The Republican., 1899-10-19
HARMONY IN THE PARTY
Maryland Republicans Go Into Fight
In Solid Phalanx.
GOLD DEMOCRATS WITH THEM.
Their Opponents Relying on Breaking the
Colored Vote-Old Ring Rule
Tactics.

III UIlt INS SEJuDlICdA parry nave Detu
settled by the retirement of Senator
Wellington from the chairmanphip of
the State Committee and the election
of Gen.. Thomas j. Shyrock to the
place, the campaign has taken on new
force and energy, and the politicians
are at work as they haye not been at
this time of year since 1896 General
Shryock has opened his headquarters
in the Eutaw House and with him
are associated Mr.. Stephen r. Mason,
Chairman of the City Committee, and
Sheriff Edmund NJ. Hoffman, the two
Malster leaders, who are perhaps the
most astute and skillful managers in
the Republican party in the city.
These gentlemen have smoothed
over the differences heretofore exist
ing in the ranks in Baltimore, and
to-day the Republican are in a far
better and more harmonious condi-
ton to go into a campaign than they
have been at any time since they as
sumed power in Maryland in 1886
Coy. Lowndes and his friends on the
one hand, and Mayor Malster and his
adherents on the other, have reached
an agreement of such a character that
it will prevent friction in the future,
and if a united party can win the
coming election for the Republicans,
such a party exists to-day in Balti-
more City and this State. The Demo
Gratis therefore have given up all hope
of gaining the State election by rea-
son of feuds and dissentiOns in the
ranks of their opponents and have
come to the conclusion that their on
ly hope of victory on November 7th
rests in heroic work and in pursuing
their old-time tactics of breaking into
the colored vote.
Many of the leading Independents
who supported Gov. Lowndes four
years ago have already notified him
that it is their intention to give him
their aid in the present campaign
and others are expected to follow this
example as soon as matters progress
further In due time, therefore, all
the reform elements in the city, which
advocated a betterment of the State
and city government, and which are
opposed to the return of the old ring
to power may be expected to align
themselves with the Republicans and
make certain the victory for reform
which was won in 1895. Some of them
were at first inclined to go back to
their own party and support the
Democratic ticket in the belief that
the pledges for reform would be car
ried out should Col. Smith and his
colleagues win the election. But when
it became evident to these gentlemen
that the same old ring crowd was in
absolute control of the Democratic
party organization, that ex-senator
German and Mr.. Rasin "were bossing
the whole business" in their old way,
that the headquarters were managed
by the lieutenants of the two bosses,
that the conventions were made up of
their tools, that no man had even the
slightest chance to secure recognition
unless first approved by these gentle
men, their eyes were opened.
They became convinced that at no
time in the history:.of the State had
the Democratic party been more COM
pletely in the power of Messrs. Cor
man and Rasin than it is now, and
they determined to act accordingly,
and are doing so by Offering their aid
to the Republicans. They saw, upon
investigation, that all the candidates
named by the Democrats had records
which allied them at some time or
other with the old ring.
Col. Smith, they found, had for
years been one of Senator Gorman's
chief lieutenants in the management
of party affairs on the Eastern Shore
and in the State Senate, and as such
had, in 1894, at the Ocean City Con-
gressional Convention, prevented the
passage of resolutions indorsing the
Cleveland administration and the
Wilson tariff bill, and had secured the
passage of resolutions commenting
the course of Senators German and
Gibson. All these things are working
among the Independents, who are
strongly anti-Gorman and nti-Rasin,
and, before the election, it is highly
probable that the entire Independent
strength will be as actively at work
for Gov. Lowndes as it was in 1895,
and for the Republican ticket as it
was again in 1897. Considering the
entire situation, therefore, from an
impartial standpoint, the Republicans
have mot only abundant reason to
feel hopeful, but have also strong