Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-25
is GETTING LIVELY
Montgomery County Politics and the Recent
Movements.
Mr.. Allan Rutherford and His Chances
The Main Democratic Cam
paign-What il said.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
ROCKVILLE, Nd, September q, 1897.
The campaign in this county has started
enough to induce the candidates on the To-
cal ticket to get out among the voters, and
a great deal of hand-shaking and button
holing IS going on in Consequence. The re-
publican county committee met last week,
but transacted no business. Mr.. Allan
Rutherford the candidate for clerk Of the
court on the state ticket, is chairman of
tie county committee. aud an additional
grOwl Is going up from republicans be-
cause of his effort or lack of effort to run
a canvass for himself and manage the
county fight at the same time.
Both republicans and democrats express
confidence in the success of the county
ticket this year. The democratic strength
is divided. 1t is said, and on the German,
anti-Gormsn lines the republicans base
their hopes. Conservative democrats how
ever, think their ticket is entirely safe by
fair majority Tuesday isSthe first reg
istratfon day and promises t0sbe lively
From all Indications the main demo-
cratic campaign Oh the stare ticket viii be
bitter attack on Mr.. Allan Rutherford
Mr.. Rutherford, while in town lately, took
occasion to say that he had heard it was
rumored that he would not exert himself
to secure the election of certain candidates
on the ticket. This he wished to deny in
the strongest terms; he was, he said, fol
the whole ticket, from top to bottom, and
he believed that every man on it would be
elected. He also made reference to the
story printed lately relative to the circum-
stances under which he resigned from
the Treasury Department several years ago
saying, by way of explanation that Secre-
tary Br:stow had put up a job on him while
ne was absent from his post of duty, and
that 1t was all on account of the secre-
tary's resentment toward him (Ruther-
1ord) because he refused to support him
for the presidency.
Very little is actually known of Mr.
Rutherford's career by the people of this
county prior to his settlement here a few
years ago. He has been quite active in re-
publican politics almost from the BEGIN
ming of his residence in these parts, and
Eany complaints have from time to time
arisen from those who disapprove of his
methods. 1t has been charged more than
once that he has secretly fought the party
candidates while chairman of the COM
mittee, but Mr.. Rutherford las repeatedly
denied the accusation. His written accCsa-
tions against ]. Vance Lewis, submitted to
Gov Lowndes when Lewis was an appli-
cant Tor a state office, aroused consider
able indignation among the republicans of
the county at the time the matter was
made public; and Lewis brought suit for
libel. According to the besc Information
the attacks OH Rutherford will take on a
number of phases. His alleged lack Of sup
port of republican candidates in the past
will be touched on. Ills treatment of Mr.
j. vance Lewis. whom he had enthusiast
tically supported for judgeship, and after
ward bitterly attacked. will be ventilated
The resignation from the Treasury De-
partment under fire will doubtless be COM
mented on, while much space will be given
TO the sccrching attack delivered by Mr
Outhwaite on the floor of the House of
Representatives in the Fifty-second Con-
sress, In which he said some plain things
about Rutherford and his methods. A
grand jury indictment in the District Of
Columbia against Rutherford on a charge
of receiving property stolen from the gov
vernment is another weapon in the attack,
while a will case tried in the District
courts recently, In which Rutherford fig
ured as drawing the WILL and as executor,
ard which document was thrown out by
jury as null and void, will also in all prob
ability figure.