The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-17
POLITICAL.
There Will Be Three Notable
Contests This Fall.
State Elections In Ohio, Mary
land and Kentucky.
MARYLAND DOUBTFUL
Democrats Will Carry the Blue
grass State.
Ohio Fight Will Be Along New
Lines, and Close.
MARYLAND DOUBTFUL

Washington, June 17.-There will be
four notable elections for governor in
November; in Maryland and Kentucky
among the border states, and in Iowa
and Ohio among the western states.
The other governorship contests will
be practically uncontested, Massachu-
sets being Overwhelmingly Republican
and Mississippi overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic. Iowa, Ohio, Maryland and
Kentucky have, all four, Republican
governors at present, though Kentucky
is normally a Democratic state and
Maryland is usually So
The term of the governor in Iowa is
two years. in Kentucky four years.
There is very little doubt among per-
sons familiar with the existing political
conditions in the Hawkeye state of the
success of the Republican nominees for
governor and lieutenant governor. Iowa
was carried by the Republicans at the
presidential election of 1896 by $1,000
plurality. 1t was carried by the Re
pubIicans in the last gOVernOrship con-
test, two years ago, by 10000 The
state went Republican last year by g.
900, and all present conditions point to
a failure of fusion in it this year. In
Kentucky these conditions appear to be
almost exactly reversed. In the pres
identia1 election of 1896 the Mckinley
electoral ticket carried the state by 200
votes, with 5000 gold Democrats in overt
revolt. Last year, on the restoration
of former party lines, and with two
Democratic tickets in the field and Pop
ulist ticket nominated besides, the sill
yer Democrats carried the state by a
plurality of $4,000. They won the leg
islature and a majority of the congress
sionaI delegation. This year the Re
fight in Kentucky, but against the same
sort of obstacles that have kept Ken
lucky in the Democratic column so
long and seem likely to make Governor
Bradley the last as well as the first
Republican governor elected in that
state.
Whatever likelihood of success for the
Repu blicanS in Iowa for the Demo-
Gratis in Kentucky may be conceded. the
battle over the governorship in Mary
land is no sure thing for either side.
The term of the governor of Maryland
is four years, and the salary is $4 500;
his place of official residence is the lit
tie town of Annapolis. For thirty
years before January 1885, when the
term of the present Republican COVER
nor of Maryland Lloyd Lowndes be
gan, the executive of Maryland was
Democrat, and in the contest of 1895
the former relation of the two political
parties in the Terrapin state was re-
verSed, the plurality of Mr. LOwndeS
being $4,000. To this total the city of
Baltimore contributed 1900, so that
outside of Baltimore the Republican
majority in the year most propitious for
Republican success was 1000 At the
recent May election for mayor of Bal
timOre. according to the official returns
as canVaSSed, the Democratic vote was
81 900 and the Republican vote 40. 900
Democratic lead of $780, If, therefore,
Maryland politicians argue, the Repub-
Hcans hold their lead outside of Balti-
more, and the Democrats retain in No
vember the lead which their n1ayoralty
candidate secured in May, the fight of
1899 would be on lines so close as to give
no assurance to one or the other party,
though in the consideration of Mary
land affairs two important facts are to
be regarded which did not formerly OBJ
tain. In the first place, Maryland has
now an honest election law, whereby
wholesale frauds upon the franchise,
especially in the city of Baltimore, are
rendered difficult, if not impossible, and
in the second place, Maryland is rep
resented in Washington by two Repub-
lican senators, whereas almost uniform
ly heretofore it's representatives have
been Democrats. This is a matter of
political importance because Maryland
is the next neighboring state to the
District of Columbia and in proportion
to its population it is more largely rep
resented in the federal departments
than any other state of the country.
In the connection between the federal
government and the state, through the
United States senators, the Republicans
have gained an advantage, through the
displacement of the two Democrats,
which is further made of Importance by
the fact that Mr.. German was not only
one of the most resOurceful and inf1uen-
tai OF De1nOcratl leaders, out also IN
innate with the wayS-and subwayS-
of political life in Washington. In ad-
ditiOn to a governor, Maryland will in
November choose a comptroller and at
tOrney general, as well as legislators
and the members of the house of dele
gates elected in 1899 will vote for a
state treasurer in place of Thomas J.
ShryOck, whose term expires in Febru-
airy. Mr.. Shryock, who is a Republic
can. has been regarded as a prospective
candidate for the nomination to sue
coed Governor LowndeS this year, it be-
ing taken for granted among Maryland
politicians that Mr.. LOwndeS would be
in the field to succeed himself, eSpe-
cialIy in view of the fact that there is
no political vacancy to which he can
aspire either in the cabinet or the Unit
ed States senate. Maryland had a
place in the ca binet of President Nc
Kinley in the selection of James A
Gary as postmaster general. After
some service he resigned the place to
make way for Postmaster General
Smith, and it is not at all likely that
Maryland viii have the opportunity of
again filing a place in the cabinet of
a Republican president during this ad-
ministration at least. The term Of
Senator wellington does not expire I'M
til 1908 and the term of Senator Nc
Comas does not expire until 1905. Under
these circumstances Mr.. LOwndeS has
the choice of either retiring from office
to private life at the end of his present
term or running for second term. and
he has recently declared himself a can
didate for denomination on the Repub-
Iican ticket. In support of his avail
ability as a candidate the statement is
made that an honest election law has
been placed upon the statute books for
the first time. The taxation laws as
enacted by the Republican legislature
have had the effect of bringing into the
treasury a much larger amount than
ever before received. The free school
book law has been passed and there
has been collected and disbursed. for the
use of the schools, a larger sum than
at any time in their past history.