The times., 1897-08-20
POLITICAL GOSSIP.

lican party is Iaboiing. The latest phase
OF the case Indicates lack OF Judgment
on the part Of the Wellington men In the
western section of the State. Under the
agreement said TO have been reached De-
tween Mr.. Wellington and Mr.. Mudd, when
the former was elected to the Senate 10
succeed Mr.. Gibson, the latter agreed 10
stand out or the way in consideration of
the support OF Mr.. Wellington when the
next bout came around. Mr. Wellington
is now endeavoring to carry out that part
OF the compact, and this is leading him
and his friends into some very lausfiable
situations.
The latest situation of this sort is the
effort To have Judge Mccomas of the Dis
trict court removed on account Of his par
t!cipation In the political atfails OF The
State. 1t was never known until recently
that it was an offense for United states
Judge to take an interest in politics, ali
Judge McComas, while ne is IA very good
Judge, is boin politician II he could
notbe politician he would probably throw
up his present job and return to the hIlsJ-
ings in old Maryland. There is nothing TO
Justify the conclusion that President Nc.
kinley deems politics inconsistent witt the
duties OF good jurist; On the contrary
the mere fact that a judge or one OF his
courts has ali eve ont for bhe general GOOD
of the party will be q good recommends
ton for that particular branch of the
United States court
Notwithstanding this fact the Republic
ans of Maryland belonging, OF course, TO
the Wellington stripe, have reached the
conclusion that Judge ought not To dabbie
Ia politics. Therein they have displayed
iamentahle ignorance both OF Judge Nc
Comas and of President Mckinley. Judge
MeCoinas, In addition to conducting court
and looking after the morals and general
welfare of the District, has been able to
run over into Western Maryland, throw
out his lines and get renewed grip on the
political situation. Judge McComas for
years has had grip on that end of the
State. The Republicans over there like
TO look up to him as their leader, and when
he laid aside his jud:cia ermine for few
! hours lass week ana took a haay tour
| through that corner of that exceedingly
narrow strip OF territory belonging to the
| commonwealth, the people rose up In
| their joy and, SO TO speak, leaned upon his
| neck and wept liz pleasure to see that the
| kong lost leader had returned.
Judge McComas can get pretty nearly
anything he " ants out OF Western Mary
! land, and there is lingering suspicion
| that If the State would give him the
| Senatorship he would put aside the err
mine fer the toga. Hence these tears,
salty, hot. and dripping from the Well
| ingtonian lachrymal glands. They have
| seen the uprising OF the masses and have
| hatcted out scheme that will, they
.I.i.
McCoiEas. But they reckon without their
host. Pres ident Mckinley is made VI
better stuff McConas on and off the
bench Is said TO have been the true
| friend Of Mckinley, while Weliingto on, it
is claimed, both III ana out of the Senate
! has backcapped the Administration and
| made criticism that has embarrassed both
| the Chief Executive and his Postmaster
| General. 70 that they have pondered long
what spirit does now possess the Repub-
| lican Senator from Maryland.
| In their Zeal for the party and seeking
| it's purification from the evil spirits which
! they imagine has seized it. the Republl-
| cans OF western Maryland have started
| throughout that section of the State a
| petition u the President, asking him 20
| remove Judge McComas, because forsooth,
he has descended from the bench and
| deigned to talk politics III his own State,
! and remind Republicans OF what he thinks
their duty plainly ought 70 he. These
| friends OF Wellington and Mudd assert
| that Judge McComas has violated the Con
| stitution ard committed divers other and
| suudry offenseS against the law and the
statutes therein provided by presurning
to discuss political subjects.
Judge McGoBias may have gone little
| further than good taste suggests. but
that lie has made himself offensive I'd
| the Administration no man can believe. The
| present Administration believes that the
end iuStifies the means, and If the court
sees fit TO direct public sentiment in Mary
land. the court, in the eyes of the Admin
istration, is performing It's duty 50 .oag as
it molds public sentiment in the direction
desired by tie Administration.
There is a quiet understanding thas Judge
McComas is not moving blindly in this
n after. Senator Wellington Is not eN-
setly persona grata since his meraoraaIe
speech in the Senate when he defis,i
the press OF the country and stated that
the President of the United States should
do az the Senator from MARYLAND wanted
or the Senator from Maryland would
know the reason why. That speech over
| threw the prestige OF the Republican
Senator from Maryland He was in a fair
way TO keep few OF the innunler;tb,e prom.
Ises he had made in the Campaign that
resulted in his own election and the
sweeping of the State for Mckinley l.ni
since that unfortunate episode the Senatol
| from Maryland has made several recon-
Inendations that have gone unheetieti anc
about the only Ilen who have been ap
pointed 70 office are Dan GTosvenor, o
Ohio, temporarily a citizen OF Maryland
and B II. Warner. jr, a summer resident
CT the same State, and chiefly q citizer
OF the District.
Meanwhile the Republicans of Maryland
have been getting further and further apart
There is a hopeless division OH the subiec
OF Federal patronage. Mr.. Wellington
and two of the members from the Stat,
are arrayed on the one side, charnpioain,
certain slate, while over against then
appear four OF the Maryland delegation
who state that never, by all the gods
shall the slate selected by the Senate
and his two friends be sworn into office
There was, several weeks ago, poss,
bility of a compromise, but that possi
bility has passed by the action OF Mr
Wellington, who came to Washin gtt,u De,
sonalIy to recommend a man for collecto
) of internal revenue W no can never recefr
the sanction OF the four members of Con
gress who differ from the Senator a
to what is best to be done in Maryland.
The local fight in Baltimore over tn
mayoralty is ripping the grand old part
wider and wider. Mr. SuppIee becau,