The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-01-01
A ~NoN-pARrIsAN TRIBUTE.

1t is somewhat singular, when all things
are considered, that the Senatorial situa.
ton, so far as the discussion of it appears
in the city papers, should admit of only
two candidates, when there are five or six
aspiring for the honor. While others art
occasionally mentioned. the mention is
after all only occasional, and the papers
narrow the discussion down at least to
two, the Honorable Isidor Rayner and
Governor John Walter Smith.
In Baltimore the papers which are in
teresting themselves in the matter at all
are printing all they can lay hands on
that favors Mr.. Rayner, while little OF
nothing is conceded to the others. The
country press is divided in its sympathies,
the partisans of the various candidates
supporting them Loyalty, and almost going
to the lengths. with regard to the Others
that they would were they republicans
and were this election outside, instead of
inside, the party lines.
The following papers, thirty-one in
number, are supporting Governor Smith
in preference to Mr.. Rayner: Snow Hill
Messenger, Berlin Herald, Pocomoke
Democrat, Cambridge Democrat, Easton
Star Democrat, Easton Ledger, Denton
Journal, Kent News, Cecil Democrat,
Havre de Grace Democratic Ledger, West
minister Advocate, Cumberland Times,
Cumberland Alleganian, Oakland Demo
crat, Montgomery Advocate, PRINCE
GEORGES ENQUIRER, St. Mary's Beacon.
Annapolis Advertiser, Annapolis Capital,
Annapolis Republican, Annapolis Gazette,
Greensboro Free Press, Perryville Record,
Centreville Record, Caroline Sun, St.
Michael's Comet, Cecil County News,
Towson Journal, Baltimore County Dem
ocrat, Frederick Citizen and Cambridge
Chronicle.
Supporting Mr.. Rayner in opposition to
the other candidates are the following
papers, ten in number: Chestertown Tran
script, Centreville Observer, Ellicott City
Times, Ellicott City Democrat, Hartford
Democrat, Belair Egis, Hagerstown Mail,
Laurel Democrat, Montgomery Sentinel
and Oakland Journal.
Not pausing here to more than comment
on this showing of State papers. as tend
ing to some extent to disprove the state
ments which have been made to The effect
that the people favor Mr.. Rayner and the
politicians Smith, the object of this article
is simply to give justice to a man who has
served this State and his party we'll; but
which fact, owing to the attitude of the
city press toward him, is not SO well
known to the people of Maryland as it
might be. The man is Governor Smith.
Many people have seen uncompliment-
ary cartoons or critical editorials OF the
Governor, and have seen them so persist
emily for years now, that not knowing the
man as he really is it is perhaps but natu-
raj thai many Marylanders and some dem
ocrats should nave an entirely
impression of him.
NJ Aoo opPOoASu ~ VIZ NoUhSAy PASo0S
on the other hand, in unstinted praise of
the Governor. His executive ability has
been praised, and his admirable admins.
tration has not been overlooked, at least
by most of the better type of democratic
papers. His integrity, honor and fair
mindedness have been spoken of.
Prk for fhDco wh,> do not knnu him
save by his city newspaper reputation, as
good and as true an idea of Governor
Smith may be obtained from one very
small incident in his life as in any other
way. The extra session has been a favor
tie theme with his traducers since it hap
pened, but the aftermath has had no men,
ton, perhaps because it never got out in
the papers Of the State. Smith is not a
man to use such an incident.
At the Senatorial election which fol-
lowed the extra session, and which re-
suited in Mr.. Germans return to Wash
ington, the place which Governor Smith
is now trying in a dlgnified way to secure
he might then have had by merely saying
''yes'' to the men who almost begged him
to take it.
Some of the democrats were opposed to
Mr.. Germans return to the Senate and
the republicans were, of course, a unit in
opposing him. These irregular demo-
Gratis and republicans combined consti-
tuted a majority and offered Smith their
vote, using every argument within their
power to induce him to accept the office.
Smiths friends implored him to take it,
and some of them went so far as to say
that Senator German would not have
thought about it had he stood in Smiths
shoes, yet still the Governor was abdurate.
Il don't think Mr.. German would do
this were he in my place." he said,
''but that makes no difference to me.
I cannot take the Office under these cir
cumstances, much as 1 appreciate the offer
from these gentlemen, and much as
would prize the honor" He did not take
it, either.
Sentiment plays no very heavy part in
Maryland politics, as even laymen at the
game must have observed, and to most
fair men this incident placed the Cover.
nor up in about as high a light as it was
possible to throw on him.
NJ 1:xx1. -. l-.- 49, lz-a tkO---