The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-01-16
Special Correspondence Baltimore County Union
LETTER FROM ANNAPOLIS.


STATE HOUSE, ANNAPoLIs. Nd,
January II, 1904.
Governor Warield was inaugurated yesterday
in imposing style. and the new Democratic re-
gime opened most auspiciously with large ma
jority in both houses Of the General Assembly
to back up his Excellency and his party in their
Plans for the management Of State affairs. But,
as has often happened before, when openings
were most suspicious, the peace and serenity
did not last, and already there are mutterings
in the air which indicate that before long
trouble may come and the way of the new adj
ministration be strewn with thorns rather than
flowers.
The General Assembly reconvened here Tues
day night from its adjournment of last We'd
nesday. but the meeting was of little interest
being used merely to get the members back to
Annapolis in order that the Democrats in eau
Gus might discuss the various party measures
to be adopted during this session.
The managers seem to be in more or less OF
snarl over the proposed bill to climate the negro
voters. and at the present moment the Attorney
General of the State, Mr.. William Shepard
Bryan, and the distinguished lawyer and ex-
Attorney General, Mr. John P. Poe, are having
very hard time to agree themselves as to just
what is best to be done. When this is under
stood some idea may be CLEANED of the difficulty
which will be encountered in getting the mem.
bers to understand and vote on such measure
after it is presented.
The town has been full Of people during the
week attending the inauguration Of Governor
warheld, but even that is in the background,
for the Senatorship occupies the centre of the
stage. The developments of the past week,
especially the frantic activity of the Sun, has
keyed interest in this fight up to an unusually
high pitch. Petitions have been appearing Tor
several days now in the columns Of the Sun. all
tending to prove what it has been claiming
since the Sd of November, that the people en-
masse want Rayner. .
A dead set has been made, too, on Montgomery
county, in order to move Spencer G. Jones, the
President of the Senate if possible, in Rayner's
favor. Montgomery has always been hot-bed
for anti German and anti-ring Democrats, who
are making their hostility to the regular organic
zarion apparent at this time, by endorsing with
great vehemence, this anti-organization candi-
date, Rayner. If their appeals move Jones,
who has always been a friend of Senator Cor
man, and if their petitions induce him to sup
port Rayner, the moral effect of the move will
be worth the votes of half dozen county dele
cations put together, hence the efforts on
Montgomery especially.
Colonel Jones has given no sign, and his
friends consider it extremely doubtful he will.
for that gentleman is very resourceful and
| wise old politician indeed, and it would be
strange if he did not see through this maneu-
vre for moral effect.
Furthermore the secret of these Rayner
| pledges all over the State is well known, and
the fact that the men who carry them around
are paid for every name they get, weakens their
| effect materially. Thus. in Montgomery county,
although the petitions were very large. only one
! delegate has announced himself thus far as ia
vorable to Rayner, and it is very doubtful if
more than that one votes for the ex-Attorney
| General after the first ballot.
The present plan of the managers seems to be.
to begin the balloting next Tuesday, in open
session for the Senator A few ballots, as re-
suit of which no one of the various candidates
can possibly get majority vote, will demon
| strate the utter impracticability of the open
plan which the enemies of the regular organi-
zation have been so loudly demanding. After
that the Democrats will retire to the secret
| caucus, as has been generally done heretofore,
| and Jackson or Smith will be elected.
| At this time all the surface indications favor
Smith, but it is doubtful if the indications will
favor him so strongly later on when the caucus
| is just that much closer.
1t has been noticeable for several days that
| Mr.. Germans lieutenants have been falling
| away from Smith-taking the "hands-off'' posi-
| tion-which it was announced several days ago
| that the Senator himself would assume, in a
contest between these two, only reserving the
right to interfere in case of the very improbable
possibility of Mr.. Rayner developing any
strength.
Baltimore county has secured two more places.
Mr.. H.w .Knoebel having been made postmaster
of the House, and Mr.. Charles w. Waidner one
of the doorkeepers of the same body. It is ex-
pected that several more county statesmen will
secure places later on.
| ETMr. Jacob M. Pearce has been here this week
pushing his application for the position of Fish
| Commissioner. PAUL WINCHESTER.