Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-22
THE FALL ELECTIONS
Much Snap and Ginger for an
"Off Year."
THE LIQUOR QUESTION
Involved in Several States, Notably
in Kentucky.
CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND
An Election Law Included in the
Issue-Curious Combination in
State Of New York.
THE LIQUOR QUESTION
CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND

There Is a good deal of snap and ginger
in the campaigns of this fail, notwith-
standing this is what is known as an "off
year" Political conditions in number
of states and communities are interesting.
Some of them are loaded with possibilities
of surprises and far-reaching conse-
Quences.
Elections will be he'd November 5 in
several states for governor and state Of
fees and in many states for a portion of
the legiS ature. They will also be held in
number of large cities for municipal
officers. and in some instances these cleo
tons the most interesting.
These states will elect governors: Ken
lucky. Massachusetts. Maryland. New Jer-
scy and Rhode Island. Cleve.and. Column
bus and Cincinnati will have mayoralty
elections of almost national Importance.
Other cities viii choose their city officials
a.so. New York will hold judicial, minor
municipal and legislative elections which
are of more than passing interest.
Gubernatorial Situations.
OF the gubernatorial situations the one
that is of most Importance. although it
is apparently attracting the least atten-
ton. is that which exists in Maryland.
The campaign Is absolutely without spec
tacular effect, but is in deauly earnest,
nevertheless. More than the mere gov
ernOrSl1lp is 11NDiESu. WO tn.leu states
senatorial seats are In the balance, but
even beyond that is the consideration
that the victorious party In this fall cleo
tions will pass election law which may
determine Maryland's status in the po-
litical column for years to come.
Plainly stated, as the last analysis. the
enfranchisement or partial disfranchise-
ment of the negro vote in Maryland is
the issue.
New Jersey is in the throes of lively
gubornatorial campaign. There, as ex-
planned in The Stars special dspa tches,
the issue between the democrats and re-
publicans is under the surface, though
understood OF all men, and is whether
there shall be rigid or lax excise laws
and administration. It's question of
uncertain.
Strangely enough, Kentucky Is another
state where the liquor question Is the
issue in a guberna torial campaign.
decade ago politicians would have
laughed at the idea that whisky would
ever be an issue in the blue grass state.
But it is With 119 counties in Kentucky
'.dry"-just think of 1.-THE question now
is whether some of the cities, including
Louisville, shouldn't go dry also
Entanglements in Kentucky.
There are more entanglements in Ken
lucky than anywhere else. For instance.
there Is Gov. Beckham, who wants to
come to the Senate, straddling the liquor
question; the democratic candidate for
governor advocating extension of local
option. while the democratic candidate for
mayor of Louisville opposes it, and the
republican candidate for governor on all
fours practically with the democratic can
didate for mayor OF Louisville. It's
fine mess, and nobody knows how it is
coming out.
So the republicans in Kentucky and the
republicans in New Jersey swap places on
the liquor question. and the democrats in
Jersey and the democrats in Kentucky
are disagreed upon this issue in state
politics.
In Massa chusetts there is a so-called
gubernatorial campaign. 1t won't be much
of d campaign, however. If the democrats
continue their internecine strife. There
are two factions. which held two conven-
tions on the same day. One faction will
be declared the righteous faction. and
the other will jump the reservation and
go on the warpath.
In Rhode Island the gubernatorial cam
paign is colorless and its result without
particular significance.
Mayoralty Campaigns.
The Cleveland mayTalty campaigns
features are familiar to readers of The
Star. The fight is progressing along the
lines described heretofore in The Stars
special dispa tches. In Columbus it is
fight between the "drys' and the VETS"
Sunday beer being the burning issue of
the day. The particular friend and hacker
of Secretary Taft in that city has been
ridden down in the primaries.
In Cincinnati the mayoralty cam
paign is an effort of the old republican
faction, which was ousted by Secretary
Taft's speeches In the last campaign.
to get back into power. The faction is
playing hand in glove with the Taft
forces-kissing the hand that smote
them-but politicians of all classes are
the Taft outfit after they win this cleo
tion. which they expect to do, with
the help Of the Taft people.
In New York is presented one Of the
strangest anomalies of latter-day poll
ticS-a fusion of the Hearst and RooSe-
Welt forces. The old SO wing that Pol
itics makes strange bedfellows" is sure
ly exemplitied in this case. The repub-
lican county machine which is con-
trolled by the Roosevelt men and head
ed by the Presidents own particular
resident agent. Mr.. Herbert Parsons.
has made deal with Mr.. Hearst divid-
ing up the judicial and minor municipal
offices between candidates of Mr.
joint ticket to be supported by the
Hearstites and the republicans.
Politics q Queer Game.
When the savage attack Of the Roose-
Welt administration upon Mr.. Hearst's
gubernatorial candidacy Is recalled
an attack that is said to have defeated
Mr.. Hearst. because all the rest of his
ticket was elected-politicians wonder
how Hearst can join hands with the
administration republicans. Other poll
ticians. who remember the holy scorn
OF the republicans toward the Hearst
men. are amazed that the republicans
81 aal hA lot nf
element.
So IL goes all over the country
anomalies in every section, leading
the thoughtful to remark that politics
is queer game.
LORD RossLYN SINNERS.