Evening star., 1898-11-03
RESULT IN DOUBT
General Apathy in Maryland Prevents
Intelligent Forecasts.
BOTH SIDES MAKING CLAIMS
Politicians Are Agreed on Only Two
of the Districts.
TIL E FIRST AND SIXTH
THE FIRST AND XTH
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE. November 2, 1898.
The final week of the congressional cam
paign in Maryland finds but little more gen.
eral interest taken in the election. The out
look is practically unchanged. Democratic
success in the first district is looked upon
as assured, republican victory in the sixth,
and the other four districts uncertain, with
the chances in favor of the republicans.
The party managers are trying to arouse
more interest in the campaign this week,
and large number of meetings, with brass
band accompaniments. are being held night
ly throughout the city and the adjoining
counties. No effort is being spared to
arouse something like the old-tine entnus-
iasm. The biggest attractions at the COM
mand of the respective comrnittees-men
like ex-Congressman Isidor Rayner and ex-
Gov. VIM. Pinkney Whyte-have come out
of their retirement to make the welkin
ring for the democrats, while the republi-
cans, in addition to the most imposing local
stars. have induced Secretary Long to come
over to address them at their eliminating
meeting of the ca mpaign, to be held in
Music Hall on Saturday evening.
Meetings Well Attended.
These meetings have been well attended,
especially in the case of the big Rayner
and Whyte gatherings, but the apathy of
the fight is In the main unbroken, and party
leaders on both sides admit that there will
be light vote. 1t would appear as if re-
publicans and democrats alike were reserv-
ing their strength for next year, when the
contest for the big local stakes-the mayor
atty Of Baltimore and the governorship-
will occur.
The effort on the part of certain inveter-
ate enemies of Senator German and the old
t. -.
Gratis and old anti-bOss element against the
party has been only partially successful.
and the old-line democrats point to the re-
appearance in the ranks of former -apos-
tates" as significant of the awakening of
the party, whether or not it will have any
bearing on the election next week. There
is no doubt that the democracy is in a more
harmonious condition today than 1t has
been any time within the past five years.
and if 1t makes a fairly good showing at
the polls on Tuesday It will take the field
Eext spring with more confidence than at
any time since 1895.
Nothing could be more sanguine than the
official claims of both Sides The demo-
Gratis talk boastfully of sweeping the state
from the mountains to the sea" with a
calm disregard of the republican strong
hold the sixth district and the republicans
pass over the eastern shore counties as
though their normal democratic majority
o. 800 had been spirited away. In private
the democrats say: We will carry the
second district and the third" Occasional
ly some one, unusually confident, adds. as
possibilities" the fourth and the fifth.
The republicans unofficial prediction is ''all
but the first
The strength of the silver vote on the
eastern shore is the dominant topic among
first district prophets. The general belief is
that Candidate Willis will not get 200 votes.
and that those will be practically confined
to Talbot county. The silverites have held
a number of meetings. and have been as
sisted by the oratory of Thomas c. Weeks
of Baltimore. who was defeated in the con-
gressional fight of 1895 by Representative
Booze. The movement is not giving the
regulars any trouble. and it's gensral ac-
ceptation as a republican campaigning ac-
oessory has assured Col. John Walter Smith h
the loyalty of many sincere silver men. In
other respects everything appears to be go
ing Col Smiths way. His striking popular
ity on the shore is being newly attested at
his meetings. and while Col. Jackson. the
republican nominee, will get the bulk of the
party vote. 1t Is not believed. even by re-
publican leaders in the district, that hs is
des tined to succeed Representative Barber.
The utter collapse of tn, mo bribery"
scheme vindicates the prediction Of expert