The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-07-24
BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
DEMOCRATIC POLITICS ~
THE STATE.
BALTIMORE, MD, July 81, 1908.

BALTIMORE, MD, July 81, 1908.
Unless all signs fail and the shrewdcst
of Baltimore politicians are at fault, this
is going to be a democratic yea1 through
out city and state. The democrats have
a quarrel, if so amiable a contest as that
between the Honorable Spencer G. Jones
and Mr.. Edwin Wartield for the guberna-
torial nomination may be called a quarrel,
but it is of such a nature and both men
are such perfect gentleman that there is
no earthly possibility of the democrats
splitting on that while on the other
hand the s~hrcwdest Of the republican pol
~iticians and the leaders themselves can see
no light in the hopeless tangle and row in
their party, which has prevented their DO
ing anything thus far except wrangle and
quarrel and knife each other.
In the city while both democratic gu
bcrnatorial aspirants are very popular,
the preponderance of sentiment seems to
favor Jones, the leaders opposing War
field and the rank and file either follow
ing this lead or standing n~on-committal.
But be the result of the primaries what 1t
may, Maryland will be treated to a fine
sight of the defeated candidate turning
in and working for the ticket and the
more fortunate rival. There will be no
post primary squabble or soreness.
Even were there no republican quarrel
of such bitterness as to tangle ineNtrica-
l1y f1Tc NO tv ftn Sn,tII1nnt OF OIGnE re-
publicans is so bitter against the McCO-
mas Stone faction for the alleged knitting
of Wachter in the spring campaign, that
it is doubtful if the Williams candidacy
will be treated seriously by the great body
of the republican voters, while on the
other hand, the certainty Of this factions
opposition to Lowndes, makes republican
success q practical impossibility.
1t is generally understood tina; the city
will cast the deciding vote and that the
nominees it favors will be elected. Bal
timore, including half of the voters of the
State as it does, is a most important fac
tor and the state politicians will beyond
doubt support the city selections. MIR.
Warfield and Mr.. Jones are both from the
country, and the nomination for comp
troller will probably go to OK Senator
Thomas 4. Smith of Caroline county, no"
chief of the bureau of industrial statistics.
The only city candidate which Baltimore
will insist upon is Mr.. Isaac Lobe Straus,
for attorney general.
Some of the state leaders do not favor
MI. Straus, but they should be willing to
sacrifice personal dislkes in the matter
and recognize the strength his name will
give the whole ticket. Mr.. Straus has a
large personal following, and his inf1u-
ence with a certain class Of voters will
practically insure the election of the tick
ct on which he is placed, and for this rea-
sen if for no other, the state leaders will
be asked to give him their support.
When the general assembly meets next
January its most important duty will be
the selection of a man to succeed Senator
McComas at Washington, and the i'm
preston, in fact there can hardly be any
doubt that the choice will be Governor
John Walter Smith, who unquestionably
merits the office. The affection with
which Governor Smith is held by the PEG,
pie of the entire Eastern Shore, where
they saw his riseby his W unaided efforts
from boyhood to afluent middle age, and
from the very bottom of the political lad
der to the highest position within the
power of the state to bestow, is one of
the strongest and unquestioncd fitness for
the office.
What if he has made mistakes? Who
has not? The mistakes of Governor
| Smith, furthermore have not been SO
much his own mistakes as those Of his
advisors, men who should have protected
him from the most criticised move made
during his administration.
One of the most significant facts con
nected with Governor Smiths brilliant
career, is that in all his fast rise and pros
perity, a thing which causes insane jeal'
ousy, no tinge Of envy has ever shown
itself against this man and this gentle
man.
They call him John at Snow Hill OF
they did before, out of respect for him
and his worth, they changed it to "Gov-
ernor,' and the affection with which they
handle the new word is not one whit less
hearty than that with which they spoke
the more homely but more familiar given
name of his boyhood.
This in a nutshell is the situation in Bal
timore politics as it is at present and this
too is the situation all over the state, will
Baltimore the pulse for the old common
w~ealth-Jones or Warfield, probably
Jones for the governship; Thomas A
Smith for the comptrollership Isaac
Lobe Stratus for the attorney general, and
his Excellency, Governor John Walter
Smith for the United States Senate.