Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-10-11
Letter from Baltimore.
Baltimore, Nc, October srd. 1907.

Baltimore, Mo, October 3rd, 1907.
As day after day passes by the outlook for
Democratic success In the city and State
seems brighter, and accurate political OBJ
servers predict an old time Democratic ma
jority in Maryland.
The opponents of the Democratic ticket,
especially those who are using all their
power to defeat Judge Crothers, have scour'
ed the State to secure Democrat Of promi-
nence or influence who will say that he Will
support Mr.. Gather, the Republican NOM
inee. But they have failed. Nearly two
months have passed since the nominations
were made, and not Democrat OF promi-
hence has been found who is willing to let
the public know that he intends to vote Tor
Gather. As Rodger w. Gull, who for years
has been one of the ablest of the Independ'
ents, said recently:
"There is no earthly reason why any
Democrat should vote against his party this
year. The candidates are all able men, and
all are fitted in every way for the positions
to which they aspire, and they are in all
respects the equals of their competitors
The truth is the Republicans have only
elected one Governor in forty years Tin 1896,
and at that time the Democratic party was
torn up by factional fights and every news
paper in Baltimore openly supported the
Republican candidate. At the present time
with united party, with no factional trou-
bes, with the Baltimore San actively sup
porting the ticket, there can be no doubt
whatever as TO the result. All the Boosting
and blowing the Gather organs are indulg.
ing In Is really nothing but bluffing, they
do not mean 1t to be taken seriously, and
everybody should understand that they are
not sincere They are hedging already,
and seeking holes through which to crawl
when the inevitable defeat comes on No
vember 9th.
The Republicans do not expect to win.
The men who have their grip on the ma
chine do not want to win. 1t would upset
their plans and calculations should Gather
be elected. They want the machine to
remain In their control so that they can
divide up the Federal offices among them
selves and their henchmen. They also
want to get the General Assembly 30 that
they may secure seat In the United States
Senate for jackson or Mudd to aid them in
carrying on their plans. But to elect an
obstreperous, cranky, impracticable theorist
like George Gather for Governor would
upset all their plans and throw their machine
out of gear. Democrats throughout the
State can rest easy 30 far as the Governor
ship 10 concerned. Their best allies are the
Republican bosses, but these same people
are anxious to get the General Assembly,
and 1t is in regard to the legislative tickets
that the Democrats will have to use their
greatest efforts. The Republican work
will be largely directed to capturing the
House and Senate. The Governorship Is
a secondary consideration. What do such
men as those at present in control OF the
Republican party care for Mugwump
Governor They would get nothing out OF
him. What they want is the Legislature.
In fact, they look upon Gather as nothing
more than renegade Democrat, who has
never been converted to the true inward
ness of Republlcanism, and is not more
than half grounded in the radical faith, as
they see 1t. He has been all sorts Of
crank in times past He was rampant
Democrat OF the EXTREMIST type in early life.
Later he became Socialist and Nationalist,
and was at one time Bellamyite and edited
and published q crank paper called the
Nationalist, here in Baltimore, which advo-
Gated all kinds of crazy notions regarding
public affairs. Finally he Joined the Re-
publican party, giving as the ostensble rea-
son for so doing the fact that he had become
protectionists and could not swallow the
tariff reform ideas Of Mr.. Cleveland and the
Democratic party. In recent years he has
become an advocate of the municipal owner
ship OF all public and semi-public utilities,
and as such he is looked upon with distrust
and fear by all conservative business men.
Mr.. Gathers record has been erratic. He
has been nominally Democrat or Repub.
lican and has been allied with both parties,
but he Is really Socialist and most Of his
real views on public questions have been
Soclalistic in their character. He Is not the
kind Of man the conservative people Of
Maryland wish to see in the Governors
chair, and the indications are very strong
that he will not get there.
PAUL WINCHESTER.