Evening star., 1899-03-04
Probable Rival Candidates in Balti-
more's Coming Msyoralty Fight.
LATTER is cHOIcI OF DEMOCRATS
Present Mayor is Practically Sure
of denomination.
HOW THE LEADERS STAND
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star
BALTIMORE, Md, March 3, 1899.
The latest incident of Importance in the
municipal campaign in Baltimore is the
drift of democratic sentiment toward the
nomination of ex-State Senator Thomas G.
Hayes as the party's candidate for mayor
at the approaching spring election. Mr.
Hayes has been spoken of for some time
as the party standard bearer, and he has
always had strong personal following,
but it has only been within the last week
that the preponderance of sentiment has
set toward him, andtit is now believed that
the nomination will go either to him or
ex-Mayor Latrobe, and that he has bet
ter chance of winning the honor than the
'seven times mayor of Baltimore"
With the conservative members OF the
party the question of the nominee for the
coming fight is primarily one of 'expedi-
ency"-to bring out the greatest possible
vote gainer-and they believe the selection
of Mr. Hayes will meet these conditions.
Popularity Among Worl<ingmen.
A feature which especially commends him
to the party is his great popularity among
the labering classes. 1t is generally be-
lieved that Mayor Malster, who has an
immense following among the working peo-
pie, will be the republican nominee, and
the desire of the democracy is to pit against
him a candidate who can fairly divide this
very important vote.
Senator Hayes has identified himself with
all legislation designed to benefit the con-
dition of the INDECENT classes and the work
ingman, and the fact that several of the
local labor organizations are ready to sup
port him If made the nominee testifies to
the favor with which he is regarded among
the wage-earners. His regularity at the
last presidential election, when so many
Maryland democrats refused to support
Bryan, has given him hold upon the af-
fections of dyed-in-the-wool democrats who
would unQuestionably resent the nomina-
ton of any one who proved faithless to the
candidates of so. And this is of course,
an important consideration.
Furthermore, Mr.. Hayes selection would
prove entirely satisfactory to the new
democratic organization founded by eX-
Governor Frank Brown to aid in insuring
the nomination of good candidates. The
ex-governor told The Star correspondent
today that such action would meet with
his cordial approval, and should commend
itself to all consistent democrats. In add-
ton, 1t is believed that it would prove
gratifying to the Charter Union the inde-
pendent organization recently formed to
take a vigorous part in the campaign in
the interests of taxpayers. This body, COM
posed of the leading mugwumps of the city,
the majority of whom are eX-democrats, is
headed by Mr.. William Keyser, a former
chairman of the democratic city committee.
Mr.. keyser, in speaking of Mr.. Hayes
nomination with TheEStaf correspondent,
said that it would prove entirely satisfac-
tory to him and to scitizens whose chief
interest in the campaign lay in their anx-
iety to have the "cha3ter mayor one who
might be relied uponsn not to use the vast
powers vested under the new city constitu-
tion in his office in the building up of a po-
itical machine at the expense of the tax
payers. ~ SO
Favored by Vandfyer EFI
The hearty and outspoken advocacy of
Mr.. Hayes by Chairman Vandiver of the
democratic state central committee and by
Secretary Lloyd Wilkinson is taken to have
deeper meaning than that which appears
on the surface. 1t is looked upon as indi-
eating That Senator German favors the
movement and will lend his influence to
further it. In a word, from every stand
point Mr.. Hayes prospective nomination is
regarded with growing favor, and it is be-
lieved that if chosen as the candidate he
will be insured a united party vote on
election day-a distinction not enjoyed in
late years by the candidates of the democ-
iacy of Baltimore.
Ex-Mayor Latrobes many admirers are
still enthusiastic in his support and will
make spirited fight for him at the pri-
him. To win the democrats must have a
united party. Latrobe unquestionably
stands well with the people" in the truest
sense of the term, he always has done
but among the Independents he is looked
upon as having been too closely identified
with the old democratic ring, and it is not
believed that he could hope for support
from this source at the polls.
Among the republicans, Mayor Malster
has unquestionably the inside track and
his nomination is looked upon by AL fair
minded observers as practically matter of
course. A noisy but what would appear to
be futile effort to scare the mayor from
the field through the agitation of ex-Mayor
Hoopers name is now sbeing carried on,
and is receiving unrestricted access to the
columns of the anti-Malster press. Little
success or genuine interest has been taken
in the movement so far, and among con-
seryatives, even of pronounced good gov
ernment'' leanings, the effort is regarded as
too impractical to be worthy of serious con-
sideration. 1t is understood, incidentally,
that Mr.. Hooper has not only not indorsed
the rather blatant agitation of his name
but is rather annoyed than otherwise at
the fanfare occaSioned thereby.
Derided by the Malster Men.
Among the Malster men the movement is
derided, and their valuation of it's strength
is indicated in it's comparison by a leading
light of the Columbian Club to an attack
by Filpinos, armed with bows and arrows,
upon the battle ship Oregon. They aver
that the Hooper movement will be showed
under at the republican primaries and say
the Endorsement of the ex-mayor's "caLdi-
dacy'' by few disgruntled clubs most of
them negro organizations). is not signifi-
cant. To an unprejudiced observer it
W Id appear that Malster can easily de-
feat the Hooper moveme ment-should it en-
dure until the primaries-at the polls. His
strength lies in the almost undivided sup
port that he is sure to have of the negro
vote, in his popularity among the working
classes, and, of course, in the 'sinhoonce"
which will be exerted in his behalf by his
vast administration family-and connec-
tions.
The Geological Park.
The final conference on the sundry civil
bill resulted in the Senate receding from its