The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-26
GEO. L. WELLINGTON
HOW MARYLAND's FIRST REPUB-
LICAS SENATOR WAS ELECTED.
by DogEed Persistence He OVERRIDE
Both Law and Enemies-Once
Called Mr.. Quay a Liar.
Special to the Indiananolis journal

interest has been aroused in Washington by
the election of the first Republican Senator
that Maryland has ever sent TO Washington
The election of George J.. Wellington TO sue
coed Senator Gibson as the colleague of Sem
ator Arthur German is a striking instance
of the value of logged persistence in poll
tics. Mr.. Wellington became famous be-
yond the borders Of Maryland during the
recent gubernatorial campaign in that
State for his controversy with Senator
Quay. At one time. when the prospects for
Republican success seemed overcast, Mr..
Wellington, in his capacity of chairman of
the State committee. charged that Senator
Quay would send repeaters from Pennsyl-
vania into Maryland to work for Senator
German. To this Mr.. Quay replied that Mr.
Wellington was "jackass." whereupon Mr..
Wellington holly replied that Mr. Quay was
lar. Mr.. Wellington further evidenced
his talent for making enemies by declaring
that the Baltimore American, the leading
Republican paper OF the State, was Cor
man organ, statement TO which the
American replied by telling Mr.. Wellington
ne lied and consciously lied.
Mr.. Wellington entered the fight for the
senatorship confronted by almost every
imaginable obstacle. In the first place his
very candidacy was in violation of the law
on the Maryland statute books which pre-
scribes that one of the two Senators from
the State shall come from the eastern
shore and the other from the western
shore. The law was passed early in the
present century and has never been violat-
ed Only once in the history of the State
has a western Marylander been elected to
the Senate when it the eastern shores
turn to furnish the Senator. And even in
10 ID no
law and then after electing the western
shoreman re-enacted 1t within an hour after
its repeal. Curiously enough. the Senator
so elected. Governor Swan, declined to ac-
cept the honor because it involved as he
said, a violation of tsith with the eastern
shore. Mr. wellington's proposition, there
fore to boldly set at defiance this
law, venerable with time and GUS
tom, was received with a thrill of
horror in the conservative old State.
But to all objections Mr.. Wellington
calmly replied that the law was unconstitu-
tionaI and quoted Daniel Webster on the
duty of good citizens not to obey laws
which were in conflict with the Constitu-
ton.
Besides defying the law, Mr.. Wellington
found opposed to his ambitions all the daily
him during the campaign. OF the RepuD-
licans elected to office along with the
Governor all were opposed to his ambition
save the Governor alone. who declared that
while Mr.. Wellington was his friend he
would not interfere in his behalf All the
members and the Senator's from the east
ern shore were, of course, opposed to his
contemplated violation CT their sacred law,
and of the western shore men scarcely
score declared for him. 1t seemed impos-
sible that Mr. wellington's candidacy would
assume even respectable proportions and
his defeat appeared foregone conclusion.
But Mr.. wellington won
The way in which Mr.. wellington con-
Quoted his campaign is remarkable. because
Il is the very anithesis OF the plan of cam
paign which his new colleague, Senator
German has for the past twenty-five years
made so successful in Maryland. Mr.. Cor
man is a diplomatic. Mr.. Wellington fights
straight from the shoulder He began his
campaign by announcing that he would be
the next United States Senator or there
should be no Senator, and he persisted in
this defiant attitude even when overcome
by an illness which at the present time
may develop fatally. he being confined to
his bed and his most ardent supporters
forbidden to enter his room.
Mr. Wellington, now that he has won
his victory, confesses that he based his
confidence of eventual success on the no.
torious dissentions among his opponents.
Every county Of the eastern shore had
its own candidate and Mr.. Wellington knew
the history of the eastern shore politics
sufficiently we'll TO know that not one of
these rival candidates would ever yield for
the benefit of another. 1t is a curious fact
that for the last twenty-four years the
eastern shore has never been represented
In the Senate by the man of its choice
Every recurring senatorial campaign has
seen the same fight among the favored
sons" of the nine counties comprising the
peninsula and with the invariable result
that at the last moment every county has
abandoned It's own man and united on some
outsider whom it disliked only little less
than 1t hated the candidate from all other
counties. This was the case with the pres
ent Legislature. The eastern shore men
fought among themselves until, worn out
and dismayed by Mr--Wellington's very de-
fiance and contempt for opposition, they
surrendered. Mr.. Wellington received con-
gratulations on a sick bed. and has since
been taken home in special car attended
by his physician and two trained nurse
lie is suffering from pneumonia and
there are the gravest doubts of his recov-
cry.
WAS AN 1LLITERATE PLOWBOY.
Apart from the fact that this man will be
the first Republican Senator ever sent to
Washington from Maryland, which alone
Will win fer him a place in history, he de-
serves honorable mention for an iron ener-
gy and a tireiess industry that have raised
him from an illiterate plowboy TO United
States Senator. Despite his distinctly Eng
lish name George Wellington is a German.
His father came to Maryland in the early
hfties from Hesse. Young Wellington was
born amidst poverty In its most painful
form among the mountains of western
Maryland. He had no chances for eiuca-
ton. When lad OF twelve he was made
errand boy in one OF the company stores
OF the same Chesapeake & Ohio canal
through which Senator German rose to
fame. What English he acquired he learned
first from his Sunday school teacher. a
young lady who to-day owes her position as
nrst lady OF the State OF Maryland 10 the
fact that George Wellington, her former
Sunday school scholar. haS~made her nus
band the first Republican Governor of