Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-15
THERE WILL BE THREE NOTABLE
CONTESTS THIS FALL.
OHIO, MARYLAND, KENTUCKY
DEMOCRATS LIKELY TO WIN IN THE
BLUEGRASS STATE.
Practically Certain to
Carry Iowa-Maryland Is Still in
the Doubtful Column-Ohio
Fight Will Be on
New Issues.

WASHINGTON. June 14.-There will be
four notable elections for governor in No
vember: in Maryland and Kentucky among |
the border states, and in Iowa and Ohio
among the Western states. The other gov
ernorship contests will be practically un-
contested, Massachusetts being overwhelm- |
ingly Republican and Mississippi over
whelmingly Democratic. Iowa, Ohio. Mary
land and Kentucky have, all four, Repub-
lican governors at present, though Ken
lucky is normally 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 persons familiar
with the existing political conditions in the
Hawkeye state of the success of the Re-
publican nominees for governor and leu
tenant governor. Iowa was carried by the
Republicans at the presidential election
of 1896 by 5000 plurality. 1t was carried
by the Republicans in the last governor
ship contest, two years ago, by 10000 The
state went Republican last year by $1,000.
and all present conditions point to a failure
of fusion in it this year. In Kentucky
these conditions appear to be almost ex-
actly reversed In the presidential election
of 1896 the Mckinley electoral ticket carried
the state by only 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 a Populist ticket nominated besides,
the silver Democrats carried the state by
a plurality of 5000. They won the legis-
lature and majority of the congressional
delegation. This year the Republicans ex-
pect to make a vigorous fight in Kentucky,
but against the same sort of obstacles that
have kept Kentucky 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
Republicans in Iowa or for the Democrats
in Kentucky may be conceded, the battle
over the governorship in Maryland is no
sure thing for either side. The term of
the governor of Maryland is four years,
and the salary s4,5OO: his place of official
residence is the little town of Annapolis
For thirty years before January, 1896, when
the term of the present Republican gov
ernor of Maryland, Lloyd Lowndes, be-
gan, the executive of Maryland was a
Democrat, and in the contest of 1895 the
former relation of the two political parties
in the Terrapin state was reversed, the
plurality of Mr.. Lowrdes being 1900. To
this total the city of Baltimore contribut-
| ed II 600, so that outside of Baltimore the
Republican majority in the year most pro-
pitious for Republican success was 1900.
At the recent May election for mayor of
Baltimore, according to the official returns
| as canvassed, the Democratic vote was ST.
600 and the Republican vote 1900, DEM
| ocratic lead of $500. If, therefore, Mary
land politicians argue, the Republicans
hold their lead outside of Baltimore, and
the Democrats retain in November the lead
which their mayoralty 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 considera-
tion of Maryland affairs two important
| facts are to be regarded which did not
formerly obtain. In the first place Mary
whereby wholesale frauds upon the fran.
| chise, especially in the city of Baltimore,
are, rendered difficult, if not impossible,
resented in Washington by two Republic
an senators, whereas almost uniformly
heretofore its representatives have been
Is aeef G a bs
| neighboring state to the District of Colum-
bia and In proportion to its population it is
more largely represented in the federal de-
country.
In the connection between the fedora
government and the state, through the
| United States senators, the Republicans
have gained an advantage through the dis
placement 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 influential of Dem
ocratic leaders but also intimately familiar
with the ways-and subways-of politica
ernor Maryland will In November choose
a comptroller and attorney general, as vel
as legislators, and the members of the
house of delegates elected in 1899 will vote
Shryock, whose term expires in February
Mr.. Shryock,. who is Republican: ha:
as
Lowndes this year. it being takcn fol
granted among Maryland politicians tha
Mr.. Lowndes would be in the field to sue
that there is no political vacancy to which
he can aspire either in the cabinet or the
United States senate: Maryland had
in the selection of James A. Gary as post
. master general. After some service he re
) signed the place to make way for Postmas
ter General Smith, and it is not at all like
ly that Maryland will have the opportlnlt!
. . of again filling a place in the cabinet Of {
Republican president during this admins
tration at least. The term of Senator Well
, ington does not expire until 1903 and tn
! term of Senator McComas does not expir'
, until 1895. Under these circumstances Mr.
| Lowndes has the choice of either retiring
from Office to private life at the end of hi
present term or running for a second term
, and he has recently declared himself can
! didate for denomination on the Republican
ticket In support of his availability a.
l a candidate, the statement is made that al
honest election law has been placed upol
the statute books for the first time, Th
; taxation laws as enacted by the Republican
legislature have had the effect of bringing
/ into the treasury of the state much large
amount than ever before received. Th
2 free schoolbook law has been passed an:
: there has been collected and disbursed
E than at any time in their past history.
/ The Ohio state election is for governor
, lieutenant governor, treasurer and attor
, ney general. and under ordinary circum
] Ohio is a Republican state. and a Demo
cratic nomination to the governorship !
practically of very little account, excep
from the fact that Ohio is one of the fev
remaining states which habitually elect
governor in an off year, thereby giving tn
2 party in Ohio an advantage which It doe
= not generally enjoy elsewhere in the North
In period Of thirty years. covering hftee
elections for the governorship, there hav
= = Ohio: William Allen, elected in 1874
! Richard NJ. Bishop. elected in 1877; Georg
q Hoadly elected in 1888, and James T
= Campbell, elected In 1889. No Democrati
governor of Ohio has been elected for sec
ond term. Allen, Hoadly and Campbell. a
= | votes of Ohio have been cast uniformly 70
: the presidential nominees of the Republic
an party since its establishment. Yet, not
; withstanding these facts, there is a vigor
!. Democratic nomination in Ohio. Why
Ohio is not less a Republican state no,
a than 1t has been heretofore. At last year
n election under political conditions abou
!. the same as exist now, the Republican plu
q rality was $1,000. The Democratic party i
'. by Bryanism, and the Republican part
+ has been in even greater measure beneite