of enthusiasm
which is very rarely attained by the eff
forts of his opponent, DIR. William s. Booze.
At present the situation is rather more
favorable to the silver candidate, but the
republicans are determined to carry the
two city districts at all hazards, and
whether he is elected or not DIR. Booze will
have no reason to complain of lack of as
sistance from the party managers.
The Fourth District.
Mr.. A. W. McIntire. the republican NOM
inee in the fourth district, is expected to re-
ceive a large majority over William J. Og-
den, the silver nominee. The sound money
democratic detection is stronger In this dis
trict than elsewhere in the CITY, and it Is
an open secret that if the regular demo-
Gratis believed it possible to carry the dis
trict they would not have nominated Mr.
Ogden.
Interest In the Fifth.
Next to the interest felt here in the third
and fourth district fights. popular attention
is chiefly directed on the contest between
Messrs. Mudd and Moss in the fifth. The
career of Speaker Sydney E. Mudd has oc-
casioned considerable concern among the
regular democrats, and his defeat in the
approaching election would be particularly
gratifying to them. Mr.. Mudd, next to
Senator-elect Wellington, is regarded as the
most formidable antagonist local demo-
crat can encounter. He Is shrewd adroit
and skillful, and his thorough knowledge
of the ins ard outs of practical politics is
well understood by the democracy. Mr.
Mudi does not hesitate to let it be known
that he aspires to succeed MI. German in
the United States Senate, and his election
to Congress this year would be regarded as
a mere stepping stone to the higher honor
The ordinary difficulties in the way Of over
turning politician of the speakers expert
ence are well understood, but it is thought
that q defeat at the present time will so
impair his prestige that he will be unable
to make the more pretentious flight. should
the republicans carry the next general as
sembly, and a most determined effort is
therefore on foot to overthrow him.
Mr.. Mudd's Opponent.