Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
POLITICS IN PRINCE GEORGE
DEMOCRATIC FACTIONS IN BoR-
DER MARYLAND COUNTY.
Republican Leaders Anxiously Await
"a Sign From Representative
Mudd-Forecasters in Doubt.


Special Correspondence Of The Star.
| UPPER MARLBORO. July 70 1907
| Inc democratic convention To nominate
candidates for county offices and delegates
! 10 the Mary and Legislature Is but little
over week OF. and it is still a problem
which OF the factions will win. One Is led
by State Senator William h clagett and
the other by Aquilla r Robinson of Brandy
wine district. chairman OF the county CEN
trail committee Both sides are Ginning
victory.
In his fight against the Cagett faction
! Mr.. Robinson is understood To have tho
support of Fillmore Beail OF Evansville dis
trict "A member of the county central COM
| mlttee. while George ). Dove of Spauldine's
district. the third member of the committee.
is with the Clagett forces. 1t is understood
that. should the latter win in the primary
hight and the ticket nominated July ~ be
| successful. Dove will succeed Robinson as
| tobacco inspector of southern MARYLAND.
This position pays only 81 500 per year but
! II Is reported that no incumbent has yet
been accused of having anything to do. The
, work Is performed by deputies
| 1t is believed by some that the demo-
cratic troubles will be patched up before
! the county convention meets This belief
i results from the fact that Senator Clagett
: and Mr.. Robinson have both been invited
! to attend the big conference TO be held in
! Baltimore next week. 1t is reported that
/
some pretty stiff talk by the state leaders
and given to understand that unless they
/ come together Prince George county may
| look for nothing In the way of state pa
! tronage.
Mr.. Robert w Wells of Hyattsville. twice
member of the house of delegates. has
also been invited to the conference Mr..
Wells is keeping hands off the factional
contest, and will, 1t is believed present
| the true situation in Prince George county
| to the state leaders and 1t will be for them
| to decide which faction is in the wrong and
strive to bring about reconciliation. Such
an adjustment of troubles is regarded as
absolutely necessary In order for the party
| to win at the election.
Senator Clagett Busy
Senator Clagett has been at Buffalo IithIa
| Springs for several weeks. but returned To.
day, and until next Saturday, when the uri-
maries held. he will be a busy man 1t
is generally conceded that there Will be "A
change in the personnel Of the county CEN
trail committee when the convention meets
Among the aspirants for a position on the
committee is Robert w. Wells of Hyatts-
! ville and he is claiming recognition as
| representing the younger democracy of tn,
county. Mr. Wells Is understood to bc A
candidate for the nomination for state sena-
! tor in !!~S. to succeed Senator Clagett and
| a position on the county central committee
! Is REGARDED as quite lever in realizing po-
| ltical ambitions.
| Mr.. C. C. Magruder of Marlboro is an
avowed candidate for the nomination for
clerk of the court of appeals. a state Of
flee, and has lodged his fate in the hands
! of the Clagett faction Should the latter
win. it is probable that delegates will b.
sent to the state convention from Prince
George county pledged for Mr. Magruder.
Mr.. Hampton NJ. Magruder. his SON tha
present state attorney, Is a candidate
for denomination for another term. The
name of DR.. Charles A. Wells OF Hyatts-
vile is frequently mentioned in connection
with the nomination for state contro Ter. Dr
Wells is making no fight for the nominal
ton, but ii is understood the state leaders
are favorably inclined toward him. believ-
ing that his nomination will strengthen
the state ticket in southern Maryland. The
democrats throughout the county are anx-
ious that his son. c. A. NJ Wells. be placed
on the ticket for county treasurer. but up
to this time have beer unable to secure
from him any definite sta tement as to his
position in the premises. 1t is certain that
he will not accept the nomination a the
candidate of any faction In the county.
Mr.. Mudd's "Intentions."
Politicians are anxiously awaiting an an
nouncement from Representative Sydney +.
Mudd relative to accepting the nomination
as candidate for chief judge Of the seventh
judicial circuit to succeed Judge John =.
Briscoe of Calvert county. the incumbent.
1t is known that Mr. Mudd can secure the
nomination without any trouble and II is
generally believed he will announce his can
didacy in a few days. Judge Briscoe will
receive the democratic nomination for re-
election. and should Mr. Mudd decide TO
make the run. of the most interesting
political contests in the history of southern
Maryland will take place. Mr. Mudd is
pretty certain of job in Congress as long
as he desires 1t, and his friends believe his
delay In announcing his intention OF run
ming for the office of judge is due TO an
uncertainty existing in his mind concerning
his chances of defeating Judge Brscoe
One of the important political develop
ments of the week is the opposition that
has sprung up to the nomination of George
B. Merrick as the republican nominee for
states attorney. This nomination has all
along been conceded 20 Mr.. Merrick but re-
Gently the report has gone abroad that his
nomination would be subject to severe criti-
cism owing to the fact that his father.
Judge George c. MerrCk is judge of the
circuit court before which young Merrick
would be prosecuting attorney in the event
of his success at the polls. Mr.. James I.
Curley editor of the Laurel Leader, re-
publican weekly newspaper, has for some
time nursed an ambition to be states at
torney, but 1t is understood his political
course has not been pleasing to some Of the
big leaders in the party. During the week
the friends of Percy ii. Veitch of Bladens-
burg have been busy arousng sentiment
in favor of his nomination for this Office,
and If any one defeats Mr. Merrick it is be-
lieved that Mr.. Veitch will be the man.
Opposition to the nomination of Rufus
H. Vincent of Hyattsvlle district the
republican candidate for sheriff has also
Thomas NJ. Underwood of Piscataway dis
trict has excellent chance of landing the
nomination. The same wing of the party
that is opposing Mr.. Merrlck for states
attorney is understood to be back of Under
wood for sheriff.
A remarkable feature about this situation
is the fact that Representative Mudd is un-
derstood to be in favor of the nomination
of both Merrck and Vincent but that some
of his closest political friends are against
both these aspirants. 1t is conceded that
should the Clagett forces control the con-
vention Frank II. Hurd of MelwOod dis
trict will be the democratic candidate for
sheriff while Thomas II. Garrison of
Hyattsyie is formidable aspirant in case
the Robinson faction wins. Mr.. John L.
Fisher of Oxon Hill district is understood to
be ted for the republican nomination for
treasurer. although Gardiner s. Coale OF
Marlboro district may have something to
say about the matter.
The republican primaries will probably be
held the first week in August