Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-25
Senatorial Prize Awakens Keen In
terest in Maryland Politics.
LOWNDES SEEMS 10 HAVE TEE lead
All Sorts of Rumors About Com
binations on Other Aspirants.
MALSTER A POSSIBILITY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

i SpSciai correspondence OF Inc Evening Staf
BALTIMORE, Md, November Is, 1897.
The interest in the contest for the Unit
ed States senatorship is becoming more
and more intense, and the scenes about the
Carrollton Hotel and other resorts of poll
ticians are growing more animated as the
time for the converting of the general as
sembly approaches. So great is the inter-
est felt that the presence of prominent out
of-town republicans becomes subject of
absorbing interest and extravagant sur
| mise. and the visits Of the leaders are re-
garded as being of necessity fraught with
| the utmost significance and Importance.
Any number of rumors of deals and dick
ers are in the air. and discussions as to the
status of this or that candidate are heard
on all sides. The sincerity of those who
are supposedly arrayed behind the respec-
tive aspirantS is continuously questioned
and defended. and the observer Of political
affairs will find no lack of material to at
tact his attention
Present Week Is Lively
The present week is especially lively, and
sounds the keynote of the campaign. The
presence of such important personages as
Senator Wellington, Governor Lowndes,
Congressman Mudd, State Senator Dryden
presidency of the senate at the present
time; Senator Day, the representative of
Postmaster General Gary, and many out
of-town members-elect of the next general
assembly, and county leaders as well, in
addition to the city politicians, has kept the
pot boiling at lively rate.
At the present time it appears to be
lIowndes against the field, and the govern
ors friends contend that no other candi-
date is worthy of the slightest consideration
Senator Wellington, despite the claims of
the anti-Lowndes men that he is quite
as likely to cast whatever influence he may
be able to exert at Annapolis to Shryock
Gary, or some other candidate, as he is to
Lowndes. appears to be genuinely anxious
to see the governor land the prize and, to-
gether with one or two trusted "administra-
ton" republicans from Allegany county
the senator is working as vigorously and
as imperfously as though the defeat he en-
countered at the Ocean City convention
were thing Of the Imagination, and not
OF history.
LOwndes Sure of the Caucus
The governors friends claim that he can
now depend On forty-two votes, or eight
more than the thirty-four required for a
caucus nomination. This is ridiculed by the
followers of the other candidates who as
sert that the judgment of the Lowndes men
is not only faulty throughout, but is es-
pecialiy so in their inclusion of the three
votes from st. Mary's county. that of Sem
ator Day of Howard; the four from Talbot
and ten votes which are claimed from Bal
timore city. Senator Washington Wilkin-
son of st. Mary's. they say, is too warm
an adherent of Mr.. Gary to warrant being
cataloSued at the outset as a follower of
another candidate. and the same remark
may be applied to Senator Day. The Tai
bot delegation, they contend would never
cast its votes for the governor in the event
of its finally backing a western shoreman
and the assertion that such support as
claimed can be wrung from the city dele
CATION, when the power of Mayor Master
as an anti-W ellington-Lowndes factor is
considered is characterized as absurd
Conservative judges look on Lowndes as
being far in advance of his rivals, but the
possibilities of unexpected combinations
being effected to check his progress and
the general reluctance among those now
in charge of the party to see Wellington
become supreme dictator again, makes
them hesitate in launching predictions as
to the outcome. Should the opponents of
the governor succeed in blocking caucus
nomination fer some time after the ballot
ing begins, they will undoubtedly weaken
his chances, the majority of the MEM
bers-eiect are not remarkable for their
! loyalty to any one candidate as for their
anxiety 20 back the winner" and some
| of those who are looked on as Lowndes ad-
herents would be quite likely to leave the
governor If the opposition appeared for
midable.