Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-16
CRITICAL FOR RAS|N
Baltimore Politician Faces the
Hardest Fight in Career.
BATTLE FOR CITY OFFICES
Boss Expected to Unite Factions Be
fore Election.
IS SENDING OUT FEELERS
May Have to Chose Between w. Ca
bell Bruce and J. C. Linthicum
for Mayoralty Candidate.
S SENDING OUT FEELERs
Special Correspondence of The Star.


Signs are not lacking that 1. Freeman
Rasin will be much in evidence in the dem
| ocratic mayoralty primary fight. Just now
he Is resorting to his usual tactics and
sending out 'feelers" to get In touch with
the pulse Of his party. The latest candi-
date Is City Solicitor w. Cabell Bruce,
who is classed as a "silk-stocking' and
Independent democrat. In justice to Mr..
Bruce it may be stated that he Is not a
party to the feeling process inaugurated
by Rasin. "-aa .-.,-s.
The ''old man. is an adroit and far
seeing politician, and fully realizes that
| a man bearing the stamp of "organiza-
ton" could not be elected mayor OF Balti-
more. He also realizes that half loaf is
better than none. Therefore he is anxious
that the nominee shall be the strongest
| man within the party. He may be able to
SO shape things that the democratic or
ganization can capture the city controller,
city register and city council nominations,
and under such conditions the nominee
for mayor would receive the full support
OF the organization Friends of RaSin
sert that the boss faces the most critical
situation in his leadership career, and ex-
press confidence that he will be able to
bring all factions together at the spring
election.
Linthicum Most Likely.
From present Indications it seems almost
certain that Rasin will have to choose be-
tween Bruce and ]. Charles Linthicum,
now state senator, and those on the inside
say that in such an event Linthicum will
be the man. They point to the fact that
Linthicum is possessed of large fortune
and has political ambitions that do not
stop at the mayoralty. He would be able
to provide large campaign fund, and it
is said would be willing to finance the
whole campaign. The purse strings of
Mr.. Bruce, these insiders assert, would
not be loosened to any great extent-at
least not to the point that the spring cam
paign would require Therefore Mr.. Rasin
Is after the man with the "bar'l," and Lin
thicum Is the only one in sight with money
to burn and willing to burn it.
George Stewart Brown, who has been
dubbed IAN afternoon shadow of William
Randolph Hearst" is also in the fight, and
1t is conceded will poll a very large vote
in the primaries. Under no consideration
could he hope for organization support,
and therefore may be counted out of the
running for the nomination.
Rasin Fears Wachter,
Rasin, by the way, is taking quite as
much interest in the republican fight as
that within his own party. He Is hopeful
that Mayor Timanus will defeat Represen-
tative Wachter in the primaries, as he be-
| lieves that Timanus will be easier to defeat
than the representative. He. better than
any one else. knows that Wachter made a
great run against McLAne four years ago
and he is said to fear that Wachter would
make even better run this time. From
source close to Rasin, The Star cores
pondent ascertained that the 'old man.
figures that Wachter has about 67 per
cent of the non-taxpaying voters with him,
while the strength Of Timanus with the
working classes is practically nil.
This Is due wholly to the fact that the
oyotn he M,
kins labor bill when that measure was be-
fore the last legislature. Rasin, there
fore, figures that with Timanus az the
nominee Of the republicans the labor vote
will be solid against the republican ticket.
Therefore it seems most likely that Rasin
will take quite active an interest In the
republican primaries as he will in those of
his own party.
In Republican Camp.
The republican mayoralty situation is just
as clouded as 1t was six weeks ago. The
organization is waiting for the Wachter
forces to make a move and the Wachter
forces are resting on their oars. Friends
of the representative claim that their can
didate has the mayor as good as beaten
and that the result of the primary fight
will be heavy majority for Wachter The
organization leaders express every con-
and even go so far to hint that Wachter
will not enter the primaries. And there
you have the situation as it exists TODAY.
From an authoritative source The Star
correspondent learned today, however.
that Wachter will be in the fight and
that he has not the slightest Intention
of foregoing joust with the mayor There
is bitter personal enmity between the
two men since the last mayoralty campaign
and friends of the representative assert
that even without ghost Of a show to win
in the primaries. Wachter would neverthe-
less enter the lists 1t Is these conditions
which are keeping the republican leaders
at sea.
Corporations Hands Of.
In the approaching mayoralty fight The
Star correspondent Is able to state with
authority that the big corporations will
not take any part. 1t has been an open
secret that for years the big railroad sys-
TENS entering Baltimore have taken a
prominent part in the election of mayors
of Baltimore and members Of the legisla-
ture. This year the fight will be one solely
between the political parties
One of the most prominent railroad off,
Gals in town said to The Star correspon-
dent today: The mayoralty fight will not
interest the corporations in the slightest
degree. We are out Of the political end of
the game. We are satisfied to be allowed
to remain in existence. There is nothing in
1t for us and the assistance which has been
given in the past has not to my mind been
productive of any benefit to the railroad
COMPATIBILITY have been compelled to
pay the freight in addition just the same"
--S-